Steve Harrington: Familiar with the Character

In the hit Netflix series Stranger Things, Joe Keery portrays a fictional Steve Harrington. Initially, Steve wasn’t a very likable character. Nonetheless, Steve is now a braver, smarter, and kinder person than he was before. He has developed into the show’s emotional core and breakthrough character, which has garnered him praise from critics. Shall we delve into Steve Harrington’s story?

Steve Harrington’s Development and Personality Traits

The role of Jonathan Byers was Joe Keery’s first casting attempt before he was cast as Steve. Also trying out for the Steve role was the renowned Outer Banks actor Chase Stokes, who admitted he “effed up” and forgot his lines.

The original plan, as laid out by the Duffer Brothers, called for Steve to be much more aggressive in the first season. The Duffer Brothers “fell in love” with Keery’s performance upon casting him, leading them to decide to give Steve a short redemption story in season 1 and keep him alive.

The Duffer Brothers reportedly decided in the middle of the season to merge Steve’s character with Dustin Henderson’s because they were both “alone” and experiencing heartbreak, according to Shawn Levy, an executive producer. Here we can see the progression of Steve’s role in season 2.

The First Season of Steve’s Fictional Biography

Steve Harrington is initially depicted as a classic 1980s popular “jock,” but despite his antagonistic nature, many students find him charming and respect him. Although Steve and Nancy Wheeler are depicted as being romantically involved, Steve’s harassment by breaking Nancy’s camera causes her to develop feelings for Jonathan Byers. Upon seeing Jonathan and Nancy together, Steve decides to confront him, but Jonathan ends up winning the fight and defeating Steve.

Steve chooses to end things with his old friends after coming to terms with his mistakes. He visits the Byers’ home to express his regrets, and while he’s there, he fights alongside Nancy and Jonathan to expel the Demogorgon. Steve Harrington keeps in touch with Nancy and becomes closer to Jonathan at the season’s end because of what they went through together. Jonathan also gets a new camera from Nancy.

Season 2’s Nancy and Steve

Harrington’s troubled romance came to a head when she still wouldn’t admit her feelings for him. After her drunken party tantrum, in which she calls their relationship “phony,” he confronts her. Also at odds with Steve is Billy Hargrove, a new student who wants to be the school’s bad boy.

Interacting with Mike Wheeler and his companions, Steve has no idea that Dustin is pleading with him to help locate his “pet” D’Artagnan, an Upside Down monster affectionately called a “Demodog” by his friends. Steve befriends Dustin over their shared interest in women, and soon after, he takes in Dustin, Mike, Lucas, and Max, Billy’s step-sister.

Will Byers has time to have the Mind Flayer exorcised from his body, and Eleven and Jim Hopper have time to shut the Upside-Down gate, thanks to Steve defending the kids as the Demodogs ravage Hawkins. Also, he defends the kids from Billy, but he’s knocked out just in time for Max to disable her brother. Steve Harrington finally confesses to having a compassionate side while driving Dustin to the Snow Ball school dance later on, and Dustin receives advice from Steve on the way.

The third season

Steve, after finishing high school, finds employment at the Scoops Ahoy! ice cream parlor at Starcourt Mall, where he works side by side with Robin Buckley (Maya Hawke), an old classmate who used to tease him frequently. Dustin connects with his new girlfriend Suzie in Utah after returning from science camp by erecting a ham radio tower. After that, Dustin approaches Steve and asks for his help in translating a Russian radio message that he overhears.

Steve Harrington accepts Robin’s sexual orientation after learning she is a lesbian and admitting he has feelings for her after he stops using drugs. In preparation for their next confrontation with the Mind Flayer, Steve helps Billy, who is under the influence of the demon, avoid destroying the vehicle that will take Eleven away.

After that, he goes along with the plan to distract the Mindflayer by setting off fireworks as the Soviet base’s gate is sealed. Steve and Robin find new employment at the local Family Video after being let go from Scoops Ahoy at the mall due to the destruction caused by the battle.

Episode 4

Spring 1986 finds Steve, Robin, and Dustin all still working together at the video store, and they’re still very close friends. Steve and Robin lend a hand to Dustin and Max as they search for Eddie Munson, a classmate who was involved in the strange death of cheerleader Chrissy Cunningham, who was found in Eddie’s trailer.

He is informed of the Upside Down’s existence and the monster responsible for Chrissy’s death is named “Vecna” by them. Steve, Dustin, and Lucas lend Max their ears to listen to her favorite song, “Running Up That Hill,” to free her from Vecna’s spell, which she had learned about from Nancy and Robin.

The Stranger Things Adventure of Steve Harrington

The gang believes that Vecna is responsible for the deaths of Victor Creel’s wife, son, and daughter in the 1950s, which Steve Harrington and the others investigate by visiting his deserted home. This belief is based on Max’s account of what she saw while possessed. The lights start to flicker and eventually burst as they witness Vecna murder his third victim.

After some time has passed, Dustin realizes that his compass is malfunctioning and that he must have found a nearby entrance to the Upside Down. Steve goes down to examine Lover’s Lake after the gang finds it as the source, but he is engulfed in bat-like monsters and pulled into the Upside Down by a tendril. Rescuers Eddie, Nancy, and Robin rush to his aid.

Summary

Season 3’s Steve Harrington received positive reviews from critics, who saw his friendship with Robin Buckley as a sign of his personal growth. According to Screen Rant writer Damien Lykins, who praised the scene as “sweet and heartfelt,” Steve’s reaction to Robin’s coming out is his favorite part of the season. Philip Ellis of Men’s Health speculated that the character’s friendship with Robin contributes to his enduring appeal.