Joe Keery plays a fictional version of Steve Harrington in the famous show- Stranger Things. Steve wasn’t a particularly nice character at the start of the show. But Steve has grown to be a more courageous, astute & kind person. Critics have praised his character growth, referring to him as the show’s emotional center and breakthrough character. Let’s discuss Steve Harrington in detail:
Development & Characterization of Steve Harrington
- Before being cast as Steve, Joe Keery tried out for the part of Jonathan Byers. Renowned actor Chase Stokes, who starred in Outer Banks, also tried out for the Steve part, however, he acknowledged that he “effed up” and missed his lines.
- Steve’s character was supposed to be far more aggressive in season one, according to the Duffer Brothers’ initial plans. The Duffer Brothers “fell in love” with Keery’s portrayal after casting him, so much so that they decided to keep Steve alive and offer him a brief redemption story in season 1.
- According to executive producer Shawn Levy, the Duffer Brothers decided mid-season to combine Steve’s character with Dustin Henderson because both were “alone” and going through heartbreak. This is how Steve’s position in season 2 evolved.
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Fictional Biography of Steve
Season 1
- Although Steve Harrington has an adversarial disposition and is originally portrayed as a classic 1980s popular “jock,” many students find him endearing and admire him. Although Nancy Wheeler and Steve are represented as being in a relationship, Nancy begins to grow closer to Jonathan Byers after Steve breaks his camera as a form of harassment. Steve confronts Jonathan after noticing him and Nancy together, but Jonathan wins the altercation and beats Steve.
- Steve realizes his mistakes and decides to break up with his old buddies as a result. He goes to the Byers’ house to offer his apologies to the two, and while there, he joins Nancy and Jonathan in their battle against the Demogorgon, which they manage to drive out. At the end of the season, Steve Harrington maintains his friendship with Nancy and grows closer to Jonathan as a result of their shared experience. Nancy also purchases Jonathan a new camera.
Season 2
- Nancy and Steve Harrington had a strained relationship, which ended when she refused to declare her love for him. He confronts her following her inebriated outburst at a party, in which she refers to their relationship as phony. In addition, Billy Hargrove, a recent arrival at the school who aspires to be its tough guy, and Steve are at odds.
- Unaware that Dustin is asking him to assist in finding his “pet” D’Artagnan—a monster from the Upside Down that his pals refer to as a “Demodog”—Steve gets engaged with Mike Wheeler and his friends. Dustin and Steve become friends over talking to ladies, and shortly after, Dustin, Mike, Lucas, and Max—Billy’s step-sister—are all taken under Steve’s wing.
- As Demodogs begin to ravage Hawkins, Steve defends the kids, giving Eleven and Jim Hopper time to shut the Upside-Down gate and Will Byers time to have the Mind Flayer exorcised from his body. In addition, he stands up for the kids against Billy and gets knocked out before Max can disable her brother. Later, on the night of the school dance known as the Snow Ball, Dustin receives advice from Steve as he drives him there, and Steve Harrington finally admits to having a compassionate side.
Season 3
- After completing his high school education, Steve works alongside Robin Buckley (Maya Hawke), a former classmate who often makes fun of him, at the Scoops Ahoy! ice cream shop at Starcourt Mall. After coming back from science camp, Dustin sets up a ham radio tower to communicate with Suzie, his new girlfriend, in Utah. Dustin then asks Steve for assistance in translating a radio message he overhears in Russian.
- After quitting drugs, Steve Harrington acknowledges that he has feelings for Robin and finds out that she is a lesbian, but he still accepts her sexual orientation. Steve assists in stopping Billy, who is possessed, from smashing the car that the gang is using to transport Eleven away during the next battle with the Mind Flayer.
- He then joins the others in lighting fireworks to divert the Mind Flayer’s attention while the Soviet base’s gate is closed. Steve and Robin get hired at the neighborhood Family Video after losing their jobs at Scoops Ahoy due to the battle’s damage to the mall.
Season 4
- Steve and Robin are still coworkers at the video store in the spring of 1986, and they are still close friends with Dustin. Steve and Robin assist Dustin and Max in finding Eddie Munson, a fellow student after cheerleader Chrissy Cunningham is unexplainably discovered dead inside Eddie’s trailer.
- They tell him about the existence of the Upside Down and give the name “Vecna” to the creature who killed Chrissy. Having discovered from Nancy and Robin that music can break Vecna’s spell, Steve, Dustin, and Lucas help her escape his hold on Max by listening to her favorite song, “Running Up That Hill” on her headphones.
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Steve Harrington’s Journey into Stranger Things
- Steve Harrington and the others go into the abandoned home of Victor Creel, who was detained for the 1950s deaths of his wife, son, and daughter—deaths the gang believes Vecna was responsible for—based on Max’s account of what she witnessed while possessed. The lights begin to flicker and then explode as they watch as Vecna takes his third victim.
- Later, Dustin discovers that his compass isn’t working properly and knows that there must be an entrance to the Upside Down nearby. After the group locates Lover’s Lake as the source, Steve descends to look into it only to be pulled into the Upside Down by a tendril and surrounded by bat-like monsters. Eddie, Nancy, and Robin show up to keep him safe.
Conclusion
Critics reacted favorably to Steve Harrington’s character in Season 3, praising his friendship with Robin Buckley as evidence of his development as a person. Damien Lykins, a writer for Screen Rant, says that Steve’s response to Robin’s coming out is his favorite scene of the season, calling it “sweet and heartfelt.” Men’s Health’s Philip Ellis said that the character’s continued popularity is partly due to his platonic relationship with Robin.
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