'Stranger Things' season 3: David Harbour as Jim Hopper is Hawkins' Mr Dependable
Reserved and cynical, David Harbour's chief of police Jim Hopper has been one of the most pivotal characters in 'Stranger Things'. When we first saw Hopper, he was damaged goods emotionally. His wife Diane divorced him as soon as they lost their daughter Sara to cancer. It was rumored that he had a thing with Joyce Byer (Winona Ryder), and worst of all, he was considered a downright careless sheriff.
Except that he wasn't.
Hopper may come with a lot of baggage personally, but he has been the one person who has managed to stay one step ahead of his enemies over the two seasons. His investigative skills are top notch, and coupled with his dash of bravery, the burly man has been Hawkins Mr. Fixit on numerous occasions.
Not a lot of people would make an effort to understand the concept of the Upside Down. He also made the attempt to believe the kids when there was a theory about dimensions. And with Eleven's discovery along with the blunder in Hawkins lab, his determination to put an end to the evil lurking in the small town only got stronger.
Speaking of Eleven, Hopper also proves that he has it in him to be a great dad. He kept Eleven alive with those Eggos! He gave a girl whom he barely knew a place to stay and even taught her Morse code. He also balances between being strict and lovable.
Back to Hopper the hero then. Clearly, he is a man who goes by his guts. It was also admirable how he took on the personnel at the Hawkins lab alone and a few monsters while he was at it. There were times when we thought that he wouldn't make it out in one piece, but he manages to and also be an ally to the young heroes.
Hopper was a perfect example of what it is to protect someone in the name of love, even if it isn’t always the best way to go about it. He confined Eleven, who’s basically a superhero, to a tiny cabin despite her abilities to help. But again, Hopper did what he thought was best for his pseudo-daughter and trust us it worked.
To sum up, Hopper is the perfect stand-up guy.
Catch baddies. Check.
Bash up a few monsters. Check.
Make sure Hawkins stays safe from weird people. Check.
Season 3 promises more danger and more evil, and we don't know yet what will become of Hopper over the course of the new season.
'Stranger Things 3' will premiere on Netflix on July 4.
