This analysis is just a lot of my own thoughts regarding Billy Hargrove. It is not intended to excuse any of his ill-treatment or behavior, or to make anyone sympathize with him, but rather to offer some insight into a very misread character’s makeup and mindset.
Billy Hargrove is a seriously complex and truly misunderstood character. Throughout the second season of Stranger Things, we see Billy express copious amounts of anger and aggression, most of which is taken out on Max. One might assume from his behavior that Billy is nothing more than an arrogant, violent, and all around mean person. While a lot of this might be true, I feel that it’s safe to assume that Billy is not truly evil. Although he does serve as an antagonist, Billy’s characteristics and demeanor are displays of much more than that.
Billy’s complexity rests solely in the fact that he has so many layers, and in such a short time span of screen time, we are able to see many different sides of his character. To start, Billy is different than the other characters in the sense that he does not possess any quantifiable heroic trait. While the majority of the main characters remain in their own cycle, even while showing development and growth, Billy demonstrates multiple sides of himself in a shorter time frame. Throughout the season, we are able to witness his aggression, his charm, him acting like a typical teenager, and we see him on the verge of a breakdown after catching a brief glimpse into his home environment. While Billy is a jerk most of the time and acts purely off of impulse, he’s not without a conscious or feelings. Even though his behavior is poor toward others, and is not to be excused in any way, Billy’s expression of emotion proves that he, too, is only human.
To understand him, one must step into his shoes. From what we’re shown, we know that neither one of his parents are really a part of his interpersonal life—his father doesn’t seem to care about him, except to exert control over him, and his biological mother isn’t in the picture, I imagine—so Billy wasn’t raised with any form of support from a family, and I think it’s safe to say he didn’t experience a truly structured home life, either. What we do know is that Billy’s father has recently remarried and moved them, his step-mother, and step-sister, over halfway across the country to an environment that he’s not accustomed to. He is thrust into the role of guardian to Max, and he is abused physically, mentally, and emotionally by his own father for what we can assume a long time. This is evident in Billy’s reaction toward Neil when he comes after him. Billy doesn’t even so much as flinch when Neil shoves him backward, instead only bringing his hands up to his father’s elbows, and then dropping them again. He anticipates Neil’s punch before he even raises his hand to hit him, so clearly, this abusive nature is nothing out of the ordinary for Billy.
Again, this does not excuse Billy’s ill-treatment toward any other characters, but provides insight into his mindset, why he is acting out, or why he is the way he is. The situations he is forced into makes him feel ultimately powerless, because he has absolutely no control over what is happening in his own life. He’s angry, repressive, and bitter because of this, and no matter what, he’s going to remain that way with little to no control over what’s going to happen in his life, therefore having no escape from his own reality.
I’m going to assume that Neil and Susan had a whirlwind relationship and married quickly, most likely in under a year or two. According to Max, both her mother and Neil were looking for a fresh start, both eager to get away from her father, so they moved from California to Indiana. There’s a lot of speculation that Neil wanted to move to Hawkins because he secretly works for the government, but it could also be assumed that Neil, with his controlling and dominating behavior, as well as his psychological abusive nature toward his son, simply wanted to isolate the family. Billy and Max seem familiar enough with each other, and Susan is familiar with Neil’s treatment of Billy. However, Billy’s role as Max’s “baby-sitter” seems fresh, as well as Billy stating: “We’re family now.” The four of them probably only spent a certain amount of time together, or at least when Neil and Susan wanted to go out and have a “family night” or something like that. Max most likely went back and forth between her parents while Billy was old enough to be left on his own, which didn’t leave a lot of room for these two to bond. Billy’s frustration now as an older brother, and step-son, comes off as fresh as well. Perhaps the four of them only lived together for a short amount of time after the marriage before deciding to move to Hawkins, Indiana.
As for his home life, Billy seems nearly detached from everyone else in the household. His behavior toward Max is a blatant display of his frustration about her existence in his life. Neil, Billy’s father, forces Max on Billy, making him a guardian to her, in a sense. Billy, with no way of venting his anger, takes it out on the one target that he can—Max. He is basically responsible for Max’s well-being and constantly has to look out for her, so to compromise with the issue himself, he ultimately attempts to control Max. If Neil didn’t press the issue and demand it of him, Billy most likely wouldn’t mind looking out for Max and carting her around every once in a while. But again, Neil’s overbearing amount of control and dominance causes Billy to both act out and lash out because he doesn’t have any control himself.
Looking at this from another angle, Max is actually the only constant in Billy’s life at this moment, because she’s the only one who is experiencing exactly what he’s going through, albeit being somewhat different. We don’t know exactly what happened with Billy’s mother, but Max’s father is still living in California, and it’s assumed that the two had an overall decent relationship. I feel that Billy, regardless of what happened, misses his mother, and Max, being the daughter of Susan, whom is now his father’s wife, evokes some anger in him that he takes out on Max.
What’s interesting, too, is that while Billy almost despises referring to Max as his sister, he does refer to her as “family.” If Billy so much as hated Max as one might assume, he wouldn’t bother to even show hints of caring about her well-being, which he does.
“Because Max, you’re a piece of shit, but we’re family now whether we like it or not, meaning I’m stuck looking out for you.”
Notice, Billy says “we.” Again, he’s acknowledging Max’s presence and including her feelings, too, and not just his own.
With Susan, Billy most likely ignores her, or just doesn’t think much of her in general. Max is her daughter, and should be her responsibility. It’s interesting that Susan doesn’t go along with Billy to search for her daughter when Max is missing, even though Neil insists that Billy goes as a form of punishment, or in order to make up for his behavior, because he was the one who was supposed to be looking out for her.
But with Max, she and Billy are both thrust into the same situation either way, and they’re the only two who can understand one another. Again, if Billy honestly hated Max, he would act more indifferent toward her. Instead, he does do things for her. He drives her to the arcade, he waits for her after school, and he doesn’t even sit in the car—he’s outside waiting for her, looking for her. Perhaps, he’s decent to her occasionally because of Neil, but Billy also pays attention to Max and her surroundings as well as his own. He knows when she’s upset, when she’s lying, and he does—at least a little—relate to her. So with that being said, he doesn’t necessarily disregard her as a person. He treats her very poorly, but usually his bad temperament around her is a cause and effect display. When Max accuses Billy of being at fault for making them move, that’s when he lashes out.
“You know whose fault it is. Say it. Max. Say it. Say it!”
Whatever the deal was, we don’t know, but it’s safe to assume that Billy is clearly angry about it. Another example is when Max lies about hanging out with Lucas. Billy knows that she is lying to him, and decides to take his anger out on her by breaking her skateboard. Again, and I stress this, Billy’s actions are in no way right or justified, but his behavior is an extreme reflection of his own father’s treatment of him.
This is demonstrated later on when Billy attacks Lucas and afterward fights Steve at the Byers’ house. If you observe the scene closely, you’ll see that Billy goes after Lucas much like his own father comes after him. It’s pretty much an exact replica of the intense scene between Billy and Neil. While a lot of people say that Billy is racist—and maybe he is, we don’t actually know for certain—there is something very interesting about Billy telling Lucas to stay away from Max. If you listen to his voice, he’s not only telling Lucas to stay away, he’s almost pleading with him to do so. His voice actually cracks, and he doesn’t exactly sound as angry as he does desperate. While some interpret Billy’s behavior as being a racist, it’s not hard to assume that his reaction toward Lucas and Max being friends is actually out of fear of his father being racist and opposing the friendship, and since it’s widely suggested that Neil is homophobic, it wouldn’t exactly be a stretch to say that he, too, is racist.
“So that’s why you’ve been staring at yourself in the mirror like some faggot instead of watching your sister …” —Neil Hargrove
Billy’s relationship with Neil is clearly not a good one. Neil belittles his son and treats him in a very controlled, almost military like, fashion. It’s obvious that Neil is a very dominating male figure, and he rules the house with an iron fist. He’s most likely not a fan of his son’s choices and self-expressionism, even going as far as to call him a derogatory slur in order to degrade him, simply because Billy was admiring himself in the mirror before a date. What’s interesting about this scenario is the fact that, while Billy’s actions here might come off as being narcissistic, it could also be an underlying form of immense insecurity. During certain moments, it doesn’t look so much like Billy is truly admiring himself as he is studying himself. He knows he’s good looking, and other than his athletic skills, to him, his looks are the only thing he has that makes him feel good about himself, which is why he invests his time in caring about his appearance—only to later be put down by his father.
Neil’s treatment of his son is a strong factor of Billy’s aggression and hatred, all together being repressed and built up inside of him until he finally unleashes his fury on Steve. Realistically, Billy has no reason to honestly hate Steve. In his clouded mind, he sees Steve as a threat, because like his own father, who is the dominating presence at home, Steve is the superior “alpha male” of the school, and Billy sees him as a challenge to overcome, a display of his own insecurity and self-loathing. When Billy and Steve fight at the end, Billy has already had a brief breakdown and is clearly ready to vent his anger and emotions by using violent physicality. Unfortunately, Steve was the one to suffer at his hand, but again, if you observe the scene closely, as Billy is fighting Steve on the floor, his face isn’t that of someone who is exactly hateful or deranged. Instead, he expresses frustration, anger, and agony—most likely not even beating up Steve in his mind, but instead seeing his father who he is hitting.
“Nobody tells me what to do.”
Billy’s antagonistic behavior toward Steve isn’t exactly a reflection of sole hatred, either. Instead, he views Steve as a challenge, someone to prove that he’s better than. He ridicules Steve and talks to him in a very sarcastic manner, but never once does he actually degrade him. Instead, while playing basketball, Billy actually offers Steve a few words of advice.
“You were moving your feet. Plant them next time. Draw a charge.”
And while it’s not directly out of kindness, the underlying tone of this message is clear. Billy doesn’t particularly hate Steve so much as he wants to essentially usurp his position as king of the school, and to do so, he’s going to do it honestly. To follow this, Billy’s brisk remarks to Steve are the only interaction the two have, until they meet up at the Byers’ house. Personally, I don’t feel that Billy really ever had plans of attacking Steve violently. Again, much like with Max, Billy only goes after Steve when he lies to him about Max. Now, before this, Billy has just been beaten down emotionally, verbally, and physically by his father. Additionally, he’s been driving around looking for Max before eventually making it to the Byers’ house where he encounters Steve, who does, in fact, lie to him about Max being there. His reaction, though not right, is almost expected, and to him, justified.
Remember, Billy has no inclination about what’s going on with the Upside Down, or any of that. All he is aware of is that Max ran off and he is responsible for her. Now, not to stick up for Billy and what happened after he got through Steve, but the situation to him probably seemed quite bizarre. But again, he doesn’t lash out until he specifically has a reason, and his reason here is Steve being dishonest. And, going back, never once does Billy actually directly degrade any of the other characters. Instead, he yells at Lucas in an almost desperate plea to stay away from Max, until he is stopped by Steve. And even though Steve attacks him, Billy doesn’t react until Steve tells him to leave. In Billy’s clouded thoughts, he once again feels powerless in a situation that he’s forced into, so he’s lashes out, attacking Steve violently and almost taking things too far until he’s stopped by Max.
Observing this scene with Billy and Steve, you’ll see that Billy is actually half in tears as he’s knocking Steve around, his face contracted in sheer agony. This is Billy’s ultimate unleashing of his hatred and frustration aimed at his father and his situation, which he has been repressing for so long. He has no control. Billy’s internal conflict here is that he doesn’t know how to express his emotions or himself properly, thus leading him to insecurity, self-loathing, and frustration over the fact that he doesn’t know how to deal with it because he’s powerless in his own reality. All of this pent up anger has manifested itself into the rage he takes out on Steve. When he laughs after Max has injected him with the syringe, his nerves are coming down after the release of his anger. He doesn’t find the situation funny in the sense that it’s comical, but because he’s coming down from a high of so many emotions that he just vented.
With Max, his “screw you” and “I understand” are him submitting to her, just as he does with his father, albeit differently. The difference is that Billy can not stand up to his father, but Max stands up to Billy. Billy, though often cruel and bitter toward Max, does not want her to turn out like him. To reflect Billy’s feelings toward Max, Max doesn’t truly hate Billy, either. Their relationship is complex, but they’re both bound by mutual pain. Billy does care about Max, possibly more than he cares about anyone else. Him submitting to her wishes to leave her and her friends alone is a vague apology, and in reality, though the two remain closed off to each other at the end of the season, you can bet that Billy will always have Max’s back. Toward the end, when he passes her by as Susan is styling her hair for the dance, his expression is thoughtful as he looks at her for those few seconds, as if he’s contemplating on saying something, but he makes the decision not to. Again, he’s repressing his feelings because he doesn’t know how to express himself without some form of briskness, or if he’s being charming because he needs something, as shown in the scene with Karen Wheeler, but between him and Max, there is a mutual respect and understanding that is clear at the end.
Billy refuses to face his inner turmoil, and to conceal what he’s really feeling, he projects a very cocky and over-confident exterior. I don’t feel that Billy has any real self-worth. He comes from a broken home, he’s isolated, and he’s resentful. To make up for this, Billy invests his time in his athleticism and his appearance. As of now, these are really the only things he has going for him, what he has to look forward to. Billy, even though he doesn’t fully realize it, is self-absorbed, but again, considering his circumstances, he doesn’t have much else to go on. His view of himself is quite conflicted. He visualizes himself as popular, confident, and with a cool reputation, but internally, Billy is deeply struggling with himself and his own personal outlook.
He most likely doesn’t care much for other people, or for making friends. Instead, he forces his way to the top of the pyramid and gains followers. Honestly, I don’t think Billy even cares so much about doing so. It’s just something for him to occupy his time with, and while he does socialize with his peers—obviously, he does—he doesn’t particularly think of them as friends. They’re more or less constants—people he sees fives days a week and doesn’t give much thought to otherwise.
Billy, in his own mind, finds his actions justified. It’s his defense. Again, much like Max and Billy, it’s a cause and effect dynamic with him in general. Neil wants him to go out and look for Max. Steve gets in his way of getting to Max. Billy lashes out. Even though his actions aren’t right—he doesn’t always make the best decisions—Billy views everything he does as fair. He has the sense of what’s right and wrong, and though it’s hard for him to admit, he knows when he messes up, which is evident in his submission to leave Max and her friends alone.
With that being said, Billy is a character made up of many layers, possessing a mysterious quality that is both magnetic and charismatic, traits which draw the audience in. In the beginning, Billy is basically black and white, unchanging, basic, and is nothing more than an antagonist, or the stereotypical bad boy of that time period. He’s mean, bitter, cruel, and angry, but he’s also a traumatized character desperately seeking acceptance with no one there to guide him along or help direct him down a good path. Billy is able to feel a lot of emotions, but he doesn’t know how to express them or himself. He conceals his feelings, barricading himself behind the walls that he built up to protect himself throughout his childhood. He never wants to appear weak, so he’s harsh with everyone, creating a very intimidating persona, a defense mechanism in which he uses to protect himself—and even Max to a certain degree. Unfortunately, his actions often come off as grossly terrible and harsh, but they’re mostly reenactments of his father’s psychological and abusive treatment toward him—a cycle in which he doesn’t have any control over and is currently stuck in.
So, is Billy Hargrove really an evil character? I certainly don’t think so, and I truly feel that he is redeemable, much like Steve was. Taking a closer look at Billy, he’s quite possibly more understanding and empathetic than a lot of the other characters, though he’ll most likely never express this. Billy is not a villain by any means, and though he’s not a good person, he’s not all around bad, either. Realistically, Billy Hargrove is incredibly misunderstood and complicated. He is a victim of abuse and mistreatment, and should not be entirely written off as an overall evil character.
