Here’s my two cents on Jonathan Byers and Nancy Wheeler. I think that they share this drive to seek the truth.
Hear me out.
Nancy is a journalist. And from the beginning, in Season 1, she’s driven to find out the truth about Barb’s disappearance and later on, expose it rather than keep it hidden. In Seasons 3 and 4, we see her drive in investigating the diseased rats and Vecna’s origins.
As for Jonathan, he stated in Season 1 that people don’t always say what they are thinking, but you capture the right moment and it says more. Jonathan is also one of the most authentic characters on the show, at peace with the fact that he’s different from most of his peers. Jonathan advises Will to be himself and owns up to his ‘freak’ label.
Not to mention that when Nancy and Jonathan are together, it’s always because they’re trying to find out the reason behind whatever sinister events are happening behind Hawkins and how to stop it.
Not to mention who they are together. Yes, they struggle with communicating, but they’ve always been honest with each other. Season 1 shooting practice and the fallout of their newspaper jobs in Season 3 are some examples. (this is also me hoping that Season 5, they’ll be able to get past their long distance communication issues)
That’s why I think Jonathan and Nancy are such a great couple. Nancy doesn’t take things as they are. She always knows there’s something bigger going on. As for Jonathan, he’s not afraid to be himself or see that there’s more to other people.
But most of all, when they’re together, they’re themselves. They see the other person for who they are.
Why are stranger things fans so quick to remind everyone that Jonathan took that picture of Nancy but hardly anyone acknowledges Steve called Jonathan a homophobic slur?
Both characters have had excellent character development but it’s like people only accept Steve’s character development and not Jonathan’s.
To this day, I still see people shamed for stanning Jonathan because of that photo he took but the whole fandom stans Steve and it’s no problem, not that it should be, but it’s just weird. If we’re not judging Steve by how he was portrayed in the first season, why are we judging Jonathan by it?
i will never forgive the suffer brothers for not giving us anything including the byers family x eddie.
okay just humor me for a sec and imagine this:
jonathan would find out that eddie's the local weed man and go to buy from him but eddie knows jonathan's a photographer and he'd sell him weed in exchange of jonathan going to the hideout and taking pictures of corroded coffin and one night eddie's van breaks down so jonathan drives him to his trailer, which is vandalized by the basketball team. eddie gets to cleaning it up because he doesn't want his uncle to see it like that and jonathan decides to stay and help him.
they bond over being the town's freaks and not giving a fuck about it in their own ways, having screw ups for fathers and they find out they're not that different after all. then jonathan mentions that he needs to go home because he promised his little brother to play dnd with him even tho he knows nothing about the game because his brother's friends keep neglecting and ignoring him. eddie loses his shit because dnd is HIS LIFE and he can't believe nobody wants to play with jonathan's brother so he offers to teach him how to play but jonathan does him one better and offer eddie to go with him to the byers' house, have dinner and play dnd with his brother.
at the byers' house, joyce was shocked when she saw jonathan came home with a friend since he's never done that before and felt bad because the house was a mess and she wasn't the best cook but eddie told her that her christmas lights are very metal and her "smashed potatoes" were the best thing he's ever tasted.
after dinner, eddie says to will that he heard he's into dnd and will feels self conscious since he's been mocked for it even by his closest friends so he just shrugs it off until eddie tells him that he happens to know someone who is very into dnd too and pulls out his board and everything dnd related. will's speechless because he never thought he'd ever play again but they spent that whole night sitting on the floor, teaching jonathan and joyce how to create their character and playing.
it was one of the best nights of their lives for various reasons. for joyce, because her boys now have a friend they can relate to in different ways. for jonathan, because he finally found someone who understands him beneath "the freak" label. for will because after a summer of feeling like he has to change, to grow up and level with his friends even though he's not ready yet, he now knows that he doesn't need to. for eddie, because for the first time in his life he felt what being in a loving family feels like.
after that night at the byers', jonathan kept showing up at the hideout. he says it's just for the weed but he stopped buying weeks ago. will joined hellfire, eddie's older friends weren't impressed at first until will destroyed them during one of eddie's campaigns. eddie never doubted him for a second. joyce packed an extra lunch for eddie everyday and had her boys deliver it to him, in exchange eddie would pick out flowers from behind the school and give them to jonathan for joyce, he'd smirk and say "these are for your mom but don't get jealous i'll get some for you too next time cam boy". eddie would regularly go to the byers' house, whether it's to introduce jonathan to real music, play with will or just to hang out and talk with joyce. he was always there and they were all happy that he was.
the end. thank you for listening. also sorry or you're welcome depends on how you're feeling rn.
(i didn't proofread this so if you find any spelling, grammatical mistakes or anything, just be a good person and ignore them. thanks!)
We got it all wrong. The love triangle love ST isn't Steve/Nancy/Jonathan. It's Steve/the nail bat/Jonathan. Cuz wasn't the first to use the infamous bat. It was Jonathan. He and Nancy built Steve's bat. All this time we thought Steve and Jonathan were fighting over Nancy's love. But they really weren't. They were fighting for the Bat's love.
i think what i really love about the max x robin x nancy dynamic is how they all kind of are like pieces that go together individually to each other like. u got robin who has probably never had a female friendship that was completely honest in the way that mattered like, we know steve is her first best friend because steve is the first person who Knows her and knows All Of Her but steve is also a guy and as much as he tries there are some things that he just doesn’t understand the way girls do. the same thing goes to nancy, who’s not had a real female friend since barb, and even then it was different bc barb knew her at a time where nancy was Not Fully herself (bc thru the seasons we see nancy coming fully into herself by being the person who steps up and faces monsters with a shotgun instead of retreating because it’s easy, y'all know what i’m talking about, i don’t have to explain the nancy wheeler development). but nancy hasn’t had a real female friendship since barb, someone who knows what she’s going through, someone who understands how hard life can be when you’re a woman with an opinion and with the courage to speak up, and then there’s max who has all of this. she’s different, she doesn’t fall into the category of Feminine Standards (her best friends are boys, she skateboards, she dresses differently, she’s rough around the edges, she’s not going to conform to what people expect her to because she’s a girl), and she is So Young and she’s just gone through So Much in such a little amount of time and then suddenly she has these Two older sister figures who know All Of It - the non conforming, the strong opinions, the living with intense trauma, the intelligence (in every sense of the word) - and can relate so strongly to her in a way that she’s never had before. like. they all fall together in this way where they complement each other and they see and understand each other in ways thay other people won’t and can’t. especially for max. like robin speaks to the side of max that is non conforming, that doesn’t care about men’s opinions about her and doesn’t look for them for her self worth, that dresses differently, that is lighthearted and funny and likes to joke around, and nancy speaks to the side of max that still longs and connects to feminity, to inner strength, to the brawn AND the brain of survival while maintaining that softness about her that only really a woman can, like nancy and robin, together, represent to max what she loves and strives to be, and i think that this trio is SO fucking compelling because of that I could genuinely talk about it all day idk.
The brainrot is REAL with these three so have some (mostly) fluffy HCs (ft. bi panic Steve & feral girlboss Chrissy)
Before she gets to know him, Chrissy is really cautious and closed-off around Steve. She assumes he's just another horny popular guy like Jason, but then he tries to flirt with her and fails MISERABLY and she's instantly endeared
The more time she spends with Steve the more she admires him for how much he's grown as a person and how protective he is over the kids, even if he's always a lil grump about it
After having her expectations blown out of the water twice (first by Eddie, then by Steve), she realizes that she doesn't have to conform to people's expectations of her and she finally works up the courage to break-up with Jason
Eddie is a MASSIVE flirt. Chrissy loves it because it relaxes her and makes her feel all warm and fuzzy. But then there's Steve, who's just flustered as hell and can't form a coherent response if his life depends on it. Naturally, Chrissy picks up on this and joins in
Eddie and Chrissy love playfully tormenting Steve and showering him in totally innocent compliments >:)
While in the Upside Down, Chrissy is the most level-headed of the three of them. While Steve and Eddie are freaking tf out, Chrissy will just. Grab Steve's bat and start swinging
Girlie is sick of feeling powerless and squishing demo-bats is free therapy
Sometimes, if Chrissy is super stressed, Steve gives her the bat and drives her out to a remote location to wreck shit. She's really tentative with it at first, but gets really giddy when realizes she can just let loose
Eddie comes with sometimes, and brings his whole set-up, just so he can rock out in the woods and serenade some squirrels like a champ
Chrissy likes to leave little braids in Steve's hair where he can't see them, so sometimes when he starts his pretty boy grooming he'll find one and get all upset cus like. ANOTHER ONE??? His poor bad-boy image cannot thrive in this environment
Secretly he loves it tho and he almost never takes them out. Dustin gives him endless shit for it
Steve is the only one that can cook. He tries to teach Eddie, but that boy doesn't know what paprika is. Chrissy doesn't like to be around food while it's cooking, so meal-prep becomes a Steddie thing
They all create a list of 'safe foods' to help with Chrissy's eating disorder. Steve also tries to make things as nutritious as possible since she doesn't eat as much as they do. Eddie whines whenever something green shows up on his plate T-T which is often
Eddie likes to bounce his campaign ideas off of Chrissy and Steve. Steve is a dork and suggests the most random, nonsensical stuff cus he doesn't understand D&D in the slightest. Chrissy is a lil demon and suggests the most demented shit imaginable. She gets all pouty when Eddie tells her that no, the goblins can't have chainsaws for arms (he adds their stuff in anyway, and the Hellfire Club can always tell when he does)
Speaking of D&D, Chrissy is SO into Eddie's campaigns. Sometimes she'll dress up and surprise the Hellfire Club. Mike adores her, even if he and the rest of the kids were weary of her at first because she's the Queen of Hawkins High and popular girls are intimidating asf
Chrissy likes to jump on Steve's back when he's not paying attention and refuses to let go until he gives her a piggyback ride
It's all-out war in the mornings between Steve and Chrissy cus they both wanna wear Eddie's vest (Eddie never really gets a say in this, poor lad)
Chrissy has a habit of covering her mouth if she smiles too wide thanks to her mom's comments. Eddie immediately picks up on this and always showers her in praise and kisses to make her feel more comfortable
Woe betides the person who looks sad when Eddie's around because he WILL start tickling them
Chrissy loves wearing Steve and Eddie's clothes, which are super loose and baggy on her. She's not used to comfy clothes, so she takes every opportunity to wear them
They all have a system so that Steve can communicate when he's comfortable with a lil fruity activity while in public. He's still a baby bi and it's the 80s :(
Chrissy immediately takes a liking to Eleven when she meets her. She's just like. Who is this GNC feral child? and SHE HAS POWERS??? Adopted.
But really, Chrissy knows how easy it is to repress yourself in the face of other people's standards, so she takes every opportunity to encourage El to be her funky little self (Eleven was initially kinda scared of Chrissy because popular girls = Angela, but Chrissy is so nice that El warms up to her quickly)
Steve hogs the bed. Like. He just sprawls out, hoards the blankets, and will choke off your air supply with cuddles if you're not careful. When he lays on Eddie, it's a genuine struggle to get him off
Since beds aren't really meant for three people, Eddie becomes the designated pillow
Steve and Chrissy are woefully uncultured in terms of movies, so Eddie recruits Robin for regular Steddissy and Ronance movie nights hehe
Instead of fighting over which ship is better, Steddie or Hellcheer, might I suggest Stellcheer aka Steve/Eddie/Chrissy? Think about it. They're the throuple we deserve. Plus, Steve and Eddie being protective over Chrissy is adorable as hell.
Edit: Someone suggested their ship name be Steddissy which is so much better than what I came up w.
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