We talk about how in Stranger Things each group is living a different story genre, right? The kids are in a constant mystery, monster, treasure hunting Goonies story. The teenagers are usually in a horror slasher film. The adults are dealing with governmental conspiracies, be it American or Russian.
But you know who code-switches like nobody’s business? Steve Harrington. That’s what makes him such a wonderful character.
In s1 he goes from Romantic Triangle Comedy to Slasher Film Monster Hunting in a single scene and fully dives into it. S2 sees him joining the Spielberg genre gang with the kids, taking the “reluctant teenager tagalong” role on stride, not once complaining or missing a beat. And then! And then!! He goes full Russian conspiracy in s3, as his group figures the mystery out, infiltrates their base, undergoes torture, etc. Steve keeps up with each genre like a chameleon.
Maybe it’s because his stakes in this are oddly external. They are a choice he makes.
Unlike Nancy and Jonathan, he is not directly related to anyone in the kid or adult group… but he was briefly related to Nancy through their relationship. Enter slasher film.
Unlike the Party, he hasn’t been life-long friends with anyone involved… but he gets adopted into the group, much like Max, in s2 and becomes one of them. Enter spielberg film.
Unlike the Adults, he isn’t the legal guardian of any of the kids or teenagers involved… but he becomes the designated adult figure they all turn to. Enter conspiracy film.
Other characters have joined certain genres as they are added to the series: Max (Spielberg), Robin (conspiracy), Murray (conspiracy), Erica (Spielberg), Eddie (Slasher). And you could argue that as the seasons and groups morph, they each dip into other genres. Nancy and Jonathan did conspiracy quite a bit, Hopper has had his fair deal of monster hunting, the Cali gang is going through conspiracy right now, the Hawkins kids are dealing with a slasher… but no one does so as seamlessly or consistently as Steve Harrington does.
Anyway, I am obsessed with how Steve, despite his apparent lack of obvious stakes on the main Upside Down plot, by virtue of caring for people and choosing to help, has become such a central piece to the Stranger Things narrative, touching so many threads and fitting into almost every corner of the plot. Just because he is, to his core, a nice dude.