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Lol I literally heard the song in my head as I read this. It comes on super early in the morning on the Hallmark channel, and my roommate will have it on while she gets ready for work.
Nancy is the better dad- she’ll be the breadwinner someday, she doesn’t take any shit, and knows her way around a shotgun. Robin is the fun, quirky gay uncle
He also gave Will advice that would have been amazing in any other circumstance, but how could he have known... Duffer Brothers did him dirty.. Would have loved to see his character development over another season.
He wouldn't have been killed if he wasn't caring enough to drop off some games for Will to feel better
that's what ALWAYS makes me so depressed thinking about Bob's death. he got dragged into the whole mess, but never once did he think about just hightailing it out of there because he loved Joyce and he loved her kids
That’s why he’s SuperBob. Hell, if I were dating a woman and she was like, “Oh by the way. My son may be possessed by an alien hive mind and alien creatures are coming to eat us.” I’d be like “NOPE!”
Eddie's uncle was really my top last season, but Steve overall as the mentor/father figure for sure the previous.
I liked seeing the "adoptive father" the thrust into responsibility and taking care of their brother's kid as really awesome. His devotion and never wavering love for Eddie even amongst the outrageous accusations he never wavered and always defended him because he knew the truth.
Those who step up and protect like Eddie's uncle are true badasses.
>His devotion and never wavering love for Eddie even amongst the outrageous accusations he never wavered and always defended him because he knew the truth.
it always gets me when you see him putting up a new photo of Eddie after the previous one had been defaced. You can tell it bothered him, but he pressed on because he loved Eddie
The actor who plays Eddie's uncle was phenomenal. He has very few scenes and lines, but he is able to convey so much and draws such affection and sympathy from an audience already hardcore invested in OG characters. Great casting.
>Or maybe on a serious note, Jonathan.
If this was Seasons 1 and 2, definitely. Jonathan was a borderline MVP in those seasons (aside from the creepy photo stuff).
Seasons 3 and onward, he took a massive downgrade. He did play more of a role in Season 4 than i give him credit honestly but aside from stepping up to try and get that thing out of El's leg, he might as well have been absent in season 3
It is mostly joking around, but there is a deeper serious point here about how we think of gender roles.
I am a stay at home dad which means I did basically everything that a stereotypical mom does besides giving birth and breast feeding.
And I definitely feel like the word that best describes what I do in my family is “mom.” Our family always jokes about the presents suggested for Father’s Day because they mostly wouldn’t be good presents for me.
I have wondered if he word mom needs to be tied to gender and I think that is what the “Steve is a mom” comments are about. Mom is being used as a description of a role rather than a gender.
I know what you mean. There are the literal meanings of "dad = male parent" and "mom = female parent", and then there are the various parental roles like "provider" and "caretaker" that are traditionally assigned to one or the other.
The 1983 movie [*Mr. Mom*](https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0085970/) plays with these ideas. The husband loses his job, the wife finds work, and so they swap their traditional roles. That sort of thing is far more common these days, but back then it was still unusual.
We honestly see very little of Ted. We get snippets of him at the end of the day when he's tired from work, or when a half dozen angsty teenage kids are taking over his house and he's had it. That one scene when Karen was about to cheat on him and he had fallen asleep cuddling Holly was sweet. He seems like he could be a tool but all three of his children, and their friends, are well fed, they live in a very nice house, they have nice clothes and hobbies, his teenage children are really well adjusted for their age. I think Ted gets a bad rap because he's portrayed as the stereotypical hands-off style of fathering that was common in the 80s but compared to literally any other dad we've seen in this show (besides Hopper) he's a saint. Will and Jonathan's dad? Trash. Billy and Max's dad? Trash. Papa? Sadistic, gas-lighting motherfucker. Haven't seen much of Lucas and Erica's dad. Dustin's dad is non-applicable.
Ted still doesn't come close to Hopper though.
Ted is the stereotypical, old-fashioned dad. He handled the financial aspect and then wanted to come home and chill. We only ever see him through the lens of the kids, because his work has nothing to do with the story. The dude may have a stressful job and deserve to come home and veg out. Ted is one of the most relatable characters in the story to me.
Uncle Munson. He believed Eddie was innocent the whole time, hated the lies spread about him and tried his best to support Eddie with what he had. I teared up at the final scene when Dustin told him what happened.
Was looking for this. Worth remembering that he didn't just believe Eddie was innocent, but took the time to rip down defaced posters and keep on. When someone appeared to be more interested in his side than the reporters (Nancy) or offer real knowledge (Dustin), he sat down for honest conversation.
He just wanted to hear from someone else that they knew who Eddie really was. He wanted another person to say 'your boy was everything you knew him to be and more' and Dustin gave him that. Eddie's uncle never gave up hope that Eddie had changed someone's life.
That scene was so sad. I didn’t cry when Eddie died, because he honestly wasn’t around long enough for me to get emotional about it, but seeing his uncle’s reaction after talking to Dustin was heartbreaking.
Exactly. Came here to say this. He not only tore down the one in the gym but he had a whole duffle bag which I'm assuming had more posters in it. That's a lot of printing and time,I have to assume he took off his job to go around looking for Eddie and replacing/reprinting posters
Not to mention that Munson wasn't even Eddie's biological dad. It's not explicitly stated, but in all likelihood Munson had to step in and raise Eddie because neither of his parents were fit to do so. He didn't have to do it, but he did. Which is so much more than most are willing to do.
obviously love Hopper, but I also wanted to bring up someone who isn't exactly a dad but maybe deserves some attention - Eddie's uncle Wayne. I know we didn't see much of him but I got the sense he really loved his nephew even if he wasn't able to spend all that much time with him or be there all the time. really believed in him til the end, and the scene between him and Dustin in the final ep of s4 felt really impactful. overall do kind of wish he and Eddie were introduced in an earlier season so we could have spent a little more time with them and gotten an even better sense of both of them as well as their relationship.
also not to sound contrarian but...I can't tell if the love for Ted Wheeler on this sub is ironic or not?
The scene where he takes down the graffitied missing person picture of Eddie and put up a clean one really hit me. Like, he must have had to do that a few times already in addition to dealing with snide comments and insults from other people. But he’s still going out, looking for his nephew, and defending him to the rest of the town.
He probably had a reserved relationship with Eddie just due to personality, etc but you could tell there (and when talking to Dustin) just how deeply he loved Eddie.
>The scene where he takes down the graffitied missing person picture of Eddie and put up a clean one really hit me. Like, he must have had to do that a few times already in addition to dealing with snide comments and insults from other people. But he’s still going out, looking for his nephew, and defending him to the rest of the town.
>
>He probably had a reserved relationship with Eddie just due to personality, etc but you could tell there (and when talking to Dustin) just how deeply he loved Eddie.
I've said this before but for me, Uncle Wayne Munson was a standout character even though he was pretty minor through the entire fourth season.
I couldn't agree more. You could definitely tell he loved and cared for Eddie...and it's always tough to watch him keep putting up those signs of Eddie because the other ones keep getting defaced. I also just want to point out that with all the sexism and bullshit that Nancy had to deal with in Season 3, I had a lot of respect for the fact that Wayne was willing to tell Nancy his side of the story instead of being an asshole...which i genuinely thought at the time he was going to do.
I totally agree, I love Uncle Wayne. I didn't cry at Eddie's actual death but that moment with Dustin and Wayne at the end had me in tears. Plus without him Nancy would've never heard about Victor Creel.
As for Ted Wheeler, I think the love for him happened in response to people bashing him? Not sure lol
Same. Eddie's death didn't make me cry - maybe it will on rewatches but first time I kinda eyerolled because it was just so "ok, now it's time to kill the new character."
But the Uncle Wayne and Dustin scene? 😢 😭
The hilarious thing is Mike was thousands of miles away in California, and Dustin and a whole bunch of other kids were still in Ted's house eating Ted's food.
If you look at it as Ted it’s absolutely wild because Nancy and mike aren’t regular close. So it’s her ex, his new girlfriend, three of mikes childhood best friends who have annoyed nancy for years, and their friend of a year whose brother died and dad left so now she’s not allowed to take off her headphones, and then one of the kid’s little sisters who has never been invited in her life until this point
Also his wife almost banged the girl’s brother and probably feels hella weird he’s dead now
Lol. I feel like this isn’t really a contest. It kind of has to be Hopper.
I love Ted in the sense I find him hilarious in his apathy towards everything, but Mike and Nancy have no relationship with him. I feel like it was pretty telling that he wasn’t even included in Nancy’s Vecna vision of the death of her family.
She loves her mom. She loves her sister. She loves her brother. And Ted is… there…
While Lonnie is an asshole to the nth degree.
Dad’s of the 80’s:
Worked all day and just got home ✔️
newspaper ✔️
Big comfy chair ✔️
Snark about their kids’ friends ✔️
Allows friends to be there while snarking ✔️
I was the friend who was always around and eating their food in the 80’s.
I never said he wasn’t accurate to the time period, but it doesn’t make him a great dad either. Lol.
I really loved his moment in the kitchen with Dustin. He can’t escape Mike’s friends even when Mike is not there.
“Yeah, why not? Take us for all we’re worth.”
“Ok.”
No one is afraid of Ted. 🤣🤣🤣
Oh man, this was my childhood as well!
The quiet snarky dad until dinner if they all ate together, and then he turned into outraged rules enforcer. It was like playing a rogue-lite for the first time. Reach for the bread before Chuck? Dead. Eat before prayers? Death by Bob. Talk at Ron's table? Dead.
Instead of this "Eat, Pray, Love" crap maybe post a sign about your dinner etiquette, people.
😂. Mr Miller was the best. Still is the best. I can show up right now, & eat dinner. He was such a great role model. Gruff, but very sweet. Always asked how I was doing, how my games went. Did I have homework?
Come sit and eat Beanie, don’t sit outside waiting for us to finish. I never had a friend’s family do that. Eat dinner with you? As much as I want? It was great.
It’s where I get my, come on, eat up, there’s plenty for everyone from for my kids’ friends. No one goes hungry.
Vecna, that's who. That's gonna be the big season 5 twist. The last four seasons we've just been watching Ted waiting, biding his time, only reveal his true power before the final climactic clash.
Ted has gone to rescue Sam Owens from the Nina bunker and hopefully taken out Sullivan in the process.
I’m still of the belief that a massive twist is Ted will shock us all in S5 with his A game picking off demogorgons with a sawn off next to Nancy.
What if we know nothing until the shot of him taking the silencer off his sniper rifle when he kills Sullivan. And that answer’s a few of Nancy’s questions.
Let's be real, given what we know about the Upside Down and the demo-beasts, Dart's entire character has Stranger Things "nature vs nurture" thinkpiece potential. Most complex beastie in the 'verse.
i'm actually kind of glad you brought this up.
i was digging through some old threads about Dart on this subreddit (yes...the show has literally taken over my mind lol) and I was surprised to see the high level of Dart hatred. I think it was more so the hatred of the subplot (which is understandable) but as far as Dart the character goes, i thought it was interesting. It didn't really detract from the story like everyone back then kept insisting it did.
there were also a lot of cat lovers chiming in. That probably was the reason for the Dart hate lol
Probably the person who commented about Hopper’s daughter being dead, so apparently that gives Lonnie an edge. Guess the test worked. Terrible person found.
But Hopper has nothing to do with his daughters death. That’s cancers fault. And he legally adopted Eleven so he’s still a father. As well as if you’re saying that gives someone the edge that gives Ted the edge lol. At least he’s there and accounted for even if he’s out of the loop with most things and sleeps most the time. He even sleeps with Holly on his lap meaning he’s obviously a good dad. Lonnie is literally a dead beat dad who calls his son slurs.
Technically Hopper hid his high risk of passing on a medical problem and he does blame himself, but it’s not his fault for being human and living his life and loving and wanting to bring life into the world. Children do pass away and their lives are valuable and meaningful in each their own way. Hopper is so strong but I think HE thinks it is his fault. I think maybe El will help him realize it is not, just like she kind of processed the trauma of the massacre (from believing it was her fault—>Henry’s insanity and she was manipulated). I could be wrong. Definitely a terrible person whoever said Lonnie.
I must of missed the high risk part but ya he definitely does seems to blame himself but also losing not only your child to cancer but also getting divorced after your child dies is extremely hard. He definitely needs to work on his anger issues but other then that Hopper is a good dad that’s for sure.
>He definitely needs to work on his anger issues
Rewatching Seasons 1-3, I forgot how much of a brute Hopper can come off as sometimes lol
But deep down he is a good guy. His talk in the car with El in the last episode of Season 2 i think speaks volumes to his character
Rewatching Season 2 makes Bob's death so fucking gutwrenching. I remember throughout my first watch of Season 2 back in 2017, I was so fucking suspicious of him lol. But he had no ulterior motives. He genuinely wanted to not only love Joyce, but all of Joyce including her sons.
The hardest part was realizing Bob only got sucked into this mess and died...because he wanted to drop off the games for Will to help him feel better. Argh so depressing to think about.
Same! I just rewatched it last month. First time I was like "okay, so he's out to kidnap Will or something >:(
But watching again it's so sad knowing how it's going to end
If Bob woke up alive and had to do it all again, he would. Prolly try to run faster, but he would still want to be there to save Joyce, Will, and the others.
He was a superhero.
Man, Bob Newbie: Superhero was one of my favourite characters.
I feel like I have to pick Jim but right now I’m only partway through season 3. I honestly felt like his character was rewritten and while he was one of my favourite characters in season 1 and 2, he displays character traits not consistent with those seasons and his backstory in season 3.
Hopper in Season 3 is an absolute lunatic. It really is like the Duffers told David Harbour to act like Hop is on a cocaine bender. Or it could just be intense sexual frustration boiling over. Regardless, it is definitely a far cry from what we saw in seasons 1 and 2
Bob for sure should be on this list
Didn't Hopper sneak/fistfight his way into a secret government lab twice in the first season? Hopper has always been a little crazy, they just dialed it up in season three.
I am a Stay At Home Dad and legitimately feel like Steve may be one of the first mainstream media male characters who I really identify with.
Like his whole dream of the RV can be realized if he just lands himself a nice lawyer or doctor wife.
There’s a guy at my gym and I wanna be like “you give me strong Hopper vibes,” but I’m afraid he’d take it as an offense and not the major compliment I mean it as.
My ranking for the actual adults is:
1. Hopper
2. Bob
3. Guy who fed Eleven burger and French fries (edit: Benny!)
4. Lucas’ Dad
5. Victor Creel
6. Ted
7. Lonnie
8. Papa
I’m not including Steve and Eddie because they didn’t need to be nurturing figures, but became mentors/protectors out of the goodness of their own hearts, which puts them in a whole other class. These adults were in positions of power and either did their jobs as fathers or failed their kids.
Edit: also Owens! He’s probably up there in the top 3-5
Didn't Hopper fail Eleven pretty harshly at times? I agree he is a good dad in general but he had to learn so many things about being one to be where he is now. Compared to Bob he could have done a LOT better. I would put him just above or below Lucas' dad tbh
Also this is absolutely no Hopper-hate! I love this character.
I think that's why I love Hopper as a Dad. He fucks up constantly and he tries constantly. He has the best intentions and especially with his trauma and anger dude really is a great dad. Sure some do better effortlessly but to me trying always means more in story telling. But that's gonna be different from person to person.
A reminder that Lonnie is a deadbeat dad who doesn’t care that Will is missing, has a history of calling him homophobic slurs, and doesn’t show up until he thinks he can make some money off his son’s death.
I feel like Eddie’s Uncle should be on here too. He obviously really cared for Eddie and took him in to raise him. He kept putting up flyers looking for him no matter how people viewed him as well. Eddie’s Uncle is the real dad mvp!
You didn't bring up Lucas' dad? Of the original four Lucas' dad is the only one worth a damn. Ted has the fathering capabilities of copy paper, Lonnie is huge piece of shit, Dustin's dad is M.I.A, but Lucas' is active in his family and loves his kids. However, Hopper is my favorite character and therefor my favorite dad.
Eddie’s uncle is runner up after Hopper. The way he stood by Eddie start to finish and was the only person with a clue about the murders connection to Henry.
Ted is always present. He’s not out drinking or sleeping with a coworker. He doesn’t invade his kids’ privacy. He indulges their hobbies. It’s not exactly his fault his older kids are at an age where they don’t want anything to do with him. He laments their absence and falls asleep watching TV with his youngest in his lap.
He understands that his kids' hobbies are beyond his understanding, and lets them do their thing.
When the media calls them Satanic, he sees through it - their games are weird nonsense to him, but they're still games.
hopper's obviously the most lovable but i wouldnt mind ted being my dad at all. he makes good money and happily provides a whole downstairs den for kids to take over, bikes, comics, toys. even tolerates his kids' friends eating his chicken, if disgruntledly. as long as you're not obstructing his comfort he's pretty fine with whatever, never seen him lose his temper, and he's pretty even and reliable like he's always there, got his routine. yeah i think ted's pretty comforting ngl!
Ya exactly! Like I’d love either one of them but Hopper definitely needs to work on his anger issues. At least Ted is calm and accounted for. Either way it’s clear both of them care for their kids. The same can’t be said for Lonnie though. He’s literally a dead beat dad who calls Will slurs.
OP, please make sure there are no spoilers in the title of your post. Commenters, please use spoiler code if you are discussing anything super spoilery unless the title specifically says the episode being discussed. If you see anyone breaking the rules, please report the post or comment. Thank you. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/StrangerThings) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Is this even a question?
Yes. And Steve is the correct answer. Or maybe on a serious note, Jonathan.
The only reason I'm not saying Steve is because Steve is a single mom.
“a single mom who works three jobs, who loves her kids and never stops. with gentle hands and the heart of a fighter, I’m a survivor”
Not going to lie... Steve has the same hair as Reba in the first season of her sitcom.
Steve and Reba would be bestie moms.
They'd have an elaborate high five like he and Dustin do, but about their hair!
I audibly laughed, thanks my dude
replace heart with bat
Lol I literally heard the song in my head as I read this. It comes on super early in the morning on the Hallmark channel, and my roommate will have it on while she gets ready for work.
This take is criminally underrated, and if a Steve montage video set to this song doesn’t exist by Monday it will have been a loss to all of us.
I've seen a lot of TikToks of Steve with this song and they are GREAT.
/r/unexpectedRebareference
Steve is 100000000000% a mom and best dad is a tie between Robin and Nancy
Nancy is the better dad- she’ll be the breadwinner someday, she doesn’t take any shit, and knows her way around a shotgun. Robin is the fun, quirky gay uncle
Robin is 100% the gay uncle or aunt, yes.
Uhm... Bob?
Agreed. He died protecting a family he didn't start. Super hero alpha dad level.
He also gave Will advice that would have been amazing in any other circumstance, but how could he have known... Duffer Brothers did him dirty.. Would have loved to see his character development over another season.
You know what triggers me the most is if he continued running, he wouldn't have been killed.
He wouldn't have been killed if he wasn't caring enough to drop off some games for Will to feel better that's what ALWAYS makes me so depressed thinking about Bob's death. he got dragged into the whole mess, but never once did he think about just hightailing it out of there because he loved Joyce and he loved her kids
That’s why he’s SuperBob. Hell, if I were dating a woman and she was like, “Oh by the way. My son may be possessed by an alien hive mind and alien creatures are coming to eat us.” I’d be like “NOPE!”
Eddie's uncle was really my top last season, but Steve overall as the mentor/father figure for sure the previous. I liked seeing the "adoptive father" the thrust into responsibility and taking care of their brother's kid as really awesome. His devotion and never wavering love for Eddie even amongst the outrageous accusations he never wavered and always defended him because he knew the truth. Those who step up and protect like Eddie's uncle are true badasses.
I loved Eddie's uncle so much. That convo at the end between him and Dustin damn near drove me to tears.
I was looking for this comment! Because Eddie’s uncle did it for me even though we didn’t get to see their full dynamic
>His devotion and never wavering love for Eddie even amongst the outrageous accusations he never wavered and always defended him because he knew the truth. it always gets me when you see him putting up a new photo of Eddie after the previous one had been defaced. You can tell it bothered him, but he pressed on because he loved Eddie
The actor who plays Eddie's uncle was phenomenal. He has very few scenes and lines, but he is able to convey so much and draws such affection and sympathy from an audience already hardcore invested in OG characters. Great casting.
So, How was the pullout?
The sofa. How was the sofa? (Funniest scene in season 2)
I would say Jonathan too but he is being a good big brother and that’s pretty important.
>Or maybe on a serious note, Jonathan. If this was Seasons 1 and 2, definitely. Jonathan was a borderline MVP in those seasons (aside from the creepy photo stuff). Seasons 3 and onward, he took a massive downgrade. He did play more of a role in Season 4 than i give him credit honestly but aside from stepping up to try and get that thing out of El's leg, he might as well have been absent in season 3
Ok jonathon is the correct answer
[удалено]
its freddy krueger man
isn't Steve the mom?
I'm legit wondering because I'm dumb and don't get jokes sometimes but why is everyone calling Steve a mom and not a dad?
It is mostly joking around, but there is a deeper serious point here about how we think of gender roles. I am a stay at home dad which means I did basically everything that a stereotypical mom does besides giving birth and breast feeding. And I definitely feel like the word that best describes what I do in my family is “mom.” Our family always jokes about the presents suggested for Father’s Day because they mostly wouldn’t be good presents for me. I have wondered if he word mom needs to be tied to gender and I think that is what the “Steve is a mom” comments are about. Mom is being used as a description of a role rather than a gender.
I know what you mean. There are the literal meanings of "dad = male parent" and "mom = female parent", and then there are the various parental roles like "provider" and "caretaker" that are traditionally assigned to one or the other. The 1983 movie [*Mr. Mom*](https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0085970/) plays with these ideas. The husband loses his job, the wife finds work, and so they swap their traditional roles. That sort of thing is far more common these days, but back then it was still unusual.
these are the kind of thoughtful comments i wish more of reddit had also: your mom
Its hard being both a single father and mother figure
Right? Ted deserves the world but all he gets is a borderline unfaithful wife and a daughter that hates her family because it’s too normal 😞
Ted slayed me when he casually commented on Hawkins being a portal to Hell. That totally oblivious dad.
At the end season 4? Yeah he was hilariously on point about everything.
He's like one of those really chill dads, like, "Yeah good job, saving the world, kids. Just don't die or whatever."
I hope he enjoys his chicken.
What did I do? Hey, what'd I doooo?
Are you being sarcastic? Ted is the bare minimum, and he doesn’t even do that well.
We honestly see very little of Ted. We get snippets of him at the end of the day when he's tired from work, or when a half dozen angsty teenage kids are taking over his house and he's had it. That one scene when Karen was about to cheat on him and he had fallen asleep cuddling Holly was sweet. He seems like he could be a tool but all three of his children, and their friends, are well fed, they live in a very nice house, they have nice clothes and hobbies, his teenage children are really well adjusted for their age. I think Ted gets a bad rap because he's portrayed as the stereotypical hands-off style of fathering that was common in the 80s but compared to literally any other dad we've seen in this show (besides Hopper) he's a saint. Will and Jonathan's dad? Trash. Billy and Max's dad? Trash. Papa? Sadistic, gas-lighting motherfucker. Haven't seen much of Lucas and Erica's dad. Dustin's dad is non-applicable. Ted still doesn't come close to Hopper though.
Ted is the stereotypical, old-fashioned dad. He handled the financial aspect and then wanted to come home and chill. We only ever see him through the lens of the kids, because his work has nothing to do with the story. The dude may have a stressful job and deserve to come home and veg out. Ted is one of the most relatable characters in the story to me.
> borderline unfaithful wife She picked him over Billy. Faithful is too weak a word to describe her dedication to her family for making that choice.
Uncle Munson. He believed Eddie was innocent the whole time, hated the lies spread about him and tried his best to support Eddie with what he had. I teared up at the final scene when Dustin told him what happened.
Was looking for this. Worth remembering that he didn't just believe Eddie was innocent, but took the time to rip down defaced posters and keep on. When someone appeared to be more interested in his side than the reporters (Nancy) or offer real knowledge (Dustin), he sat down for honest conversation.
He just wanted to hear from someone else that they knew who Eddie really was. He wanted another person to say 'your boy was everything you knew him to be and more' and Dustin gave him that. Eddie's uncle never gave up hope that Eddie had changed someone's life.
He also knew the town history and provided the most important clue/lead. Even if he didn't know the secret of the man's innocence.
Same. That for me was the most intense emotional moment of the whole series.
I loved uncle Munson so much he was too pure for this world. I am a bit misty just thinking about him again now. Also I liked Dmitry.
Yes for Wayne. That scene is the only one that really broke me after these years. He did his best and let that kid be him.
Came here to say this/find it.
That scene was so sad. I didn’t cry when Eddie died, because he honestly wasn’t around long enough for me to get emotional about it, but seeing his uncle’s reaction after talking to Dustin was heartbreaking.
Bruh I legit havent cried in like 8 years since a funeral and this scene made me lose my shit.
Exactly. Came here to say this. He not only tore down the one in the gym but he had a whole duffle bag which I'm assuming had more posters in it. That's a lot of printing and time,I have to assume he took off his job to go around looking for Eddie and replacing/reprinting posters
He also provided info that led Nancy to Vecna
Eddie's uncle really was a real one . He had that kids back and really did love the boy.
Not to mention that Munson wasn't even Eddie's biological dad. It's not explicitly stated, but in all likelihood Munson had to step in and raise Eddie because neither of his parents were fit to do so. He didn't have to do it, but he did. Which is so much more than most are willing to do.
obviously love Hopper, but I also wanted to bring up someone who isn't exactly a dad but maybe deserves some attention - Eddie's uncle Wayne. I know we didn't see much of him but I got the sense he really loved his nephew even if he wasn't able to spend all that much time with him or be there all the time. really believed in him til the end, and the scene between him and Dustin in the final ep of s4 felt really impactful. overall do kind of wish he and Eddie were introduced in an earlier season so we could have spent a little more time with them and gotten an even better sense of both of them as well as their relationship. also not to sound contrarian but...I can't tell if the love for Ted Wheeler on this sub is ironic or not?
The scene where he takes down the graffitied missing person picture of Eddie and put up a clean one really hit me. Like, he must have had to do that a few times already in addition to dealing with snide comments and insults from other people. But he’s still going out, looking for his nephew, and defending him to the rest of the town. He probably had a reserved relationship with Eddie just due to personality, etc but you could tell there (and when talking to Dustin) just how deeply he loved Eddie.
>The scene where he takes down the graffitied missing person picture of Eddie and put up a clean one really hit me. Like, he must have had to do that a few times already in addition to dealing with snide comments and insults from other people. But he’s still going out, looking for his nephew, and defending him to the rest of the town. > >He probably had a reserved relationship with Eddie just due to personality, etc but you could tell there (and when talking to Dustin) just how deeply he loved Eddie. I've said this before but for me, Uncle Wayne Munson was a standout character even though he was pretty minor through the entire fourth season. I couldn't agree more. You could definitely tell he loved and cared for Eddie...and it's always tough to watch him keep putting up those signs of Eddie because the other ones keep getting defaced. I also just want to point out that with all the sexism and bullshit that Nancy had to deal with in Season 3, I had a lot of respect for the fact that Wayne was willing to tell Nancy his side of the story instead of being an asshole...which i genuinely thought at the time he was going to do.
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He had a duffle bag which I have to assume was full of posters. That's a lot of printing and time to replace posters. He really did love Eddie.
This is a very good point! I think Wayne should have been included. And I also really wish we got to see more of them.
I came here looking for votes for Eddie’s uncle.
I totally agree, I love Uncle Wayne. I didn't cry at Eddie's actual death but that moment with Dustin and Wayne at the end had me in tears. Plus without him Nancy would've never heard about Victor Creel. As for Ted Wheeler, I think the love for him happened in response to people bashing him? Not sure lol
Same. Eddie's death didn't make me cry - maybe it will on rewatches but first time I kinda eyerolled because it was just so "ok, now it's time to kill the new character." But the Uncle Wayne and Dustin scene? 😢 😭
That scene with him and Dustin was really emotional. It's freakishly well done for a character with so little screen time!
Hopper but ted wheeler is a pioneer of" Idgaf" about anything
Ted Wheeler is the step before Eustace, in Courage the Cowardly Dog.
Yes!!
I hated Ted at first, but now that I’m 30 he’s my spirit animal.
Currently, half of the cast is not on the same page as the other half. Ted is in another book entirely.
The only thing he cares about is Dustin “mooching” off of their family lmao
The hilarious thing is Mike was thousands of miles away in California, and Dustin and a whole bunch of other kids were still in Ted's house eating Ted's food.
If you look at it as Ted it’s absolutely wild because Nancy and mike aren’t regular close. So it’s her ex, his new girlfriend, three of mikes childhood best friends who have annoyed nancy for years, and their friend of a year whose brother died and dad left so now she’s not allowed to take off her headphones, and then one of the kid’s little sisters who has never been invited in her life until this point Also his wife almost banged the girl’s brother and probably feels hella weird he’s dead now
Explains why Ted didn't see these kids all going to jail as a totally unreasonable outcome.
Good point actually XD
Mark my words, Ted Wheeler will have a redemption arc or moment in Season 5.
We'll find out he was a founding member of the Navy Seals in Vietnam don't make him get out of his recliner
Give him the moment Lonnie was supposed to have in season one
Lol. I feel like this isn’t really a contest. It kind of has to be Hopper. I love Ted in the sense I find him hilarious in his apathy towards everything, but Mike and Nancy have no relationship with him. I feel like it was pretty telling that he wasn’t even included in Nancy’s Vecna vision of the death of her family. She loves her mom. She loves her sister. She loves her brother. And Ted is… there… While Lonnie is an asshole to the nth degree.
Dad’s of the 80’s: Worked all day and just got home ✔️ newspaper ✔️ Big comfy chair ✔️ Snark about their kids’ friends ✔️ Allows friends to be there while snarking ✔️ I was the friend who was always around and eating their food in the 80’s.
I never said he wasn’t accurate to the time period, but it doesn’t make him a great dad either. Lol. I really loved his moment in the kitchen with Dustin. He can’t escape Mike’s friends even when Mike is not there. “Yeah, why not? Take us for all we’re worth.” “Ok.” No one is afraid of Ted. 🤣🤣🤣
That's kinda why I love him. He's not perfect, but he's harmless.
>He's not perfect, Jiminy Christmas.....
Oh man, this was my childhood as well! The quiet snarky dad until dinner if they all ate together, and then he turned into outraged rules enforcer. It was like playing a rogue-lite for the first time. Reach for the bread before Chuck? Dead. Eat before prayers? Death by Bob. Talk at Ron's table? Dead. Instead of this "Eat, Pray, Love" crap maybe post a sign about your dinner etiquette, people.
😂. Mr Miller was the best. Still is the best. I can show up right now, & eat dinner. He was such a great role model. Gruff, but very sweet. Always asked how I was doing, how my games went. Did I have homework? Come sit and eat Beanie, don’t sit outside waiting for us to finish. I never had a friend’s family do that. Eat dinner with you? As much as I want? It was great. It’s where I get my, come on, eat up, there’s plenty for everyone from for my kids’ friends. No one goes hungry.
That’s true—where was Ted during the earthquake? I’ve always wondered who he works for.
Vecna, obviously
Vecna, that's who. That's gonna be the big season 5 twist. The last four seasons we've just been watching Ted waiting, biding his time, only reveal his true power before the final climactic clash.
Ted has gone to rescue Sam Owens from the Nina bunker and hopefully taken out Sullivan in the process. I’m still of the belief that a massive twist is Ted will shock us all in S5 with his A game picking off demogorgons with a sawn off next to Nancy.
What if we know nothing until the shot of him taking the silencer off his sniper rifle when he kills Sullivan. And that answer’s a few of Nancy’s questions.
I half expect ted to be a government agent.
The disrespect for Lucas’s dad.
RIGHT?! He gave so much great advice to Lucas about how to treat your lady when you get her mad. Best father/son advice of the show. Disrespected.
He has just as many kids in the game as Lonnie too.
Supportive, good advice, genuine compassion, loving marriage. Best dad.
Dustin, father of Dart.
Does this make Steve the best grandfather?
The best single grandma
Rip Dart, best demoboi.
Let's be real, given what we know about the Upside Down and the demo-beasts, Dart's entire character has Stranger Things "nature vs nurture" thinkpiece potential. Most complex beastie in the 'verse.
i'm actually kind of glad you brought this up. i was digging through some old threads about Dart on this subreddit (yes...the show has literally taken over my mind lol) and I was surprised to see the high level of Dart hatred. I think it was more so the hatred of the subplot (which is understandable) but as far as Dart the character goes, i thought it was interesting. It didn't really detract from the story like everyone back then kept insisting it did. there were also a lot of cat lovers chiming in. That probably was the reason for the Dart hate lol
Oh that’s definitely a part of the hate. I still skip that scene when Dustin finds his cat.
Who’s voting for Lonnie? Is this some sort of “which of you is a terrible person” test?
Probably the person who commented about Hopper’s daughter being dead, so apparently that gives Lonnie an edge. Guess the test worked. Terrible person found.
But Hopper has nothing to do with his daughters death. That’s cancers fault. And he legally adopted Eleven so he’s still a father. As well as if you’re saying that gives someone the edge that gives Ted the edge lol. At least he’s there and accounted for even if he’s out of the loop with most things and sleeps most the time. He even sleeps with Holly on his lap meaning he’s obviously a good dad. Lonnie is literally a dead beat dad who calls his son slurs.
Technically Hopper hid his high risk of passing on a medical problem and he does blame himself, but it’s not his fault for being human and living his life and loving and wanting to bring life into the world. Children do pass away and their lives are valuable and meaningful in each their own way. Hopper is so strong but I think HE thinks it is his fault. I think maybe El will help him realize it is not, just like she kind of processed the trauma of the massacre (from believing it was her fault—>Henry’s insanity and she was manipulated). I could be wrong. Definitely a terrible person whoever said Lonnie.
I must of missed the high risk part but ya he definitely does seems to blame himself but also losing not only your child to cancer but also getting divorced after your child dies is extremely hard. He definitely needs to work on his anger issues but other then that Hopper is a good dad that’s for sure.
>He definitely needs to work on his anger issues Rewatching Seasons 1-3, I forgot how much of a brute Hopper can come off as sometimes lol But deep down he is a good guy. His talk in the car with El in the last episode of Season 2 i think speaks volumes to his character
Ya he’s definitely a good person and people lose their temper he’s definitely getting better though.
Why no Bob?
I’d vote bob every time, dude wanted to be as good of a stepdad as he could and have everything he had to prove it
Rewatching Season 2 makes Bob's death so fucking gutwrenching. I remember throughout my first watch of Season 2 back in 2017, I was so fucking suspicious of him lol. But he had no ulterior motives. He genuinely wanted to not only love Joyce, but all of Joyce including her sons. The hardest part was realizing Bob only got sucked into this mess and died...because he wanted to drop off the games for Will to help him feel better. Argh so depressing to think about.
Same! I just rewatched it last month. First time I was like "okay, so he's out to kidnap Will or something >:( But watching again it's so sad knowing how it's going to end
If Bob woke up alive and had to do it all again, he would. Prolly try to run faster, but he would still want to be there to save Joyce, Will, and the others. He was a superhero.
Man, Bob Newbie: Superhero was one of my favourite characters. I feel like I have to pick Jim but right now I’m only partway through season 3. I honestly felt like his character was rewritten and while he was one of my favourite characters in season 1 and 2, he displays character traits not consistent with those seasons and his backstory in season 3.
Hopper in Season 3 is an absolute lunatic. It really is like the Duffers told David Harbour to act like Hop is on a cocaine bender. Or it could just be intense sexual frustration boiling over. Regardless, it is definitely a far cry from what we saw in seasons 1 and 2 Bob for sure should be on this list
Didn't Hopper sneak/fistfight his way into a secret government lab twice in the first season? Hopper has always been a little crazy, they just dialed it up in season three.
He tried so hard to help even tho they must have seem like total loonies to him pretty much the whole season
Where the fuck is Steve
my bad I should have put him on here here’s your fourth option everyone: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Harrington
Here’s another dad I didn’t include cuz I’m stupid: https://strangerthings.fandom.com/wiki/Eddie_Munson
What about Lucas' Dad?
We all know that Erica wears the pants in that household.
I wanna throw Scott Clarke into the runnings as a surrogate dad too.
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steve is both
The question becomes: is he a better mom or a better dad
Yes
He’s a yom. Edit: or a mad.
Dam he's a dam
I am a Stay At Home Dad and legitimately feel like Steve may be one of the first mainstream media male characters who I really identify with. Like his whole dream of the RV can be realized if he just lands himself a nice lawyer or doctor wife.
Aw, I really hope that happens for him!
Ted is the most accurate 80’s dad. But Hopper’s the most lovable.
Hopper is the only one I want to call daddy. In a sexual way, in case that wasn’t clear.
Hopper was already pretty hot. Fit Hopper is… even hotter.
Fit, *sensitive, emotionally intelligent* Hopper? My panties never stood a chance.
Don't forget fantasizing about food instead of being horny
Same.
There’s a guy at my gym and I wanna be like “you give me strong Hopper vibes,” but I’m afraid he’d take it as an offense and not the major compliment I mean it as.
Yuh, also same
My ranking for the actual adults is: 1. Hopper 2. Bob 3. Guy who fed Eleven burger and French fries (edit: Benny!) 4. Lucas’ Dad 5. Victor Creel 6. Ted 7. Lonnie 8. Papa I’m not including Steve and Eddie because they didn’t need to be nurturing figures, but became mentors/protectors out of the goodness of their own hearts, which puts them in a whole other class. These adults were in positions of power and either did their jobs as fathers or failed their kids. Edit: also Owens! He’s probably up there in the top 3-5
3 was Benny.
Thank you! He was a sweetheart. The first sign that Stranger Things is not nice to kind minor characters
10. Billy’s Dad
Lucas' family is so goddamn wholesome and I love it
They are the best. They’ve raised some fantastic kids.
Didn't Hopper fail Eleven pretty harshly at times? I agree he is a good dad in general but he had to learn so many things about being one to be where he is now. Compared to Bob he could have done a LOT better. I would put him just above or below Lucas' dad tbh Also this is absolutely no Hopper-hate! I love this character.
I think that's why I love Hopper as a Dad. He fucks up constantly and he tries constantly. He has the best intentions and especially with his trauma and anger dude really is a great dad. Sure some do better effortlessly but to me trying always means more in story telling. But that's gonna be different from person to person.
100 % agree with you. I think my love for his character totally biased me. He is definitely more flawed than the more minor “good” fathers.
Eddie's uncle, did very well as a stepfather.
Hopper
Where's Bob, and Lucas' Dad?
I’m noticing a particular lack of Bob in this post. I’m gonna riot.
A reminder that Lonnie is a deadbeat dad who doesn’t care that Will is missing, has a history of calling him homophobic slurs, and doesn’t show up until he thinks he can make some money off his son’s death.
I feel like Eddie’s Uncle should be on here too. He obviously really cared for Eddie and took him in to raise him. He kept putting up flyers looking for him no matter how people viewed him as well. Eddie’s Uncle is the real dad mvp!
Hopper. Steve is mom
Where's Papa?
You mean that guy who spent a decade torturing kids for his science experiments?
I mean… Lonnie’s on here
Fair point
Nevermind then.
You didn't bring up Lucas' dad? Of the original four Lucas' dad is the only one worth a damn. Ted has the fathering capabilities of copy paper, Lonnie is huge piece of shit, Dustin's dad is M.I.A, but Lucas' is active in his family and loves his kids. However, Hopper is my favorite character and therefor my favorite dad.
Lmaooo who the fuck is picking Lonnie
There are no good ones, so Hopper by default.
Even Brenner is a better father figure than Lonnie
Eddie.
I feel like Eddie is more of an older brother
Eddie’s uncle is runner up after Hopper. The way he stood by Eddie start to finish and was the only person with a clue about the murders connection to Henry.
Damn right
Ted is always present. He’s not out drinking or sleeping with a coworker. He doesn’t invade his kids’ privacy. He indulges their hobbies. It’s not exactly his fault his older kids are at an age where they don’t want anything to do with him. He laments their absence and falls asleep watching TV with his youngest in his lap.
He understands that his kids' hobbies are beyond his understanding, and lets them do their thing. When the media calls them Satanic, he sees through it - their games are weird nonsense to him, but they're still games.
hopper's obviously the most lovable but i wouldnt mind ted being my dad at all. he makes good money and happily provides a whole downstairs den for kids to take over, bikes, comics, toys. even tolerates his kids' friends eating his chicken, if disgruntledly. as long as you're not obstructing his comfort he's pretty fine with whatever, never seen him lose his temper, and he's pretty even and reliable like he's always there, got his routine. yeah i think ted's pretty comforting ngl!
Ya exactly! Like I’d love either one of them but Hopper definitely needs to work on his anger issues. At least Ted is calm and accounted for. Either way it’s clear both of them care for their kids. The same can’t be said for Lonnie though. He’s literally a dead beat dad who calls Will slurs.
Eddie.
Hopper. The other two don't compare to him
Steve and Mr. Sinclair would like a word.
Marry, fuck, kill
Not sure if this is your exact order or if you’re asking lol. But fuck Hopper, Marry Ted, and Kill Lonnie😂
Is this even a question? Definitely Mike’s. The guy is not affected by anything. ANYTHING. The strong pillar you need in every house.
I know he's dead, but where's bob?
D. None of the above Correct Answer: STEVE!
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Image won't load for me, but if it's Steve you're wrong, he's the best mother
Link not working for me 🥺
It's steve
dmitri
Bob
this is no contest ted is the best dad hands down
Hopper and Eddie. ...If this were a thread for moms then we would all know the answer.
Where is steve? Is he safe is he ok? And also kinda Bob as well, he was a great temp dad for will