Netflix’s Stranger Things season 4 brought us a new version of Jim Hopper. Played by David Harbour since season 1, in the latest installment of Stranger Things, he’s skinny with a shaved head and trying to find a way out of Russia to get back to Hawkins—very different from the man with the definition of a “dad bod” who was the sheriff of Hawkins and maybe constantly mad about everything.
While this new Hopper worked for the story and was seemingly just a product of the situation that he was in, it has reminded me of what we lost and thus forced me into a campaign to get the Hopper energy of Stranger Things season 3 back into our lives. The energy I’m talking about does also include a fun floral shirt that he wore as his “fancy” outfit for his potential date to Enzo’s with Joyce, because that shirt does live rent free in my head.
Few things in this world are quite as hot as Hopper in this shirt.
But it’s more than just the shirt. It’s the entire vibe of Hopper in season 3 that I just really loved. When I rewatched Stranger Things 4 with my brother recently, he made some comment about the “new and improved” Hopper, and the minute the words left his mouth, my sister-in-law sighed because she knew I was going to yell at him about how nothing tops Jim Hopper’s energy in season three.
Is part of it the stereotypical idea of “I can fix him” that has me drawn back to the first three seasons with Hopper? I’m going to say no just simply because I don’t have the time to unpack that, but I do think, outside of his own loneliness and fear of putting himself out there, Hopper was generally a man who didn’t actively hate his life. There were things he’d improve on if he could, but he loved Hawkins and being there for Eleven, and having that same floral shirt vibe in the final season of the show? it’s just something I need in my life.
Bring back the Hopper we know and love
The end of season 4 was met with quite a few fat jokes about the Hopper from before. Why? I honestly couldn’t tell you—it wasn’t funny—but they all had something to say about him being very skinny after being trapped in Russia. Outside of the unnecessary fat jokes, I just want Hopper back to his usual “dad bod” self for the final season because that’s the Hopper we’ve all come to love. And yes, I also want this because he’s incredibly hot in season 3.
And, if David Harbour has anything to say about it, the dad bod will return. “I’m sorry for all the fans who lost the dad bod, but I will tell you this: David Harbour will have dad bods in the future, I have no doubt,” he told Variety in a recent interview, and thank goodness for us all.
(featured image: Netflix)
