Joyce Byers and Jim Hopper share a tumultuous relationship in Netflix's hit sci-fi show, Stranger Things. The two characters come together in Season 1 to investigate the mysterious disappearance of Joyce's son, Will. They go up against interdimensional monsters, government bad guys and Russian spies together throughout the series.
Hopper's long speculated survival was recently confirmed by a teaser trailer, so fans can expect to see the police chief reunite with Joyce in Season 4. However, their reunion may not go as smoothly as many hope. Joyce and Hopper could be considered couple goals, but their relationship isn't entirely without toxicity...
Couple Goals: Investigating The Upside Down Together
Hopper and Joyce go on a separate side-mission during each season. In Season 1, they investigate the mysterious happenings surrounding the Upside Down after Will is captured by the Demogorgon. Hopper and Joyce break into Hawkins Lab together in pursuit of the truth.
Their adventures continue in the following seasons. Hopper investigates the tunnels under Hawkins before helping Joyce free Will of the Mind Flayer's possession. Joyce leads the way in Season 3 after she convinces Hopper to help her explore the cause of her faulty magnets.
Toxic: Hopper's Season 3 Toxic Masculinity
Hopper's behavior in Season 3 presented problematic elements, which prompted many fans to accuse Hawkins' police chief of toxic masculinity. Hopper berates Joyce for standing him up for their date, despite her still grieving over the death of Bob.
This problematic behavior extends towards his adopted daughter, Eleven, as well. The police chief forcibly intervenes in her relationship with Mike, and intimidates the teenage boy into lying to his girlfriend, breaking the Party's golden rule.
Couple Goals: Joyce Is The Good Cop, Hopper Is The Bad Cop
As Stranger Things takes place in the 1980s, Joyce and Hopper inadvertently go up against a Soviet faction. Their investigation of Joyce's magnets leads them to Alexei, a Russian scientist whom Hopper immediately brings to Murray for his linguistic skills.
Joyce plays the role of the good cop during their adventures with Alexei, whereas the short-tempered Hopper flourishes in the position of the bad cop. Both methods are effective as Alexei aligns with them, and helps them infiltrate the Russian base underneath Starcourt Mall.
Toxic: Joyce Stood Hopper Up For Their Date
Joyce and Hopper share an unspoken attraction throughout Stranger Things. In Season 3, Hopper finally acts on his feeling,s and asks Joyce out on a date. She agrees at the police chief's assurance that the date is platonic, but stands Hopper up and leaves him waiting at the restaurant.
This angers him, as he believed that he and Joyce were making progress with their romantic feelings. Joyce's anxiety and grief for Bob get the better of her, and she leaves her date waiting for her without even a phone call.
Couple Goals: Hopper Tells Joyce She Should Be A Cop
The skills of Joyce Byers are wasted in her current cashier position at Melvald's. Hopper tells her this in Season 3 during their side-quest, imploring the Byers matriarch to abandon retail to work with him at the police station.
Hopper recognizes Joyce's talents, and encourages her to utilize him. He sees first-hand how fiercely determined and effective she can be in a crisis, and urges her to have more faith in herself.
Toxic: They Constantly Argue
Joyce and Hopper's bickering levels up in Season 3. Both characters snipe at each other verbally throughout their mission against the Russians. Murray confronts them later in the season, and tells them both to give in to their sexual tension.
Although their arguing could be considered the result of latent romantic chemistry, it isn't healthy for a couple to argue so much. They rarely seem to be on the same page, and challenge each other at every turn.
Couple Goals: Joyce's Parenting Advice To Hopper
Hopper seeks out Joyce for some parenting advice in Season 3. The police chief struggles to speak to his adopted daughter Eleven about her relationship with Mike. Joyce gives Hopper valuable advice, and encourages him to communicate his feelings in a healthy way.
Hopper disregards Joyce's advice initially when he instead threatens Mike into giving El some space. However, Hopper later takes Joyce's words on board by writing his thoughts down in an emotional letter that Eleven eventually finds.
Toxic: Hopper Initially Dismissed Joyce Due To Her Mental Health
Joyce Byers and her sons, Jonathan and Will, are dismissed socially in the town of Hawkins in Season 1 due to their financial circumstances and Joyce's mental health. The Byers matriarch is said to struggle with anxiety, and even Hopper dismisses her when she first approaches him about Will's disappearance.
Hopper and Joyce grow closer throughout the season as the police chief begins to believe her about Will's true whereabouts. However, he is guilty of looking down on Joyce at the beginning of the series due to mental health issues.
Couple Goals: Hopper Understood Joyce's Pain When Will Went Missing
Hopper grieves throughout Season 1 in his struggle to come to terms with the death of his daughter. When Will Byers goes missing, the police chief connects with Will's mother, Joyce. Hopper understands Joyce's pain like no other person in town, and supports her through a difficult time.
Hopper is a pillar of support for Joyce during her darkest hour. He understands the complex web of emotions she is dealing with, and this understanding creates a connection between the characters.
Toxic: Hopper Didn't Give Joyce Enough Time To Grieve For Bob
Hopper's understanding of Joyce's feelings dissipates in Season 3. Joyce struggles to move on from the sudden and gruesome death of Bob. Hopper fails to notice this, and pushes for her to go on a date with him.
Bob's death is still a recent event in Season 3, and Joyce needed more time to process her lover's grisly murder at the claws and teeth of the Demodogs. Hopper, unlike his Season 1 self, doesn't understand this. This miscommunication is a prime example of the toxic elements of Hopper and Joyce's relationship.