David Harbour relates Detective Jim Hopper's return in the upcoming Stranger Things season 4 to Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings. Similar to many other productions, the Netflix show's return has been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the shooting pushed, there is still no release date. However, that has not slowed down the exciting casting announcements and Stranger Things set photos that have kept fans engaged.
Stranger Things successfully introduces characters that viewers easily latch onto. Despite being in the show briefly, Barbara (Shannon Purser) had an entire hashtag that went viral after the character's demise. After working with Joyce (Winona Ryder) to save the world in season 3, Hopper disappeared along with the Russians being evaporated. While the initial moment impled the character's death, there is a post-credits scene that teased the character's survival. Later, a press release officially confirmed Harbour's return as the beloved character.
In a recent interview with Collider, Harbour spoke about Hopper's journey and what that means as the series continues. He compared his character's return to that of Gandalf, indicating a new direction for Hopper as the series moves forward. He remained relatively tight-lipped about overall season 4 details, although he did expand on his insights regarding the character's path, adding that the upcoming season is his favorite. See below for Harbour's perspective on season 4:
"I can talk about Hopper. I guess I say this about a lot of seasons, but it’s my favorite season, in the sense that he’s at his purest, he’s at his most vulnerable, in a sense. He’s been, as we’ve seen, he’s in this Russian prison, so we get to reinvent him in a sense. He gets to have a rebirth from what he had become, and we’d always sort of planned this almost resurrection of you have Gandalf dies, Galdalf the Grey re-emerge, and I’m really interested in this resurgence of him. We get to explore a lot of threads in his life that have merely been hinted at that we get to see a lot more of. And there’s some real surprises that you know nothing about that will start to come out in this and play big as the series goes on."
"[Season 4] is really my favorite season. I just love it. The scripts always get better and these guys, they started out, and Season One is so tight and good and intimate in a certain way, it’s so good. And these guys go in different directions, of which the fans have multiple takes on, but I will say, the writing continues to be of its particular, specific genre, whatever they’re doing each season is just extraordinary. And this, again, we top it. Like I feel it’s a big, beautiful season. I can’t wait for people to see it.”
Over the course of the past 3 seasons, audiences have already seen a good deal of character growth from Hopper. However, his "resurrection" will surely change him in ways that we have not seen before in a setting that will be completely new for audiences of the show. Despite the fact that Hawkins has been a dangerous place for these characters, there is a sort of familiarity that viewers take comfort in within this small town. The mentioned theme of rebirth is likely to appear in more places than just Russia, which is where Hopper was last seen.
Additionally, the show has certainly thrived on its nostalgic qualities and it will continue to do so. With the casting of the phenomenal horror icon Robert Englund (A Nightmare on Elm Street), it is clear that season 4 will continue to offer the same mix of charm and horror. However, it does not solely rely on it, as the series has a unique essence about it that supports its strong storytelling and characters that audiences have become so attached to. Stranger Things season 4 has a lot to live up to, but if the previous seasons are any indication, it will be a must-watch.
Source: Collider