WARNING! This article contains SPOILERS for Stranger Things season 4!

Hopper’s big monologue in Stranger Things season 4 connects back to his sad line about being cursed from season 1. Following Jim Hopper’s controversial Stranger Things season 3 death fakeout, the show finally proved that keeping the character alive was entirely worth it. As Hopper finally confronted his trauma that was originally teased in Stranger Things season 1 and became content with giving his life so that Eleven and Joyce could survive, season 4 confirmed that Hopper’s story needed to continue in order to complete his long-building arc.

After three seasons of teasing Hopper’s tragic backstory, Stranger Things season 4 finally gave David Harbour a significant monologue explaining why he believes he’s cursed. Alongside revealing the details about his poor relationship with his father, history in the Vietnam War mixing Agent Orange, and abuse of drugs and alcohol, Hopper confirmed that his exposure to Agent Orange caused his daughter Sara’s untimely death. At the end of his speech, Hopper reiterated that he believes himself to be cursed, worrying that this will see him destroy the lives of Eleven and Joyce along the way.

Related: Wait, Where Did Hopper Get That Sword From?

Hopper’s Stranger Things season 4 “cursed” monologue actually pays off one of his earliest sad lines from season 1. In Stranger Things’ season 1, episode 2, “The Weirdo on Maple Street,” Hopper stands on his back porch and asks his one-night stand whether she ever feels cursed. In the moment, Hopper relates being cursed to the fact that Hawkins is now simultaneously seeing cases of a suicide and missing person for the first time in decades, both of which are occurring again once he’s taken over as chief of police. Hopper’s Stranger Things season 1 line didn’t go much further into detail after this moment, but it was clear that he had unresolved trauma that had yet to be disclosed in the series. After years of Hopper’s story progressing to a place where he admitted that Eleven and Joyce saved him from his downhill turn, Stranger Things season 4’s big monologue gave this early line far more significance.

Has Hopper Finally Beaten His “Cursed” Fate?

Eleven and Hopper reunite in Stranger Things season 4

Up until his Stranger Things season 4 monologue, Hopper’s arc has seen him finally overcome his perceived fate of being “cursed.” Rather than succumbing to the idea that he’s cursed, Hopper finally beat it by taking control of his own fate and choosing to sacrifice himself for good rather than confirming his perceived destiny by unintentionally harming those he loves. Had he kept believing himself to be cursed as he did in his Stranger Things backstory, Hopper would have sabotaged his relationship with both Joyce and Eleven, just as he had been worried would happen. However, when Joyce confirmed that it was her decision completely to save him in Russia and that Eleven had never stopped hoping for his return, Hopper found value in his life, realizing that his purpose from now on would be to protect those he loves.

The primary reason why Hopper found himself to be cursed was the death of his 7-year-old daughter, Sara. Even during his Stranger Things season 4 speech, Hopper blamed himself for the death of his daughter and his wife subsequently divorcing him. However, Hopper has found self-redemption for these relationships through both Eleven and Joyce, which he had worried would simply end up the same way had he been “cursed.” In spite of this, Stranger Things season 4’s final scene proved his relationships with Joyce and Eleven were stronger than ever, and he was only truly “cursed” if he resigned himself to be.

Want more Stranger Things season 4 articles? Check out our essential content below...

Next: Stranger Things' Sweetest Hidden Detail Is Hopper's Gift To Eleven