Sad Truth About Steve Revealed in Jason’s Story in Stranger Things 4 – Top

WARNING! This article contains spoilers for Stranger Things season 4, vol. 1!

Jason may serve as an antagonist in Stranger Things season 4, but he also demonstrates the sad truth about who the fan-favorite character Steve Harrington could have become. Following Steve’s graduation ahead of Stranger Things season 3, Jason Carver (Mason Dye) took over as the King of Hawkins High. While Jason is a more stereotypical ’80s bully, he shares many similarities with Stranger Things season 1’s Steve Harrington (Joe Keery), suggesting the character could have taken a far more unlikable arc.

Stranger Things season 4 is stretched thin with its many subplots, overarching storylines, and various new characters. One such divisive subplot involves Hawkins High basketball star and popular student Jason Carver, whose girlfriend Chrissy Cunningham is murdered by Vecna in Stranger Things’ season 4 premiere. Like the police, Jason believes that Hawkins High’s D&D club leader Eddie Munson killed Chrissy, so he and his teammates set on a path to find Eddie, Dustin, and Lucas while embracing the true 1980s Satanic Panic anxieties.

Steve Harrington grew into one of, if not the most beloved character in Stranger Things, but this certainly wasn’t how his story began. In Stranger Things season 1, the wealthy and popular Steve highly resembled season 4’s bully antagonist Jason. Steve bullied Jonathan like how Jason bullies Eddie, was a star athlete like Jason, dated a “princess” type student, and was known as the King of Hawkins High. However, while Jason is unlikely to receive a redemption arc of any kind in Stranger Things’ season 4 finale, Steve Harrington established himself as a hero at the very end of Stranger Things season 1. Had Steve not continued to date Nancy, team up with Dustin, and become the babysitter of the Hawkins kids during his battles with the Upside Down, his character sadly would have turned out much like the detestable Jason – though not to the same extremes as Stranger Things season 4’s new character.

Stranger Things season 1 was similarly attempting to lean into the tropes of 1980s movie bullies with Steve, Tommy H., and Carol, but flipped the script when Steve became one of the most sympathetic characters in season 2. However, Stranger Things season 4 already reveals that Jason will get into fist fights with Lucas and perhaps jeopardize the lives of Max and the rest of the Hawkins teens. Jason is on a personal mission to take down Eddie and Lucas, whereas Steve was just jealous over believing that Nancy was cheating on him with Jonathan, after which he made amends with both. While Stranger Things season 4 is leaning into Jason becoming even more hostile as one of the series’ human villains, this was nearly the path that Steve would have taken had he not been given reality checks about how abhorrent Tommy H. and Carol were.

Jason has done more horrible things to Stranger Things’ season 4 characters than Steve did in season 1, but he’s also not inherently a terrible human being. He’s grieving the death of his girlfriend, who he believes was murdered as part of a Satanic ritual. Everywhere Jason goes, his theory seems to be confirmed, especially when Vecna curses his best friend Patrick right in front of Eddie. Jason’s desire for vengeance isn’t entirely villainous considering the circumstances of his friends being targeted in the murders, but he also represents a narcissistic radicalized mind that won’t stop until his wrongly violent path to righteousness is secured. Steve and Jason may not represent the same type of stereotypical jock in Stranger Things, but the overwhelming hatred for Jason’s character proves the terrible path Steve could have taken in another timeline.

Stranger Things season 4, volume 2, arrives on Netflix on July 1.

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