Stranger Things’ Joyce Byers and Jim Hopper’s Unrequited Love Story: A Complete Timeline

Credit: Netflix

Stranger Things' Joyce Byers and Jim Hopper's Unrequited Love Story: A Complete Timeline

Holding out hope in Hawkins. Stranger Things characters Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) and Jim Hopper (David Harbour) aren't actually dating, but fans have long pleaded with writers to put them together. The duo's onscreen chemistry has added an element of romance to the sci-fi show over the years, even as they have to fight off Demogorgons, evil scientists and Mind Flayers. "Ever since I read the pilot, I loved the relationship with Hopper and Joyce," Harbour told Variety in November 2017. "I consider it a little bit like Chinatown, with Faye Dunaway and Jack Nicholson. These are two lost, broken people who need each other but are so prideful and messed up that they’ll never admit it." The pair are also close outside of work, going so far as to invent backstories for Joyce and Hopper before the events of the Netflix series. "I have this whole thing with Joyce that maybe she went to Chicago after graduating and got into the hippie thing," the Beetlejuice actress told the Los Angeles Times in May 2018. Harbour, for his part, thinks that Joyce and Hopper dated in high school but never got full closure on their romance. "I think there’s some unfinished business," the Hellboy actor said in the same interview. "Both of us toyed around in the beginning about who left who." [jwplayer 96xXQyd6-zhNYySv2] The Black Widow star has repeatedly teased fans about the fervor for a Joyce and Hopper pairing, going so far as to say he thinks Hopper would be better in bed than Joyce's former boyfriend Bob Newby (Sean Astin). "The fans, they call it, like, Jopper or something," Harbour explained during an episode of Beyond Stranger Things. "They all ship this relationship with Hopper and Joyce, and I do too because I feel like they’re two really lonely, lost people that really need each other. The short answer of it is I do feel like the sex would be a lot better with Hopper than it is with Bob." That theory has not yet been tested on the show, but Bob is officially out of the picture after dying in season 3. Still, Hopper has remained respectful of Joyce's grieving period — so far. "It’s a sensitive moment. And he’s her friend," Harbour said of the now-famous scene where Joyce and Hopper share a smoke after Bob's death. "So, they have this gesture together that isn’t romantic or creepy. It’s like we can bury our feelings in a cigarette together and remember what it was like to be young and innocent." Their castmates are also hoping for a full-on romance between the twosome in future episodes. "I definitely ship it," Brett Gelman, who plays Murray Bauman, exclusively told Us Weekly in May 2022. "They love each other. That is all that matters.” Keep scrolling for a look back at Joyce and Hopper's complete relationship timeline. [podcast_block]

Credit: Netflix

Season 1

Joyce and Hopper's first interaction comes after the disappearance of Joyce's son Will (Noah Schnapp), but it's clear that they have a past. One of Hop's fellow cops hints that the sheriff and Joyce hooked up in high school, but that's never confirmed. Tension between the pair arises as Joyce confronts Hopper for not doing all he can to find Will. When they enter the Upside Down to save Will in the season finale, Hopper talks Joyce down as she has an anxiety attack.

Credit: Netflix

Season 2

When season 2 begins, a year has passed since the events of season 1 and Joyce is now in a relationship with Bob, a charming Radio Shack manager. Hopper is still very much around, though, and at one point, he and Joyce share a passionate embrace after he gets rescued from the Upside Down — while Bob is standing right next to them. Bob later dies while Joyce, Hopper and the gang are attempting to rescue Will from the Mind Flayer's control. While the kids enjoy themselves at the Snow Ball, Hopper comforts Joyce outside the school as they share a cigarette and a hug.

Credit: Netflix

Season 3

Both Joyce and Hopper are single at the beginning of season 3, and their flirty banter levels are off the charts. At one point, they hold hands while on a ride at the summer Fun Fair. They later agree to go on a real date, but that plan is scuttled by the fact that Hopper gets kidnapped and sent to Russia.

Credit: Netflix

Season 4 Part 1

Hopper and Joyce spend nearly all of the first half of season 4 apart, with Joyce in California and Hopper still in captivity. Joyce quickly finds out that Hopper is still alive, but it takes her several episodes to finally get to Russia and rescue him. When they finally reunite, they share a big hug — but still no kiss.

Credit: Courtesy Netflix

Season 4 Part 2

Following their reunion, Joyce and Hopper slowly reconnect as they try to figure out their next steps.  The pair end up sharing a steamy kiss, which marks the beginning of their romantic relationship. Their happy moment is shattered when Hopper decides to return to the Russian prison to find a way to help their kids survive in Hawkins.

As Hopper is about to be killed by a Demogorgan, Joyces saves his life — which parallels Bob's death in season 2. Hopper and Joyce return to Hawkins together and they reunite with their children.