Joyce and Hopper seriously need to hook up in 'Stranger Things 3'
This article contains literally SO many 'Stranger Things 2' spoilers. Seriously. Don't say we didn't warn you.
Of all the Stranger Things romances, the hottest 'ship of all has to be Hopper and Joyce. But, they haven't even so much as kissed yet. And, I'm not sure I can handle much more sexual tension.
As temperatures began to plummet per the Shadow Monster's specific instructions, things got steamy AF between Jim Hopper and Joyce Byers (even if the latter was embroiled in a new courtship with Samwise Gamgee, sorry Bob).
In between cats being feasted upon by demodoggos, and poor Will getting possessed, my heart was all aflutter for this pair of star-crossed lovers who seriously need to make out, like, immediately. I'm not alone, either. The internet has been shopping Hopper and Joyce since Season 2 first graced our screens, and there's even a portmanteau for the universally-shipped duo: #jopper.
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So, what exactly is the hold-up? And, how much longer do we need to sit through this agonising sexual tension? In short, when will they have sex? WHEN.
Let's survey the current sitch for a moment. Joyce enters Season 2 with a brand new love interest, Kenny Rogers-loving, sweet-but-dorky Bob. After the Byers family's terrifying ordeal in the last season, it makes sense for Joyce to want some stability with safe-bet-Bob and his dad humour.
"The sex would be a lot better with Hopper than it is with Bob."
Sorry to be a killjoy, but Bob kinda sucks. In his attempt to be a father figure to Will, he gives him some advice which ultimately leads to the Shadow Monster possessing Will. I'm sure it was well-intentioned, but Hopper certainly wouldn't have advised Will to stand up to a behemoth from the Upside Down.
Hopper and Joyce can both relate on an echelon that—try as he might—Bob will never reach. They've both had their fair share of emotional rollercoasters in past relationships. Their trust for one another is unshakeable. Hopper is, and has been, there for Joyce in her darkest hours.
Also. Rather importantly, they look damn good together. Feast your eyes on this pictorial evidence posted by David Harbour, who plays Hopper:
They are, in short, made for each other.
Indeed, Harbour himself has admitted to shipping #Jopper, too. In an episode of Beyond Stranger Things, Harbour explains why they'd be perfect for one another. "The fans they call it like 'Jopper' or something, 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," says Harbour.
"The short answer of it is I do feel like the sex would be a lot better with Hopper than it is with Bob," he added. And, he is absolutely 100 percent correct.
According to Harbour, the prospect of Joyce and Hopper hooking up has been discussed (!!!). Harbour says he asked if the pair could get together in some way by the end of Season 2, but, given the circumstances, he feels it would have been a jerk move for Hopper to try something with Joyce the moment Bob's out of the picture.
Harbour is right. Hopper is better than that. If we're looking for true romance with #Jopper, then it's all about timing and Bob's simply not even cold in his grave yet.
Season 3 could well be Joyce and Hopper's time. This is a love story worth waiting for, friends.
Topics Netflix Stranger Things
Rachel Thompson is the Features Editor at Mashable. Rachel's second non-fiction book The Love Fix: Reclaiming Intimacy in a Disconnected World is out now, published by Penguin Random House in Jan. 2025. The Love Fix explores why dating feels so hard right now, why we experience difficult emotions in the realm of love, and how we can change our dating culture for the better.
A leading sex and dating writer in the UK, Rachel has written for GQ, The Guardian, The Sunday Times Style, The Telegraph, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Stylist, ELLE, The i Paper, Refinery29, and many more.
Rachel's first book Rough: How Violence Has Found Its Way Into the Bedroom And What We Can Do About It, a non-fiction investigation into sexual violence was published by Penguin Random House in 2021.
