Stranger Things is one of those rare series where every character is fantastically portrayed — and yet little toothless Dustin still steals the show.
Netflix’s Stranger Things is the closest to a perfect show that I’ve seen in a long, long time. The worldbuilding is extensive yet not overwhelming, leaving you wanting to know more. The characters are compelling and complicated. The story is concise without being oversimplified. And the ending — oh, that ending — feels both satisfying and like a punch to the gut. I wanted season 2 the second season 1 ended.
There is little doubt in my mind that Millie Bobby Brown is the true star of this show. At only 12 years old, she dominated every scene she was in. To have so few lines and still convey such strong emotions is what every actor works toward their entire life, and she did it all within only eight episodes of the show.
Oddly, I’ve seen several odes to Barbara, and while I liked her, I don’t necessarily understand the sudden devotion to a character whose sole purpose was to bring Nancy down a peg and then die. Don’t get me wrong — Barb was great, and I love that she’s not a conventional female character. She’s not worried about being popular or cool, but she was gone before she could make a real impact.
For me, and what I hope is the majority of the population, the standout character in Stranger Things is Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo). He’s got a mess of brown curls, no front teeth, an endearing lisp, and a healthy dose of real talk that everyone, naturally, ignores.
I’m not sure when I first started loving this character. In the beginning of the show, you feel for Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard) and are entranced by the mysterious Eleven. Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers sends waves of panic right through you from the moment she knows her son is missing. Even David Harbour’s Jim Hopper feeds you a sense of paranoia that you can’t quite shake.
But Dustin’s character creeps up on you. At first he’s just adorable and endearing with those curls and that squeak to his voice when he gets excited. He hasn’t befriended Eleven in the same way Mike has and he’s not there to complicate the plot like Lucas, but his role becomes just as important.
Dustin is, perhaps, the most mature character on the show. While everyone else is panicking, either worrying about their reputation or wondering if they’re slowly going insane, Dustin rolls with the punches. He’s instantly on board with the idea that Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) was kidnapped by a Demogorgon and is now being held captive in the Upside Down. He even has the most neutral reaction to Eleven’s show of power — more so than Mike, and certainly more so than Lucas.
Dustin just wants everyone to get along, but he’s not afraid to also call everyone out on their behavior. He’s fascinated by Eleven’s powers and doesn’t get why Lucas can’t just accept that she’s a badass who’s willing to help them. At the same time, he sees what Mike is unwilling to admit, which is that he cares for Eleven and is choosing her over his best friend, Lucas.
What 12-year-old kid is confident enough in his place in the world to admit that he’s lower on the totem pole in his circle of friends than some of the others? He owns the fact that Mike and Lucas are closer than he is to either one of them, even if it pains him to say that. (And good on you, Mike, for saying they’re both your best friend.)
But at the end of the day, it’s Dustin’s charms that really win you over. He’s a little awkward and maybe a little too enthusiastic, but his heart is absolutely in the right place. His character could’ve been relegated to hilarious sidekick, but the creatives behind Stranger Things gave him a much deeper role, which Gaten Matarazzo executed to perfection.
My hope for Stranger Things season 2 is not that Dustin becomes the hero of the story, but that he continues to be confident in his role as a sidekick. It doesn’t make him any less of a character, and it certainly doesn’t make Dustin any less important to the story. Mike, Lucas, and Will need Dustin as much as Dustin needs them.