‘Stranger Things’: Ranking All the Romantic Couples
If you asked anyone what Stranger Things was about, we all but guarantee no one would say “romance.” The Netflix hit series covers a few different genres ranging from horror to science fiction, but romance has never been a significant plot point. However, with the group of kids the show focuses on growing older, romance has crept into the picture. Let’s look at the couples of Stranger Things and whether they qualify as awesome or just the worst.
Tommy and Carol – ‘Stranger Things’ Season 1
Seasons: They appear in Stranger Things Seasons 1 and 2, but most of their appearances are in season 1.
Actors: Chester Rushing, Chelsea Talmadge
Just the Worst: Tommy and Carol aren’t seen all that much in Stranger Things, but they’re sure to make you mad when they are around. They’re constantly bullying Jonathan Byers (Charlie Heaton) throughout most of the season, and Carol has some sort of underlying hatred for Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer.) Audiences only see them hanging out with Steve Harrington (Joe Keery), who is no gem of a human for most of Stranger Things Season 1, either. That’s why we’ve decided Tommy and Carol are just the worst.
Lucas and Max – ‘Stranger Things’ Season 2 and 3
Seasons: Lucas has been in Stranger Things from the start, but Max didn’t join the party until season 2.
Actors: Caleb McLaughlin, Sadie Sink
Awesome: Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) and Max (Sadie Sink) got off to a shaky start in Stranger Things Season 2. Max was the new girl at school, and both Lucas and Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) had an instant crush on her. Things were tense between the boys for a while, but Lucas and Max couldn’t deny the spark they had for each other. Even Dustin noticed the two had chemistry while waiting in the junkyard for the Demodogs to attack. Despite Max’s older brother Billy trying to keep her away from Lucas, they managed to get together in the end. The relationship was still going strong all throughout Stranger Things Season 3.
Billy and Karen Wheeler – ‘Stranger Things’ Seasons 2 and 3
Seasons: Karen is in all three seasons of Stranger Things, while Billy is in seasons 2 and 3.
Actors: Dacre Montgomery, Cara Buono
Just the Worst: Do we even need to comment on this one? First of all, Billy is in high school. We get that he might be 18, but it’s still gross. Secondly, Mrs. Wheeler is married and has three kids. Even if Ted (Joe Chrest), Karen’s husband, is a bit out of the loop most of the time, it doesn’t mean she should cheat on him. This entire relationship was weird from the get-go.
Mike and Eleven – ‘Stranger Things’ Seasons 1-3
Seasons: Both characters are in Stranger Things 1 through 3.
Actors: Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown
Awesome: These two have been a fan favorite from the start. The instant Mike stumbled over his words and told Eleven looked “pretty … good,” we knew it was meant to be. It took most of season 2 for them to be reunited, but it was worth it in the end. By Stranger Things Season 3, the two teenagers are an official couple, much to Chief Hopper’s (David Harbour) chagrin. Eleven does what she does best and saves her friends and now boyfriend from the Mind Flayer, but it looks like there’s more trouble ahead for our favorite telekinetic kid in season 4.
Joyce Byers and Bob Newby – ‘Stranger Things Season 2
Seasons: Joyce is an OG, while audiences only saw Bob Newby in Stranger Things Season 2.
Actors: Winona Ryder, Sean Astin
Awesome: While we love the potential for Joyce and Hopper, we can’t deny that Joyce and Bob were an adorable couple. He was incredibly understanding of her family’s unique situation, and we think the couple really had a shot at making it for the long run. Unfortunately, things didn’t end well for Bob. He was fast, but the Demodogs were faster. RIP, Bob Newby.
Nancy and Jonathan – ‘Stranger Things’ Seasons 2 and 3
Seasons: Both characters have been in all three seasons of Stranger Things.
Actors: Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton
Just the Worst: Dyer and Heaton are dating on and off the screen for most of Stranger Things, but there’s something about their relationship that doesn’t do it for us. Sure, he’s the lovable underdog, and she’s the girl finding her own voice, but if we’re being honest, they’re kind of boring. There’s no spark there, and we wish there was.
Nancy and Steve – ‘Stranger Things’ Season 1
Seasons: Steve may have been a terrible person in Stranger Things Season1, but he came around. Nancy has been around since the start of the series as well.
Actors: Natalia Dyers, Joe Keery
Awesome: We know this is a controversial rating. (We know.) The heart wants what the heart wants, and deep down, we feel like Steve was a better match for Nancy. We definitely don’t want Jonathan to get his heart broken by Nancy, but if he could find another person to fall in love with, that would be great. At the end of Stranger Things Season 3, the Byers moved out of Hawkins, so maybe there’s a chance, but we doubt it. That’s ok, though. We’ll always have season 1.
‘Stranger Things’ Season 4 is coming in 2022
We still have a while to wait to see if there are any new couples to rank in Stranger Things Season 4. It looks like the upcoming season might be getting back to its horror roots, and there might not be time for romance at all. In the meantime, you can stream all three seasons of Stranger Things on Netflix.
