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In an interview with Variety, David Harbour broke down why Stranger Things still hits so hard, more than nine years after the release of the first season.
The interviewer brought up something many fans often say: Stranger Things works because everyone finds at least one character who feels like “their” person, an outsider fighting back.
Harbour agreed, but he also said the meaning of “outsider” in this story has shifted in ways people don’t always notice.
The interviewer asked:
"I’ve been asking that question of a lot of people, and one thing that people have really pointed to is that, because of the breadth of the ensemble, there’s a character that basically everyone can identify with — and it’s a story about people who are outsiders fighting back."
David Harbour's response:
"Well, the outsiders fighting back has shifted over the years. I did find that as seasons go on, it’s more interested in empathy. Vecna has become very important, like the monster himself is becoming more human, and we’re supposed to understand and have feelings for the monster."
Harbour added,
"Whereas in Season 1, it was really scrappy outsiders who were taking down a corporation, right? It has been an interesting transition in terms of what they’re focused on, how you elaborate that story. I think, at its best, it really hits all the beats of character and story moving forward at the same pace, which is a difficult thing for a script to do. Usually, scripts focus on character or they focus on plot. “Stranger Things” will do both of them simultaneously in a very sophisticated way."
Speaking about the tropes Stranger Things borrowed from Star Wars, Harbour said,
"The other thing is, we love “Star Wars,” right? We love “Lord of the Rings.” I think what “Stranger Things” is trying to do is, instead of rebooting “Star Wars” or “Lord of the Rings,” they’re taking the archetypes or the tropes — or the words and the letters, let’s say, and creating new sentences out of them. Hopper is Han Solo, is Indiana Jones, is Gandalf the Gray. There are these archetype tropes that just live in our subconscious cinematic lexicon and we love them. “Stranger Things” just reinvents them with Eleven, Hopper, Max. It’s not afraid to play those really strong power chords."
He mentioned how the show pulls from the classics without copying them.
But the Duffers aren’t trying to reboot those worlds. They’re using pieces of them, “the archetypes or the tropes or the words and the letters,” as Harbour put it, and making new sentences about Star Wars or The Lord of the Rings.
It’s why Hopper can feel like Han Solo one minute and Indiana Jones the next, but still stay Hopper.
David Harbour said this mix is one of the things that keeps the story familiar but still new, even as the show gets bigger.
And once he explains it, the pieces click into place. The show didn’t stay where it started. Stranger Things grew with its characters, and sometimes even with its monsters.
Stranger Things doesn’t copy the classics; it rewrites them
The interview became more enjoyable when Harbour discussed pop culture influences. He didn’t pretend the show came out of nowhere. He said:
"We love Star Wars. We love Lord of the Rings,"
But instead of rebooting those worlds, Stranger Things treats them like raw material. Harbour explained it with a simple metaphor: The Duffers take the “words and letters” from those big franchises and create new sentences.
Hopper is "Han Solo, is Indiana Jones, is Gandalf the Gray." Not literal copies; more like updated versions of old archetypes slipped into 80s America.
Eleven, Max, Hopper, and even Steve all echo characters we grew up watching, but each one has its own twist.
Season 1 vs. now: Two very different kinds of rebels
Harbour said Season 1 of Stranger Things felt simple and sharp. A small, messy group of kids and one burnt-out cop fought a cold, secretive corporation.
It was the classic “scrappy team vs. big machine” setup. Easy to root for. Easy to follow. “Scrappy outsiders taking down a corporation,” is how Harbour put it.
But as the show moved into later seasons, the creative direction changed. Not in a bad way, more like the Duffers wanted to tell a bigger emotional story.
Harbour said the show became “more interested in empathy.” Even for the monster. Especially for the monster.
Why Vecna changed the whole energy of the show
Harbour pointed to Vecna as the clearest example of this shift. Vecna isn’t just a big CGI threat thrown in for cool shots.
He’s a character built from trauma and bitterness, not just evil. Harbour said the monster became more human over time, and the audience is meant to feel something for him.
Not sympathy exactly, but recognition- the discomfort of seeing how a person gets shaped by their pain. Compare that to Season 1’s Demogorgon, which had zero personality. Vecna talks. He remembers. He blames.
And the shift from “fight the monster” to “understand why he became a monster” changes the tone of the whole story.
Harbour’s favorite creative choice: Character and plot move together
Harbour praised the writing for balancing two things most shows struggle with, which are character growth and plot movement.
He said most scripts pick one lane. Either they dump all their energy into the story beats, or they slow down and focus on feelings. But Stranger Things “hits all the beats of character and story moving forward at the same pace.” That’s rare. And it explains why the show can jump from a quiet emotional moment to an intense chase scene without feeling disjointed.
It’s not a perfect blend every time, but the intention is clear and Harbour respects that.
The power chords that keep the show running
Harbour said the show isn’t afraid to play “really strong power chords.” Big emotions. Big betrayals. Big reunions. It’s not subtle, and it’s not ashamed of that. That’s part of why audiences attach so fast. The characters feel familiar, but the story surprises you at the right moments.
And because the show mixes empathy with nostalgia, it’s able to grow without breaking the tone that made it famous.
Why this matters heading into the final season
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Harbour’s comments give a quiet hint at what fans can expect as the story wraps up. The fights will still be there. The danger will still be loud. But empathy will play a bigger role than ever.
Outsiders fighting back, yes. But also outsiders trying to understand the damage left behind. And that might be the most powerful version of the story yet.
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