Diksha Sundriyal
In the fifth season of Netflix’s ‘Stranger Things,’ the residents of Hawkins prepare for the final battle against Vecna, who is hell-bent on destroying their world. In the midst of all the chaos and bloodshed, the characters also develop unlikely friendships and find the love that lasts a lifetime. Joyce Byers and Jim Hopper are brought together in this chaotic world after her son, Will, goes missing in the first season. They had known each other their entire lives, but it isn’t until the monsters come knocking at their doors that they team up to save the kids and their town. This partnership slowly grows into something more, but they don’t get the time to explore it further, at least not until the war is won. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Joyce and Hopper Plan the Next Chapter of Their Lives in a New Place
Joyce and Hopper have lived in Hawkins their entire lives and have seen the town through all sorts of stuff, particularly the events kick-started by the disappearance of Will. For Joyce, the only reason to stay in town is her children. In the fourth season, she tries to stay away, living in California, especially after Hopper goes missing following the Season 3 finale. However, things take such a turn that she is forced to come back to Hawkins, realising that she and her family cannot leave until the whole mess with Vecna and the Upside Down is settled for good. Meanwhile, Hopper stays in town because of the memories of his daughter, Sara, and later, he stays for Eleven, who becomes his adoptive daughter. Eventually, Eleven dies, leaving Joyce as the only person who keeps him tethered to the town that he probably should have left a long time ago.
Eighteen months after the fight with Vecna, things have settled down a bit. Jonathan has left for New York, attending film school and directing his own, while Will, too, prepares to leave the nest now that he and his friends have graduated. He looks forward to starting a new phase of his life, especially now that he is much more self-aware. With that, there is nothing tying Joyce to Hawkins. Meanwhile, Hopper, who has gone back to his duties as the town’s sheriff, gets a job offer, which will take him to the other side of the country. He tells Joyce that the offer is for him to move to Montauk, and it is enticing because it means that he will get a significant pay increase. What makes the move even better is that it will bring them closer to New York, where Jonathan lives, and Will is about to move to. While there is no pressure to leave Hawkins, Hopper believes that moving to Montauk will be great for them and the kids, especially after all that they have gone through in the town.
Though he tells Joyce that she can think about it, it doesn’t seem too far-fetched to believe that she might already be on board. After all, there doesn’t seem to be any drawback to it, and it will truly be a fresh start for them. She doesn’t give an outright yes, but it will most likely be so. To make things better, Hopper presents another proposition to Joyce. Now that they have saved the town and defeated an interdimensional monster, it is time to focus entirely on their relationship. They have known each other their entire lives and have been in a relationship long enough to know that they are spending the rest of their lives together. To make things official, he asks Joyce to marry him, and she doesn’t blink twice before saying yes. Thus, the duo get their happy ending with a wedding on the horizon, and with Hopper’s new job taking them to Montauk, they have a clean slate in front of them.
Read More: Stranger Things Season 5 Finale: Is Vecna Dead? Who Kills Him?
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