Say hello to Stranger Things’ new Daddy

In case you’ve been living under a rock, the second season of Stranger Things came out on Oct. 27, and it seems like everyone spent their Halloween weekend obsessively binge-watching.

I’m warning you right now, there are spoilers — if you haven’t seen it, go watch it.

The biggest character development, and by far the best part about the season, was of one Steve Harrington.

No, you’re not in the Upside Down. Steve is officially a loveable character.

Now, in season one Steve was a grade-A fuckboy. Everyone was rooting for Jonathan to end up with Nancy, even after he did some pretty shady stuff — don’t take naked pictures of girls without their consent, friends.

Now, Steve has become what the internet is calling — appropriately — Daddy Steve. He took responsibility and was an actual worthwhile human being.

In the process of the transformation, he became my favourite character and warmed the hearts of thousands of fans.

These are the type of characters I love to see in my fiction. Characters like Steve, with counterparts like Neville Longbottom and Elizabeth Swann, experience growth, learning and complexity beyond a narrative need.

We all need more people like Steve in our lives — both fictional and reality.

But let’s just break it down a little as to why this

It started off a little sticky for dear Daddy Steve, as Nancy broke his heart and he left her drunk at a party.

Season one Steve would have definitely retaliated. In fact, he did. When he thought Nancy was cheating, he defiled her property and her reputation.

So who will be the next Daddy Steve? Could Billy see a turnaround in season three? We’ll have to see — stranger things have happened.

But Daddy Steve is different. This classic romantic bought her roses, and when she wasn’t home, he formed a relationship with fellow lonely outcast Dustin.

And that was beyond adorable. From giving advice about girls to sharing hair tips, this unlikely partnership was exactly the love and support we needed from an otherwise pretty dry and hopeless season.

That scene with Steve dropping Dustin off at the dance? Absolutely priceless. We need more Daddy Steve in the upcoming seasons.

But not everything was all sunshine and friendships, either. Steve really had to step up this season.

He could have run away when the-shit-hit-the-metaphorical-Upside-Down-fan, but instead, he was courageous and self-sacrificing.

He was the character that put himself on the line when they were trying to lure Dart.

In a role that was almost exclusively reserved to Hopper, Joyce and Eleven in season one, Steve had the opportunity to be a selfless hero. He had the choice to protect the kids and he took it without much hesitation.

He didn’t just do it once, either. On top of that, he pushed Max out of the way when they attacked, and he made sure that all of the kids made it out of the tunnel before he got out himself.

And season one Steve definitely never would have stood up for Lucas in Billy’s racist tirade. Steve got the snot beat out of him just to make sure that Lucas — a kid he has no responsibility for — was safe.

Honestly, in the first season, I thought Steve didn’t deserve Nancy. Now, Nancy definitely doesn’t deserve Steve.

So who will be the next Daddy Steve? Could Billy see a turnaround in season three? We’ll have to see — stranger things have happened.