Hopper quotes from Stranger Things

So what, we're just not gonna talk about it, huh?

About what?

Oh, I don't know. I'm just curious why, all of a sudden, you look like some kinda MTV punk? [Pause] I'm not mad, kid. I just wanna know where you've been. That's all.

To see Mama.

Okay. How'd you get there?

A truck.

"A truck?"

A big truck.

"A big truck?" Whose truck was it?

A man's.

A man's?

A nice man.

Okay. So, let me just get this straight in my head: so, a nice man in a big truck, he drove you to your mama's? And then what, your- your aunt Becky gave you those clothes and that makeup?!

I... I shouldn't have left.

Hmm-mm, No. No, this isn't on you, kid. I should've been there. I should never have lied to you about your mom... or about when you could leave. A lot of things I shouldn't have done. Sometimes, I feel like I'm... like I'm just some kinda black hole or something.

"Black hole?"

Yeah, it's a... y'know, it's this thing in outer space. It's like... it sucks everything towards it and destroys it. Sarah had a picture book about outer space, she loved it.

Who's Sarah?

Sarah? Sarah's my girl. [Looks at her] She's my little girl.

Where is she?

Well, that's kinda the thing, kid. She, uh... well, she left us.

Gone.

Yeah. The black hole. It got her. And, somehow... I've just been scared, you know. I've just been scared that it would take you, too. I guess that's why I get... so mad. [Shakes his head] I'm so sorry. For everything. I can be so... so...

Stupid.

[Chuckles] Yeah... stupid. Just really stupid.

I've been stupid, too.

I guess we broke our rule. [Eleven smiles tearfully] I don't hate it, by the way. This whole... look. Kinda cool.

[Smirks] Bitchin'.

Okay, sure. [Smiles] "Bitchin'".

Sam Owens

Chief-o!

How's the leg?

Sam Owens

Better! Though I'm pretty sure my football career is over. [Offers half his sandwich] Hey, you want some of this? There's no way I'm gonna finish it.

No. I'm, uh, I'm on a diet.

Sam Owens

Well, you're a better man than me. Hey, I got a little something for you.

Sam Owens

Congratulations, Pops.

I thought...

Sam Owens

Sometimes, I impress even myself. Still, I'd let things cool off for a while, if I were you.

How long's a while?

Sam Owens

You wanna be safe, I'd give it a year.

A year? [He takes the sandwich and bites into it] What about one night out?

Sam Owens

One night?

Yeah. How risky would that be?

Sam Owens

What's so important about one night?

Sir, I'm afraid no alcohol is allowed off the premises.

[Blows raspberry] I can do anything I want. I'm the chief of police.

Joyce! Drive!

Joyce

I'M TRYING!

Joyce, please! JOYCE! DRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVVVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEEEE--

I kept it open. I kept the door open three inches.

I know.

I never stopped believing.

Oh, I know. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. I'm here. I'm here.

And you got there how, exactly?

Eleven

Get where?

The Wheeler house. Did you take the Henderson shelter?

Eleven

No. Nancy drove me.

Nancy drove you?

Eleven

Yes.

We don't drive ever, do we? Do we?

Eleven

No.

No, we take the tunnels, and we don't surface until it's clear, until it's safe.

Eleven

I wore my hoodie.

Oh, well, geez, that's great. I don't know what we've been crawling around in the mud all this time. We should've just drove you around in your hoodie.

You're more like me than I'd like to admit.

Eleven

What, a stubborn punk-ass?

You heard that?

Eleven

You talk loud.

Yeah, I guess I am a stubborn punk-ass. Or at least I was. I never listened to my pops either. Always thought I knew best. Pissed him right off. I remember one day it got so heated, he took me to the recruitment office. He made me enlist right there. He thought the Army would do me some good. Give me some structure, some discipline. But the thing was, I thought I was smarter than the officers.

Eleven

Were you?

Sometimes. But mostly, no, I was just dumb. Naive. I used to trust my gut and my instinct. Never... Like you. Did a lot of crazy things in that war. Reckless things. You might call them brave, but there's a fine line between bravery and stupidity. Saw a lot of brave men die in that war. Friends of mine. My daughter... Sara. She was brave. Bravest person I ever knew. She stared death in the face. She never got scared. She never wavered. Fought her heart out. The doctors said they never saw anything like it. They thought she was gonna make it, too.

Eleven

So that's why you don't want me in here. Because you think Vecna will win and I will die.

I don't think... I don't think anything. I've just been around long enough to know that you can't count on anything in this life. I don't wanna lose you. I won't. Which is why whatever happens from here on out, wherever this blood leads, I need you to do what I say.

Eleven

So don't be a stubborn punk-ass like you?

Yeah, don't be a stubborn punk-ass.

Eleven

If I'm alive, then so is Henry. I have to end the cycle.

You will, you will. But not like this. Not with more violence. Not with more pain. There's already been so much pain. From the moment you were born. Your mother was taken from you. Your childhood was taken from you. You've been attacked. Manipulated by terrible people. Life has been so unfair to you, so cruel. But you never let it break you. And I need you to fight, kid. I need you to fight just one last time. Fight for the days on the other side of this. Fight for... for a world beyond Hawkins. Fight for that day that you have a kid of your own, and you give her the life that you never had. For the day you get so angry because she invites some boy over, and she won't keep the door open three inches. I know. I know you don't believe you can have any of this. But I promise you we will find a way to make it real. You will find a way to make it real. Because you have to. Because you deserve it.

Dustin

I just wanted a normal childhood. But that childhood was stolen from me. It was stolen from us. And this past year, if you wanna know the truth, I've been pretty pissed off about it.

Language.

Dustin

But then I thought back to the past six years, and I realized that, even though there was a lot of bad, there was so much good too. There's this game I like to play. It's called Dungeons & Dragons.

Lucas

Yup!

Jesus Christ.

Dustin

And in this game, there are two types of chaos classes, chaotic good and chaotic bad. Now, bad chaos brings anarchy, destruction, war. But good chaos can bring innovation, change. And this school... frankly, it needed to change. Because we were so divided into the jocks, the nerds, freaks. And in the chaos, all those walls broke down, and I made new friends. I made friends who were never even supposed to be my friends. And this wasn't just me; I saw this happen with so many others. When you get to know people who are different from you, you begin to learn more about yourself. You change. You grow. I'm a better person now. I'm a better person because of them. Because of my friends. So, I'm not pissed off anymore. But I am worried. Worried, because now that the chaos is over, Principal Higgins and every square like him is gonna do their damnedest to put everything back in order, and I don't want order. Which is why it's hypocritical that I'm wearing this thing. I mean, we look ridiculous. What is this? We look like Roman senators. I mean, it's not who I am. I don't think it's who any of us are. So, honestly, just screw it.

Henderson!

Dustin

Screw the school. Screw the system. Screw conformity.

Yes!

Dustin

Screw everyone and everything trying to hold you back and tear us apart, because this -- this is our year!