Duffers Almost Ruined Stranger Things' Steve Forever for Us, but Joe Keery Saved the Day
Steve Harrington is the ultimate sweetheart that we have all come to love (Joe Keery is kind of responsible for all that). Could it have been any different?
As it turns out, it could. The Duffer Brothers originally intended Stranger Things to be even darker than it is.
Steve was supposed to be one of the characters whose fate fell on the graver side of the spectrum. First of all, he could have been killed off in season 1, and we wouldn't have even felt sorry for him.
If you can't imagine not crying your eyes out over Steve's passing, Joe Keery can offer some insight as to why.
In an interview for GQ, the actor revealed that season 1 Steve could have been a lot worse than he was.
In the original script, the writers included a scene with a beach party that Steve was throwing where "he forced himself on Nancy way harsher."
Thankfully, that did not end up happening.
Keery went on to say that at that point he had an idea of what Steve could become as a complex character – someone who was flawed and "aloof" but still "meant well" at the end of the day.
Imagine if we never had that Steve and never saw him grow in the span of four seasons…
If that "forcing" scene had happened, Steve would have never gotten the opportunity to redeem himself. In season 1, the character was a common bully, a popular jock, and nothing more.
If he had also sexually assaulted his then-girlfriend, that would have been it for Harrington in terms of fan love.
Steve and Nancy were cute together at the time, and that original scene would have definitely ruined that.
Now, if Steve had died in season 1 as originally planned, that would have been an interesting turn of events – justice served, at least in a fictional world.
Steve's character arc is one of the more evolved ones on the show. He is arguably one of the characters who have changed the most since season 1 (and for the better!).
Thanks, Joe Keery and the Duffer Brothers!