Hopper's speech at the end was nice but
It didn't feel like a speech you would give to get two kids to get them to stop seeing each other so much, it honestly felt like some strong heartfelt goodbye.
shareThe letter didn't work for me all around. He didn't wind up actually delivering this message and his behavior after writing it suggested he doesn't show any intentions to express it any time soon.
Even if we were to buy him struggling with sudden change, the reality is that all the good times he ever established with El were while she was being holed up from everybody and while Mike, the only person he directs all these issues to, was actually struggling quite a bit. It's not really the same thing as a normal dad seeing his little girl grow up when she was kinda making up for lost time with the person she was separating from and whose relationship was pre-established.
I agree I don’t believe Hopper ever intended to express the content of his letter, I believe over the course of writing it he realized his jealousy towards Mike. The story tells us that Hopper loves El very much, but almost to the point of being possessive of her, which to me made the contents of the letter seem less sincere.
I was very disappointed with the story arc between Hopper and El this season. I was hoping to see more bonding moments between the two and not just teenage rebellion. Hopper mentions these moments in his letter, but we really didn’t see it portrayed on the screen.
For me the letter at the end was the result of lazy writing and trying to bring in too many new characters that in my opinion added nothing to the overall story. Hopefully the writers will rebound and bring back the magic from Season 1
Incredibly late to this, but yeah. I think the storyline did a disservice to all involved with none of the bonds coming out looking better. Mike absorbs 100% of the blame in the end (and not even for the right reasons, really), Eleven isn't prompted to reflect on her own actions, and Hopper's toxic aggression gets completely sidestepped while going out mourned as a hero.
What's also striking is how Hopper really only seems interested in celebrating driving a wedge between Mike and Eleven. It seems like he couldn't care less what she's up to between that morning and the mall climax, which is pretty damning to the idea that he wanted to just spend time with her. If anything, it speaks more to a personal animosity toward Mike that even official comments from the show seem to trivialize.