This post contains spoilers for Stranger Things 2.
During the first season of Stranger Things, Steve Harrington was a grade-A jerk. He beat up kids he thought were "weird." He slut-shamed his own girlfriend because he was mad at her. He was the quintessential '80s movie mean jock.
And the real kicker: He got the girl. Many Stranger Things fans were (understandably) disappointed when Nancy was revealed to still be dating Steve at the end of Season 1. Sure, he apologized to Jonathan and stepped up to help fight the monster, but the dude was still not a fan favorite.
So why, after Season 2, is the entire internet thirsty for Steve? Because he's a whole new man by the end, that's why. Here's what you need to know about the New Steve, the Steve everyone likes.
Where he is at the beginning of Season 2:
First of all, he's still with Nancy, which made a lot of fans groan. Yes, he's still pretty selfish (we see him asking her to essentially help him rewrite a college essay the night before it's due, completely disregarding both her time and their prior plans to have dinner with Barb's parents). But he's also noticeably different.
When he talks about the possibility of not getting into college and instead going to work for his dad, his justification isn't Steve-focused—it's Nancy-focused. He would be able to stay close to her while she's in high school for her final year. Maybe it would be better for their relationship, he reasons. Two things become clear in this moment: First, Steve takes this relationship very seriously. Second, Nancy does not. The look on her face says it all: she's checked out and he's all in.
This is the first step in Steve's transformation from hated jock to worldwide internet crush. He shows real vulnerability here, becoming a real human with real feelings who you actually want to root for.
His finger-licking good moment:
At dinner with Barb's parents, Steve plays his next card: comedic timing. The Hollands have ordered a bucket of KFC for dinner. With one simple line, Steve goes from humorless bully to delightfully funny guy.
That GIF represents the moment Stranger Things fans started to think, "Well, maybe we judged Steve too quickly."
The breakup:
Later, at a party, Nancy gets very drunk. They fight over her cup of punch and it spills all over her. When Steve follows her to the bathroom to convince her it's time to go home, she finally speaks her mind, with a little (okay, a lot of) help from alcohol. She basically tells him that he, the world, and their whole relationship are all "bullshit."
It's impossible not to feel for Steve when you watch his heart shatter into a million pieces before your very eyes.
His unexpected new relationship:
After his bathroom breakup with Nancy, Steve buys her flowers and goes to her house to apologize/hug it out/woo her back. But he never gets a chance because he runs into Dustin, who is leaving the Wheeler house after having stopped by to look for Mike. Dustin knows Nancy isn't home and he needs help catching Dart, his pollywog pet who has grown into a house cat-eating Demo-dog.
Dustin commandeers the situation, getting into Steve's car and enlisting him to help catch Dart. This is the best thing that could have happened to Steve, Dustin, and us.
It's an odd-couple pairing, of course, but in the best way. The Steve/Dustin team up is reminiscent of the best weird couplings on Game of Thrones, like when we got a season of Arya and The Hound traveling across Westeros and bickering gloriously. Steve and Dustin's friendship is the element we didn't realize Stranger Things needed, and now we can't imagine the show without it.
His transformation to babysitter extraordinaire:
This may be the biggest piece of proof that Steve has matured since last season. When Joyce and Jonathan decide to take Will to Hopper's cabin to heat the Mind Flayer out of him, Steve tells Nancy to go with them and offers to watch the kids. He calls himself a "shitty" boyfriend but admits he's learned he's actually a pretty good babysitter.
When Max's nightmare older stepbrother Billy arrives and threatens the kids' safety, Steve steps up to fight him and bravely loses in a fury of punches. The symbolism is clear: King Steve is dead.
However, Steve Harrington, relatable and likable human, lives on.
His new big brother status:
By the end of the season, Steve basically becomes a surrogate big brother to Dustin. He gives him dating advice that's kind of terrible (but hey, he's a teenager) and shares the secret to his cool guy hair. He even drives him to the Snow Ball.
And that is why the internet is collectively obsessed with Steve Harrington 2.0. More in Season 3, please.
