17 Stranger Things quotes die-hard fans should know by heart

5. “Ya know what I would give? For a chance?”

Episode: 6

Context: The road to finding Will takes Hopper and Joyce to some very interesting places.

In his study of the lab, Hopper discovers that Brenner supposedly stole kids for experiments years before. Following this lead, he and Joyce truck over to Terry Ives’ (Eleven’s mother) residence where they find Terry totally unresponsive and mute, being taken care of by her extremely skeptical sister.

The whole encounter is incredibly discouraging for Joyce.

She is stuck on the fact that Terry has been without her baby for twelve years; she’s worried she’ll be searching for Will the rest of her life, too.

Hopper, showing so much kindness and empathy under pressure, reminds her of what hope there is and of his own history when it comes to lost children: ““Ya know what I would give? For a chance?”

Commentary: Although Hopper’s daughter, Sarah, died before Stranger Things even began, I have a gut feeling that his story is meant for something greater. In season one, his story is largely used to illustrate his motivations. Because he lost his own child, he is all the more driven to help Joyce, for this assignment to become a personal investment.

This adds yet another well-crafted layer to the show. It’s a tragedy that we know we cannot change. No matter how much help Hopper offers, he cannot turn back time. His trailer is littered with empty beer cans and cigarette butts: signs of addictive behavior. It would seem that he’s filling a void in his life and when Will disappears, this is a new outlet for his energy.