Steve and Dustin Break Our Hearts in STRANGER THINGS 5 (As Eddie Haunts the Narrative)

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The new season of Stranger Things opens with a dark and damaged Hawkins. The town is still recovering from the battles with the Upside Down, Max is in a coma, and the military has taken over. Even Dustin, usually a bright spot, is struggling with sadness and guilt over Eddie’s death. I’ve written more about Dustin’s emotional journey and why his friends should offer him support instead of judgment, recognizing his strength and resilience. However, the relationship between Dustin and Steve is even more complex. The show flips the script on their dynamic, leading to a genuinely painful conflict. While the first part of the season doesn’t fully explain this new tension, it provides enough clues to understand the depth of their struggle.

Throughout most of Stranger Things, Dustin and Steve have consistently followed a winning pattern. It usually starts with Dustin discovering some trouble, needing assistance, and immediately turning to Steve – which then leads to exciting adventures. While this basic storyline remains similar from season 2 to season 4, the repetition has strengthened their bond. What began as a hesitant friendship in season 2 has evolved into a comfortable and close brotherhood by season 4, even if Steve sometimes complains about always being called in for help.

As Dustin has grown up in Stranger Things, the kind of help he’s needed from Steve has changed. In season two, Dustin needed an adult to fight the Demodogs. In season three, he needed a friend to help decode a Russian message. And in season four, it seemed like he mostly needed Steve’s many phones to find Eddie Munson. But really, Dustin just needs someone he can rely on. Even when Steve doubts what’s going on, he always supports Dustin. Throughout Stranger Things, Steve has consistently been there for Dustin, protecting him and recognizing him as more than just a helper or the smart one—he sees Dustin as a complete person, someone truly awesome.

It’s safe to say Dustin is Steve’s first true friend. Before meeting Robin, Dustin was Steve’s only friend. From the start of Stranger Things, it’s obvious Steve’s past relationships weren’t genuine and actually encouraged his worst behavior, and he didn’t realize there was a better way until later. While Nancy helped Steve start to change, Dustin was the first person to truly connect with the improved version of him. Although Steve did grow after the first season, his history with Nancy always created complications, damaging their relationship. However, through his friendship with Dustin, Steve finally found the things he’d been missing: a sense of family, trust, and unconditional love, which is why he was always there for Dustin when needed.

However, in the upcoming season of Stranger Things, this established pattern changes. Dustin deals with a serious problem – facing hostility from the Hawkins basketball team – and, more deeply, with his own grief. Surprisingly, he doesn’t turn to Steve for help, and even rejects Steve’s offers, completely shutting him out and behaving unkindly, which disrupts their usual friendly relationship.

When Steve found Dustin injured by the side of the road, he didn’t believe Dustin’s story about a bike accident. He immediately demanded to know who was responsible, suspecting Andy and his friends. Dustin tried to brush it off, but Steve snapped, explaining he’d always worried about Dustin, only to be dismissed. Now, Steve felt, they were in serious trouble.

We often say they’ve been friends ‘since forever’ to emphasize their long history on the show. However, this moment also reveals what happened during the 18-month time jump we don’t fully see in Stranger Things 5, Volume 1. Steve mentioning being “repeatedly ignored” hints at a pattern: during that time, he repeatedly tried to help a grieving Dustin, only to be rejected. Previously, Dustin would turn to Steve when he needed support, showing how close they were and how much they relied on each other. This rejection powerfully communicates to Steve that Dustin no longer needs him, or even worse, doesn’t want him around anymore.

As we’ve discussed, things are even more complicated than just Dustin rejecting Steve’s help and ignoring his kindness. It appears Dustin is specifically upset with Steve in the upcoming season 5 of Stranger Things. He’s not only refusing Steve’s assistance, but he’s actively being unkind to him whenever he can. While Dustin is generally keeping his friends at a distance, one of our writers noted he’s being particularly harsh with Steve. Dustin isn’t just ignoring Steve; he’s pushing him away. This raises the question: where is this new dynamic coming from, and why has Dustin turned against Steve, someone he used to rely on?

Well, it all comes back to Dustin’s grief.

Dustin is mourning Eddie Munson in Stranger Things 5, but it’s all wrapped up in Steve.

A highlight of Stranger Things 4 was the wonderful dynamic between Steve, Eddie, and Dustin. As Gaten Matarazzo points out, while Steve helped Dustin gain confidence, Eddie encouraged him to embrace his unique interests and not feel pressured to change. Dustin has always seemed like someone who doesn’t worry about what others think, and Eddie perfectly represented that. The connection between Steve and Eddie was also interesting – they both clearly cared for and respected Dustin, which was more compelling than a typical rivalry. It wasn’t about possessiveness, but genuine appreciation.

Dustin doesn’t live with his father and doesn’t have any siblings, so he creates a close-knit support system with the people around him on Stranger Things. He develops father-like and brotherly bonds, first with Steve and then with Eddie. In season 4, both Steve and Eddie are initially a little jealous of Dustin’s other male friendships. However, as Gaten Matarazzo points out, they each offer Dustin something unique. Ultimately, their affection for Dustin leads Steve and Eddie to become friends with each other too. It’s clear Dustin is happiest when all three of them are together, as evidenced by them acknowledging he’s been speaking highly of each other and the peaceful moments they share before facing danger.

The happiness Dustin finds with Eddie doesn’t last, as Eddie tragically dies in his arms during Stranger Things 4. This loss is devastating for Dustin, and it throws off the balance of his relationships. While Steve and Eddie both filled a similar role in Dustin’s life, they weren’t the same person, making Eddie’s death a uniquely painful loss. This leads to a complicated situation where Dustin, as will be shown in Stranger Things 5, lashes out at Steve. It’s a natural reaction to grief – when someone you love is gone, it’s easier to be angry at those who are still here. This isn’t about Dustin wanting Steve to have died instead, but rather his grief over Eddie’s death manifesting as anger towards Steve, who is still alive. This will undoubtedly be difficult for Steve to handle, especially considering his long-standing insecurities about whether his relationships are meaningful.

Because Eddie sacrificed himself both to buy time and to save Dustin, Dustin likely feels immense guilt and responsibility for Eddie’s death. This could lead him to push Steve away, fearing Steve will also risk his life to protect him. Dustin wants to avoid anyone else getting hurt because of him. This creates a tense dynamic where Dustin lashes out at Steve, and Steve, confused by Dustin’s behavior, responds in kind. As a result, in the upcoming season, we’ll see Steve and Dustin caught in a cycle of escalating arguments and insults.

Dustin’s sadness and guilt over Eddie’s death have created a distance between him and Steve, disrupting their usual dynamic. This leads to the most emotionally charged scene between them in the first part of Stranger Things 5. Inside Steve’s van, they finally have a truly honest conversation, and Steve, frustrated, explodes at Dustin, desperately urging him to simply admit he made a mistake: “You can’t admit that you were wrong. You can’t admit it. Just do it for once, just admit it, that you’re wrong, you screwed up.”

Throughout the upcoming season of Stranger Things, Steve repeatedly urges Dustin to simply admit he made a mistake. However, it’s unclear what exactly Dustin is supposed to be admitting he was wrong about. While it seems to involve confronting the school bullies, the issue feels much deeper than that.

Honestly, it feels like Steve just wants Dustin to acknowledge that things changed when Eddie died, and that it hurt their friendship. He wants Dustin to admit he was wrong to push Steve away, to not come to him when he needed help, and to let Steve share the pain of losing Eddie instead of turning it into something between them. It’s frustrating because they’ve always been able to talk things out, but in the first part of Stranger Things 5, neither of them can just say what’s really going on: they both miss each other terribly, and they both really need each other right now, maybe more than ever.

Steve and Dustin have a complicated relationship in the first part of Stranger Things 5, but they don’t share many scenes together. We mostly understand their connection through subtle clues, their past interactions, and the actors’ powerful performances. Hopefully, the rest of the season will give their relationship the attention it deserves, showing how it evolves into something even more meaningful. We’re especially eager to see them reconnect after a period of distance. The trailers, which show Dustin crying while hugging Steve, suggest a hopeful future for their bond, and we’re optimistic that the final season will deliver a satisfying and emotional resolution for these two characters. We’re keeping our fingers crossed for a truly cathartic experience!

Stranger Things 5, Volume 1 is now streaming on Netflix.

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2025-12-04 19:35