The Concerning Future of Jonathan Byers in Stranger Things Season 5
Stranger Things Season 5 is set to give Jonathan Byers a bigger role, but this could spell trouble for his character. Here's why his future in the show is concerning.
Jonathan's Bigger Role: A Cause for Concern
Stranger Things Season 5 Is Officially Ending Jonathan Byers' Biggest Season 4 Failure
The news that Stranger Things season 5 will give the perennially underrated Jonathan Byers a bigger role could set up a terrible twist that would ruin his character arc. Stranger Things has a large ensemble cast split across three different age groups, with most of the show’s action focusing on younger teenagers Eleven, Dustin, Mike, Lucas, and Will Byers. The second most important group of characters are the older teenagers, Steve, Robin, Mike’s sister, Nancy, and Will’s brother, Jonathan. While this set doesn’t get quite as much story focus or screen time as their younger co-stars, they still have their fair share of dramatic plots.
Charlie Heaton's Jonathan Byers sits and stares in Stranger Things
The upcoming Stranger Things season 5 will be the show’s final outing, so it wouldn’t be a major shock if it sidelined a few more minor characters to focus on the main heroes. However, judging by early teases that the Stranger Things writer’s room posted on social media regarding Jonathan, this won't necessarily be the case. He seems to play a pretty central role in the show’s final outing, even though both seasons 3 and 4 under-utilized the supporting character. A meek, sheepish figure, Jonathan gained confidence and a love interest in Stranger Things seasons 1 and 2 when he investigated Will’s disappearance with Nancy.
Charlie Heaton's Jonathan, Natalia Dyer's Nancy, and Joe Keery's Steve stand in a dark hallway in Stranger Things
Jonathan's Bigger Role Could Mean He Dies In Stranger Things Season 5 A sudden increase in screen time could spell bad news for the supporting star. Jonathan’s role was diminished in the more recent outings of Stranger Things, with season 4 reducing him to little more than a comic relief stoner. His indecision about attending college and inability to inform Nancy of his new life plans weren’t engaging, since the rest of the cast was dealing with life-and-death stakes. While Jonathan’s Stranger Things sidekick Argyle provided a few big laughs, it was hard to see where the series was taking these characters in season 5. As such, the fact that Jonathan appears in three of the show’s earliest pre-vis teasers seems to prove that season 5 will focus on fixing this issue.
Natalia Dyer's Nancy and Charlie Heaton's Jonathan sit on a park bench looking nervous in Stranger Things
However, a sudden increase in screen time can mean the show is setting up a character for a tragic death. Jonathan is no longer essential to the plot, but he has been a central character since season 1. This is the right combination for his death to feel like a big dramatic final season moment without causing uproar among fans or leading viewers to tune out. To make matters worse, season 4 focused on Nancy and Steve’s romantic potential again, meaning Jonathan’s last link to the main story of the series could be severed. Since Steve is a firm fan favorite, things don’t look good for Will’s brother.
Winona Ryde's Joyce, Charlie Heaton's Jonathan, and Natalia Dyer's Nancy sit on a couch in Stranger Things
Why Stranger Things Season 5 Shouldn’t Kill Off Jonathan Stranger Things needs to explore Jonathan's compelling character arc more. Jonathan might not be a goldmine of viral meme potential like Steve, but he is one of the more interesting supporting characters in Stranger Things. He was an unlikely hero in seasons 1 and 2, but his lack of direction in seasons 3 and 4 proved that surviving a terrifying encounter with the supernatural and uncovering a government conspiracy didn’t come with a tidy, happy ending. Much like Steve’s story subverted the bullying jock trope as he grew more compassionate, Jonathan’s arc played with the classic ‘80s cliché of a likable nerd getting the girl and saving the day by asking what happened after the story’s triumphant ending.
Noah Schnapp as Will Byers, Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers, and Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler sitting on a couch in Stranger Things Season 4
The Importance of Jonathan's Story
Will Jonathan Make It Out Of Stranger Things Season 5 Alive? #shorts
Unfortunately, Stranger Things season 4 underused Jonathan and failed to find the pathos in his predicament. It is interesting to imagine the hero of an Amblin movie becoming a listless stoner because he discovered the terrible truths of the universe before finishing high school, but the series didn’t delve into this idea enough. For the character's story to ring true, Stranger Things needs to stop treating Jonathan like a disposable supporting star. This means not killing off Jonathan for the sake of raising the stakes in the final season, even though this might pave the way for Nancy and Steve’s fan-favorite pairing.
Charlie Heaton's Jonathan Byers sits and listens in a stockroom in Stranger Things Season 4 Episode 9
Jonathan’s Season 5 Story Could Wrap Up Stranger Things Perfectly The final season can end Jonathan's story without a tragic death. Jonathan and Nancy could reconnect or break up, but it isn’t their relationship that will define the success or failure of his season 5 storyline. If Jonathan and Will finally get some meaningful screen time together, this would tie back into his earliest season 1 story of trying to save his brother from the Upside Down. The brief interaction that the duo shared in season 4, wherein Jonathan reassured his brother that he would always love him despite how different Will felt, proved just how much the series wanted his potential.
Jonathan and Nancy looking concerned in a field in Stranger Things season 4 finale
