I'm worried

If you haven't finished the first seven episodes of Stranger Things, definitely continue scrolling! This will include some spoilers surrounding the general anxiety this damn show has given me.

Okay, now, I have to say: I'm worried. Every season, we see at least one character bite the dust, and, this year, it's not immediately obvious who it could be. Enzo, sure, and maybe Jason, but we also know that Shawn Levy has said the end of the season will be a "punch in the heart" — that seems to imply a more major character will be killed off. And, of those remaining, it seems inevitable that that person will be... Steve.

Evidence in favor of this:

-The entire season has been establishing Steve as a good guy. Just see his heart-to-heart with Eddie in which Eddie basically said Steve had it all. It's almost as if his character arc is being established as complete — he went from stereotypical cool guy to the person he is today. If he doesn't have much character growth left... why would the show keep him on?

-Rekindling a romance with Nancy certainly seems to point to Steve's end. We know that Nancy and Jonathan are endgame (Steve and Nancy at the end would just feel... off), and we can't have someone get in the way of that. Killing off Steve while also having Nancy acknowledge that she has remaining feelings for Steve is a convenient way for the show to handle a love triangle. (It's frustrating though — I wish Steve would find someone actually good for him, besides Dustin)

-Nancy is in trouble in the Upside-Down, and the only one who is still down there to help her is... Steve. I also get really nervous around the lyrics in "Running Up That Hill" about switching places... could Steve demand to switch places with Nancy to save her?

-Those bat bites. He's not going to get off that easy. Those are definitely going to have a lingering effect. Whether it's like Frodo on Weathertop, or something that is faster-acting, I can't imagine we've seen the consequence of that fight yet.

-The introduction of Eddie allows for Dustin to have a back-up adult figure to Steve.

Of course, I don't want to imagine this coming true, so I have to counter myself here:

Evidence against this:

-Steve sacrificing himself for Nancy would be such a sad trombone move. We know the real OTP of the show is Steve and Dustin, and the only acceptable way for Steve to die is to die protecting the kids.

-Shawn Levy once said, "Honestly, the day Steve Harrington dies is the day I walk off this show. I just can’t live in a world without Steve Harrington. And I think a lot of us feel that way. . . . Steve is safe — at least for now. And you need to say like, ‘Shawn’s voice dropped an octave sounding weirdly spooky about it.'” Since Levy is still there, one would assume that Steve is, thus, safe. However... "at least for now" implies a possibility — and that interview was from 2018.

Again... I'm worried.

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