An ode to Stranger Things 3’s unofficial misfit-turned-heartthrob, Robin Buckley
BY YAIZA CANOPOLI
Intelligent, multi-lingual, funny – and she even looks great in a sailor uniform – Robin Buckley is everything we could have possibly wished for as the new (queer) addition to Netflix’s Stranger Things 3.
Her wonderfully snarky attitude towards Steve Harrington (see above) softened the more serious aspects of the (tear-jerking) series, and her brilliant deciphering of the Russian code of course saved everyone from impending doom. Yay!
But the real high of this season? Without doubt, Robin’s coming-out moment.
Sitting on the floor of a public toilet after escaping from evil Russians, this heart-to-heart between Robin and Steve is perhaps not the most usual coming-out scenario, but it certainly provided fans of the show with a much needed, overtly queer character.
Steve, a character adored by many after he became best buddies with “the children”, reacts to Robin’s revelation calmly and with heart-warming sincerity.
While I have to admit that I initially loved the chemistry between the two characters, I now prefer imagining Steve as her clumsy, straight sidekick. I can almost picture them as a superhero duo, serving magical ice cream attacks.
Robin’s confident personality took over the season for me, and she absolutely snuck her way into fans’ hearts. It’s impressive for a new character to outshine the original cast, but she managed to do that effortlessly, becoming a new favourite with nothing but her charm and her refreshingly honest attitude.
Perhaps in the next season Steve will get his revenge for all the sarcastic remarks Robin made about his romance skills? Plus, as pretty much every single character on the show is involved with someone, can we look forward to Robin getting a lovely woman to fall for? (And Steve giving her bad relationship advice?)
Stranger Things has rewritten the nostalgic narrative of the 80s with the diversity that always existed at the time, but rarely made it into mainstream media. With this most recent step in the right direction, it has secured its place as one of the most compelling and well-rounded shows on Netflix.
All hail Robin Buckley! (Now, when’s season four out?)
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