Eleven and Hopper's Storyline Is the Best Thing About Stranger Things 2

Stranger Things 2 spoilers are below!

Of all the intense feelings Stranger Things 2 brought out, the storyline that made my heart cry the most is the one between Eleven and Hopper. After Eleven's escape from the Upside Down, Hopper doesn't give up on her and aids her survival with Eggos until she willingly reveals herself to him. After he spruces up his grandfather's cabin as her sanctuary, their relationship shifts from mere benefactor and refugee to adoptive father and daughter (which happens literally and legally, by season's end).

It's more than just them bonding over freezer waffles; Hopper is a father who lost his own daughter years ago, while Eleven has never known her parents, really; the man she called "Papa" (Dr. Brenner) is the cruel scientist who put her through traumatic experiments, and her real mother is in a catatonic state because of the same man. So Hopper and Eleven are perfect for each other, in a parent-child way; they both fill a need that they other can give them, and they also organically grow into a familial relationship. She even tells him she hates him at one point, like a real teenage daughter! Ultimately, there are so many cute relationships in season two — young love, brotherly love, and new friendships — but the one between Eleven and Hopper is the one that reached into my chest and tore out my heart. Here are the moments that sealed the deal.