SPOILER ALERT: this article spoils volume 1 of Stranger Things Season 5 – the entire first four episodes.
Father-daughter duo Jim Hopper (David Harbour) and Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) are back in action in the fifth and final season of Stranger Things.
Following rumors of behind-the-scenes tensions between the partners following a harassment and bullying complaint filed against Harbor by Brown, the actress reflected on her working relationship with Harbor given that most of her scenes in the first four episodes of Stranger Things Volume 1 of season 5 takes place with him in The Upside Down.
“David and I have a great relationship. We work very closely together in scenes and in scene preparation. I’m really excited for everyone to see the labor of love and the hard work that we put into ending our relationship and what that looks like and giving it to some fans,” she told Deadline. “Especially Hopper and Eleven fans. These scenes that I feel like, I think are going to have a huge impact. I love it. It makes me want to bring my A game every time I see that I’m on the call list working with him because I know he brings it right back.”
Brown claimed she felt safe in the emotional depths with Harbor when Eleven is compromised by what they call “kryptonite” or satellite technology that paralyzes her and renders her powers useless.
“Of course I felt safe. We’ve been working together for 10 years. I feel safe with everyone on this set. Naturally [we]“We also play father and daughter, so naturally you have a closer bond than the others because we had some really intense scenes together, especially in season 2.”
RELATED: ‘Stranger Things 5’: Jamie Campbell Bower Reveals Vecna’s Kidnapping [SPOILER] In Vol. 1 & The “contraryness” of knowing [SPOILER] I might have discovered the monster’s weakness
Season 2 saw the start of Hopper and El’s relationship when he took her in after she went missing while saving the four boys from a Demogorgon in the season 1 finale. At one point, Eleven compared Hop to Dr. Brenner, whom she calls Dad, because he wouldn’t let her leave his cabin, and the scene is known for being heated.
“It’s sometimes a wake-up call because it’s a year of filming, so every scene you’re like, ‘Okay, am I going to give 150 percent today? Because I have this huge scene tomorrow.’ And you have to be honest with yourself,” Brown said. “I would have been exhausted. It’s very trying. So you really have to choose the moments that you’re going to lock in and the moments where you say to yourself: ‘Okay. It’s more moving today. It’s more exposed today.’ You have to map it, and I do it physically. I highlight my pages by color, with emotion, but also by day of the week, which helps me plan what my week looks like and what type of emotions I should tap into.
In addition to the mentally emotional scenes, Brown also has some very complex stunts as Eleven has enhanced her powers.
RELATED: ‘Stranger Things’ Stars Noah Schnapp and Millie Bobby Brown Revisiting Their Season 1 Performances for the Aging Process in Later Episodes
“I love stunts. I love that element of El. I can’t lie. It taught me a lot about endurance. It just helped me train completely with endurance. Doing that 13 hours a day outside when it’s cold, your body doesn’t know it’s acting up,” she said. “Your body physically thinks it’s being thrown into the air. Your body thinks it’s going through something traumatic. So it’s kind of connecting your mind, your body and your spirit, and really locking into it.”
Millie Bobby Brown and David Harbor at the World Premiere of ‘Stranger Things’ Season 5 held at the TCL Chinese Theater on November 6, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Michael Buckner/Variety
“I can be thrown into the air, [but] If my face isn’t doing what I need it to do, then it’s not working. But also “Okay, you throw your left hand behind the wire.” You’re completely twisted in the whole hold,” Brown continued. “It’s like riding a horse. The horse knows exactly what the human is doing above the horse, it can feel every limb. You must therefore withdraw into yourself and stay in tune with yourself. And I’ve never done that much in my job, so this season, I think I threw myself into that pretty hard.
