Season 3 stripped Hopper of precisely what made him fun and compelling, which is the push and pull between his harder and softer sides. He spends 90% of this season arguing with Winona (because she stood him on up on a date, yawn) which is broken up only by moments of punching bad guys and yelling at his kid. Where’s the nuance? We don’t see that calm side, or any growth that we’ve come to see in the previous season. He’s just loud, and obnoxious, and super unlikeable.
In Season 1 he went from a depressed pill popper, with moments of rage, to rediscovering direction in his life, becoming invested in the Byers family and adopting Eleven. Season 2 has him adjusting to family life and learning to be a parent again, with all the challenges that brings with a child with super powers. He's always been gruff and rough around the edges but also has the soft interior. What did we get for Hopper in Season 3? A voice over in the closing minutes of the show, which was moving and one of the seasons best moments, but it was too little too late. I wanted to actually see some of THAT guy during the season.