The Byers family has pretty much been at the heart of every bit of trouble that has hit Hawkins since day one. Yet, despite the clan going through a supernatural nightmare together, the Byers patriarch has stayed conveniently out of the picture throughout, letting his family sink or swim on their own. But while Lonnie Byers may have as little warmth as a winter wind for his family, the actor who breathed life into one of Stranger Things’ most hated characters has shown a soft spot for at least one member of the family.

With only a short time remaining until the release of Stranger Things Season 5, Ross Partridge reveals the reason he relates to one of the Byers children—a connection that Lonnie Byers has never been willing to recognize.

Ross Partridge, in a chat with Netflix Junkie, looked back on one of his Reddit AMAs, where he admitted he relates most to Jonathan Byers. When asked what made him feel that connection, the Lamb actor pointed to Jonathan’s "pain" and "struggle" of navigating a broken family. “Jonathan was still trying to figure things out. And he had really complicated feelings with his dad because he was more alive in the pain of what was happening to his parents' relationship.” Partridge added, "his pain was so much more apparent."

Comparing his pain to Will Byers’, Partridge explained that Jonathan’s struggle felt “a lot more on the immediate, as opposed to kind of buried within Will.” The actor continued, “Will was just still, he was so young at the time, you know, and he was just still coming into his own as just a boy.” Partridge added, concluding for Jonathan Byers, “I felt for him.” Well, it is not just Partridge. After Season 4, half the fandom felt for Jonathan Byers, albeit for slightly different reasons.

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The Stranger Things fandom was not impressed with Jonathan’s sidelined arc in Season 4. They saw it widely as having a minor, dull storyline. Even Charlie Heaton himself addressed fans’ frustration over the alleged neglect of his character.

Stranger Things Season 4, like every other season, unfolded across multiple storylines that eventually converged toward one ultimate goal: defeating the Upside Down’s evil. And, as always, fans debated which storyline was the most fun to watch. In Season 4, it was the Hawkins team—Steve, Nancy, Robin, Lucas, Max, Gaten, Erica, and the now-deceased Eddie. Even Charlie Heaton himself acknowledged the brilliance of this plot, telling GQ in 2022, “The Hawkins storyline this year is totally out of Nightmare On Elm Street,” adding, “It’s really exciting to see the show go in that direction”.

Heaton also addressed the backlash, noting that with such a big ensemble and new characters added each season, it is no surprise that not everyone gets their time in the spotlight. While a Byers reunion is not on the cards, as confirmed by Ross Partridge himself, one can likely expect Season 5 to put the spotlight back on Jonathan Byers alongside the often-overlooked Will Byers, who will be front and center this time.

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What do you think about Ross Partridge's thoughts on Jonathan Byers? Let us know in the comments below!