[David] Professionally, I've had, uh, kind of a crush on Winona Ryder for a long time. Because I do think she's one of the greatest actors of her generation. I grew up with her movies, and she's just so talented, and intuitive, and genuine, and real, and has a huge heart. To be let into that world is a … dream come true.

[Winona] Season 4 begins, for me, with battling grief while trying to remain strong for her kids. She's probably distracting herself with helping with the homework and doing all that, but underneath is immense sorrow.

[grunts]

[David] For Hopper, I guess it starts with befriending this guard and sort of getting a message back to Joyce and Murray.

[Winona] You see her get this, you know, glimmer of hope. And … it's all she needs because the love is so deep.

[panting] 

And it's a family love, but it's also a romantic love that's sort of been unrequited.

[David] For me, one of the most powerful moments of our relationship was watching the end of Season 3 when we do have that look. You know, I think this beautiful moment sort of transpired between them. I think that really is the moment for Hopper that lingers on in his mind through every day, working in that prison camp. 

[Hopper] So you heard from her? 

[guard] Yeah, they arrived last night. If all goes well, by tomorrow night you're home, eating Enzo's with your sexy woman. 

[Hopper] She's not my woman. 

[guard] Of course not. She saves your life because of friendship. 

[Winona] They could have easily had us come together sooner. And what is it, Jopper?

[chuckles]

[Winona] You know. But I'm glad that they waited because it really builds.

[Hopper] I'll tell you everything over dinner. I was thinking, you know, Enzo's tonight, seven o'clock. Hey, before you say no, I'd like to make one thing crystal clear. This is not a date. 

[Joyce] Wait, a date? You never said anything about a date. 

[Hopper] I know. I didn't say anything about a date. I wanted to clear it up in case there was confusion on your part. 

[Joyce] There's not. 

[Hopper] Great. It's two friends getting together for a nice dinner.

[Winona] It's completely frightening, like, you know, if it's not reciprocated. So it's … I think, that's a very kind of universal thing.

[Hopper] I think that when I asked you out, I think you got scared. And now you're inventing things. You're inventing things to get worked up about so that you can push me away. Because God forbid any of us move on. 

[David] I think he had to become a different person. He wasn't the man in Season 3 that could effectively be with Joyce. I mean, uh … He really had to deal with these secrets that he's been living with and deal with a lot of his turmoil that has to do with getting close to people. And I think that in this situation where he goes through his darkest night of the soul, his most hopeless, he realizes that he wants to live, and he realizes that he wants to love and he wants to take care of people. 

[Hopper] I thought I was put here to pay for what I've done. But I might have been put here for some other reason. Maybe I … Maybe I can still help El. 

[David] For the whole season, we'd been kind of apart. And then we kind of met up at the end of my portion of filming. And I had this huge relief, just, like, shooting scenes with you. And it was like some of the easiest work I've ever done in my whole life. Like, it all came out. Those scenes were really special to me.

[Winona] Me too. 

[Joyce] You didn't know what was gonna happen. 

[Hopper] I knew it'd be dangerous.

[Joyce] So did I. I made this choice. And I would choose it again, even knowing everything that I know. I would. Plus, you know, we do have that date to get to, remember? [chuckles]

[chuckles] 

[Hopper] "Remember"? I've been dreaming about it. 

[David] We just did one or two takes 'cause it was just right on the surface.

[bright, hopeful music plays]

[Joyce moaning]

[Hopper moaning]

[both exclaim]

[both moaning] 

[Winona] Working with David has been a beautiful experience. I admire him so much. I love the way he surprises me, both in life and in takes. This is my first series, so to work with someone for seven years has been absolutely incredible. 

[David] Yeah, it's really nice to hear, uh …

[laughs] … her talk about me that way because, at a certain point, it doesn't become work because it's your life. We've spent seven years, like, inhabiting these characters, and looking into each other's eyes, and being on set together for long nights and … It's actually seven years of my life. The weight of that, I feel it when I'm with her. 'Cause I feel like she's a big part of my life. And so, that's profound. Oh, Jesus.

[man] Cut.

Aww. [chuckles]