Celebrating Gaten Matarazzo’s 22nd Birthday: Looking Back at the Top 10 Moments of Dustin Henderson as the Stranger Things Star Turns a Year Older
One of the primary protagonists, Dustin Henderson, is played by Gaten Matarazzo in one of the most famous Netflix original series worldwide, Stranger Things. With four seasons filled with suspense and unknown mystery, witnessing these young characters solve and triumph over numerous obstacles made a prominent impression on fans.
Dustin is the smartest out of his group, with a love for all things science and technology. He is also perhaps the funniest character in the show, providing much-needed comic relief in intense situations. There are tons of Dustin Henderson moments in the series, out of which we are revisiting our top ten fav on the actor’s 22nd birthday. Let’s jump right in!
10. Attempting to lie to the cops
After extensive research, Dustin, Max (Sadie Sink), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), Nancy (Natalia Dyer), Steve (Joe Keery), Eddie (Joseph Quinn), and Robin (Maya Hawke) were able to discover Hawkins’ link to the Upside Down through a gate at the base of Lover’s Lake during the fourth season of the show. Dustin, Max, and Lucas, however, had to deal with the local cops, Officers Calvin Powell (Rob Morgan) and Phil Callahan (John Paul Reynolds).
The officers wanted to know what these kids were doing near the lake at night and how well they were acquainted with Eddie. Max tried to convince them by saying they were just taking a walk, while Dustin unconvincingly lied about the whole situation. However, Dustin wasn’t very skilled at lying, as he couldn’t make the cops believe their “late-night swim” story.
9. Validating concepts that everyone else laughed at
Dustin has developed hypotheses to explain the many events that occurred in Hawkins during the whole course of Stranger Things. Even though he constantly had trouble persuading the others to accept his theories, despite the fact that they turned out to be true most of the time.
In season 4, Dustin was able to validate his theory about Vecna and his notion about other open gates in town when he was successfully able to communicate with Steve, Nancy, Eddie, and Robin while they were stuck in the Upside Down. Dustin at the end rescued them by leading them to Eddie’s trailer while communicating with them via Holly Wheeler’s Lite-Brite toy, proving once again, not only is he the funniest in the group, but also one of the smartest.
8. Dustin meets Steve after summer break
His connection with Steve captured our hearts almost from the start of Stranger Things. Dustin’s bond with Eddie was also very heartfelt to watch in Season 4. Dustin and Steve took care of each other, creating a dynamic that fans loved. After going to summer camp in Season 2, Dustin reunites with Steve in the third season of the show.
In that scene, Dustin visits Steve at the Scoops Ahoy store, and they perform a ridiculously nerdy handshake that prompts Robin (Steve’s colleague) to quip, “How many children are you friends with?” Then, with a wide smile and all teeth showing, Dustin starts discussing his girlfriend with Steve, making the funny comment, “She says kissing is better without teeth.”
7. Asking Max to go trick or treating
Sadie Sink’s character, Max Mayfield, debuts in the second season of the show. Lucas and Dustin were immediately drawn to her after she beat Dustin’s record at the arcade and exuded a mysterious vibe. Shortly afterward, Dustin and Lucas began asking her to join their group of friends, believing she “probably didn’t have friends.”
They wanted Max to go trick-or-treating with them. To win her over, the guys approached her in the school hallway on Halloween, proudly wearing their famous Ghostbusters costumes. Dustin tried to impress Max by showing off his ghost trap, but she wasn’t particularly impressed, as the mechanism only opened and closed.
6. Dart’s babysitting duties
After returning home on Halloween, Dustin discovered a creature in the garbage can. Believing it to be a new species, he decided to raise it and named it D’Artagnan, or Dart for short. At first, it was enjoyable to see him having playful moments with Dart.
However, the creature eventually began to grow and change shape, turning into a Demogorgon from the Upside Down. Dustin realized he had to get rid of it when it devoured the family cat. With the help of Steve, Lucas, and Max, Dustin was finally able to knock the creature down with a hockey stick and lock it in the basement.
5. Introduction to Eleven
During the first season, the boys found Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) in the forest. They were all quite surprised by her appearance, but they handled it well and brought her to Mike’s (Finn Wolfhard) house. The boys started asking Eleven questions, and Dustin did not hold back.
First, he thought she might be deaf, so he clapped in front of her face. Then he assumed she had cancer, which explained her shaved head. The boys were horrified and traumatized when Eleven began to change her clothes in front of them.
4. Delivering the harsh message
We all love Dustin’s comedic personality in the series, but this scene from Season 4 made all of us cry. Near the end, Hawkins was devastated by the Upside Down earthquake. To help the survivors of this disaster, Steve, Robin, and Dustin came to Hawkins High with donations. While they were there, Dustin saw Eddie’s uncle putting up a missing poster for his nephew, Eddie.
Dustin then had to break the heartbreaking news to him, telling Eddie’s uncle that Eddie had died during the earthquake. He continued to reassure him that Eddie died as a hero, sacrificing himself to save the town. Dustin added that if people had known Eddie better, they would have loved him too. This scene showcases incredible versatility in Gaten Matarazzo’s acting, leaving all of us astounded.
3. The duet over the radio
No one believed Dustin when he talked about his girlfriend Suzie after returning from summer camp. But in the Season 3 finale, Planck’s constant was the code that Hopper (David Harbour) and Joyce (Winona Ryder) needed to enter a safe inside the Russian base. Knowing Suzie could help with the code, Dustin began calling her. However, because he hadn’t communicated with her in a while, Suzie initially ignored his repeated calls, unaware of the urgent situation.
When she finally answered, she insisted that her “Dusty Bun” sing The NeverEnding Story theme song in exchange for the code. So, they performed a marvelous duet, much to the amazement of everyone listening on the radio line through the walkie-talkie. This scene turned out to be one of the most entertaining moments in the entire series.
2. The Snow Ball of Hawkins High
On a rare occasion in the series, we saw Dustin dressed up for his school’s dance, complete with a bow tie and a rather unusual hairstyle. Steve gives him some advice in this moment, highlighting the development of their friendship throughout the series. After receiving this confidence boost, Dustin asked several girls to dance, only to end up getting rejected.
But then, Nancy comes to his rescue and offers him a dance. This was a huge moment for Dustin, and it left the girls who had rejected him earlier visibly shocked. In Dustin’s mind, this dance with Nancy was the event that finally made him feel like part of the cool kids.
1. It was a little tight in there
In Season 3, when Dustin, Steve, and Robin believed they had discovered a hidden Russian laboratory inside the shopping mall, they made a plan to infiltrate it. While drawing a map of the mall, they realized that the ice cream shop’s vents led to the hidden chamber. Dustin volunteered to go inside the vent, insisting that he would fit, and began crawling into the narrow passage.
As the space was quite tight, Dustin urged Steve to push him from behind to help him move forward. Steve attempted to push Dustin’s feet, but it obviously didn’t work. When Steve asked, “What?” after that futile push, Dustin screamed in frustration, “Touch my butt! I don’t care!”
Whichever the scene you think of, Dustin always had our hearts. We are all waiting to see more of Dustin in season 5.
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