We were joined back on the Popternative show by Randy Havens, who plays Mr. Clarke (Scott) in Stranger Things, the science teacher at Hawkins Middle School and head of the AV club. We were first introduced to Mr. Clarke in Season 1 where he taught Mike, Lucas, Dustin and Will, and helped them understand the theory of alternate dimensions using the Flea and the Acrobat analogy. Mr. Clarke played a key role in the search for Will and helping the boys build a makeshift deprivation tank that led to his rescue.
“Mr. Clarke was kind of an outcast in school and so he now goes out of his way to show that learning is cool, learning is fun, you can have a place that is safe at school, a place where you get to belong. So, it’s just bringing the heart of that into the idea that now this guy will answer the phone when you call at 10:30 [at night] and he’ll help you build a sensory deprivation tank,” Randy says.
Mr. Clarke was also in Seasons 2 and 3 where his science background helped the boys and Joyce better understand the strange things happening in Hawkins. However, Mr. Clarke was absent from the fourth season since Mike, Lucas, and Dustin were now in high school, and Will had moved to California.
With the fifth and final season of Stranger Things split into three volumes, Mr. Clarke makes his return as he is teaching Lucas’s sister, Erica, science at the middle school. Volume 1, which debuted on November 26, shows Mr. Clarke teaching a science class that Erica deems to be her favorite course. In Volume 2, which launched on Christmas Day, Mr. Clarke plays an integral role by helping the squad build a telemetry tracker to locate Dustin, Steve, Nancy, and Jonathan who are stuck in the Upside Down.
Volume 3, the finale episode, will premiere on New Year’s Eve both on Netflix and in theaters across the U.S. and Canada.
“I had no idea [Season 5] was going to be released in volumes, but what a cool way to celebrate this thing that people have been watching for almost 10 years now. To be able to go to the theater and have this theatrical experience and have this bonding experience with an audience, to have a communal experience of [being] part of something big. It’s a very beautiful thing,” Randy tells us.
Watch the full interview with Randy Havens below.
Stranger Things Season 5 Volumes 1 and 2 are streaming on Netflix.
Follow Randy Havens: Instagram
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