Jennifer Hayes, portrayed by Kaylee Glover, is a minor character in the first season of Stranger Things. She was a student at Hawkins Middle School and was peers with Dustin Henderson, Lucas Sinclair, Mike Wheeler and Will Byers.
History[]
Background[]
Jennifer was a student at Hawkins Middle School, and around the same age as Dustin, Lucas, Mike and Will. Jennifer did not appear to see eye-to-eye with the four boys, with her apparently having a "gaggle of popular friends" instead.[1]
1983[]
November[]
After Will went missing and was apparently found dead, the Byers put on a funeral for him, which Jennifer attended along with Dustin, Lucas and Mike. However, the boys were in good spirits, as they had reasons to believe Will was still alive; Dustin observed Jennifer silently crying, whispering to Mike and Lucas how he couldn't wait to tell Will about it.
A few days later, Will was safely recovered from the alternate dimension where he had been trapped. Upon reuniting with Will at Hawkins General Hospital, Dustin eagerly informed Will about Jennifer Hayes crying at his funeral (and that Will even had a funeral), though Will seemed somewhat uninterested by this.
Personality[]
Despite her limited appearance, Jennifer was shown to be kind, silently crying at Will's funeral, showing she cared for her peer, or had a crush on him as suggested by Dustin. It can be inferred that Jennifer was popular, as her attending the funeral was seen as a big deal to the boys.
Appearances[]
| Stranger Things appearances | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Video game appearances | ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
Trivia[]
- The original Montauk pilot script suggests Mike had a crush on Jennifer, as his "mood brightens" when he sees her at school.[1] Similarly, the Montauk series bible said that by the end of the season, Mike "might even kiss a girl" - though it's unclear whether this refers to Eleven or Jennifer.[2]
- The pilot script also describes Jennifer as "freckled, cute, with a gaggle of friends".[1]
- According to Flight of Icarus, Tommy H's surname is "Hayes", suggesting a potential familial connection with Jennifer.[3]
- Will’s nonchalant reaction to being told Jennifer cried at his funeral is a possible early hint towards his lack of interest in the opposite sex.
- Jennifer is a non-playable side character in Stranger Things: The Game. If the player approaches Jennifer as any of the characters, she'll ask where Will is. If the player approaches Jennifer as Will specifically, she'll give him a heart monitor boost, saying that she's happy he's okay, showing another aspect of her kindness.