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Science is neat... but I'm afraid it's not very forgiving.
— Scott Clarke to Mike Wheeler, November 11, 1983

Scott Clarke, portrayed by Randy Havens, is a minor character in the first season of Stranger Things and is a recurring character in the second and third seasons. He is the science teacher of the boys at Hawkins Middle School. Throughout the series he helps the boys with different "science projects" that help them in their search for Will Byers. Mr. Clarke also runs the school A.V. club. His partner is Jen Woo.

History[]

Background[]

Bob Newby & Scott Clarke

Scott (right) and Bob Newby (left), circa 1959-1961.

At some point, Scott started working at Hawkins Middle School, and became the head of the AV club there. He began teaching Mike, Lucas, Dustin and Will, becoming fond of them and their interest in science. He was keen to support them in various ways, such as acquiring specialist equipment or helping to run school science fairs which they could participate in - and often win first prize.

At some point, Scott began dating a woman named Jen.

1983[]

On November 7, after Scott's class had ended, all the other students quickly left while Mike, Dustin, and Lucas stayed behind. Scott then led them to the AV club room, where he showed the boys the new Heathkit that had recently arrived. He enthusiastically explained that it was powerful enough to reach Australia.

On the evening of November 7, Scott took part in the search party for Will Byers during which he introduced himself to the chief of police, Jim Hopper. Scott remarked that Will was a good student, and told Hopper of his occupation as a science teacher at Hawkins Middle School. Hopper told Scott about his daughter, and how she had always been interested in galaxies and the universe. When Scott questioned if he would possibly have her in his class, Hopper responded that she lives with her mom in the city. After he had walked ahead, another search party volunteer informed Scott that Hopper's daughter had died a few years prior.

The next evening, Scott found a piece of ripped cloth at the edge of a drain pipe leading to Hawkins Laboratory, making Hopper suspicious of the lab.

On November 10, Scott came across the boys, along with Eleven, as they were trying to get into the AV room in order to use the radio. When they told him they needed some "alone time", he sympathized with the boys, and agreed to let them use the radio after they attended the assembly for Will. Noticing Eleven, he asked who she was and where she was from. The boys quickly came up with a lie, saying she was Mike's cousin Eleanor from Sweden visiting for Will's funeral. Scott then led them to the gym.

On November 11, after Will's funeral, the boys asked Scott about other dimensions and how to possibly travel to them. Using an acrobat and flea on a tightrope as a metaphor, he explained that inter-dimensional travel is currently impossible due to requiring a massive amount of energy that humans are not yet capable of. He then explained that, theoretically, if the energy requirements were met, it would create a tear in space-time, creating a doorway—or gate—to another dimension. When Mike asked if it was possible that such a gate already existed, Scott responded that they would know as it would disrupt gravity, the magnetic field, the environment, and possibly "swallow them up whole."

In order to find out Eleven's location, agent Connie Frazier visited Scott at his residence. While there, she spoke to him about a fictitious Indiana AV Club program, complete with a falsified flier. When she asked if he knew anyone who'd want to participate, he told her about Mike, Lucas, and Dustin.

On the evening of Saturday, November 12, Scott and Jen were watching a movie, when Dustin called to ask about sensory deprivation. He then told Dustin the requirements for a makeshift deprivation tank.

1984[]

On the morning of October 30, Scott was teaching the class about the human brain, when Max Mayfield, a new student, arrived. Scott introduced her to the class as Maxine, which annoyed Max. She corrected him that she should be called "Max".

On November 1, Scott was teaching his class about the case of Phineas Gage when Dustin arrived late to class. As Dustin informed Mike, Lucas, Will, and Max to meet him in the AV room after lunch, Scott reprimanded him, urging him to focus. Later, Dustin decided to show Scott Dart, who he had found in his trashcan the night before. However, before he could do so, Mike barged in and took the creature away.

The following day, Scott taught the class about defense mechanisms and the concept of fear, which insinuated Mike that something was wrong with Will, due to his absence that day.

On December 15, Scott attended the Snow Ball where he was responsible for checking students in.

1985[]

In the summer of 1985, Joyce visited Scott while he was home, making toy soldiers and rocking out to the Weird Al parody "My Bologna". Joyce visited him to ask him why her magnets kept losing their magnetism and falling off her fridge. Together, they created a electro-magnetic field with an AC transformer to explain to Joyce how magnets work. At the end of it, Scott suggested the fallen magnets at her house and Melvald's were just knocked over by somebody and it was a coincidence. When challenged by Joyce, Scott said that, theoretically speaking, a larger version of their AC transformer could exist in Hawkins and be messing with the magnetism there, though Scott doubted this theory.

Personality[]

Scott is a likable, supportive, intelligent, friendly, resourceful, and caring teacher who is well respected by the boys. They had a very close relationship with him as he would never hesitate to provide scientific explanations to them, regardless of when or where they ask. Although he remains unaware of exactly what they are dealing with, typically he is the first one they go to when they need help with their "science experiments," as he always does his best to give good advice.

It was his profound respect for them that urged Scott in assisting Hopper's search party to find Will during his disappearance.

Appearances[]

Season One appearances
The Vanishing of Will Byers The Weirdo on Maple Street Holly, Jolly The Body
The Flea and the Acrobat The Monster The Bathtub The Upside Down
Season Two appearances
MADMAX Trick or Treat, Freak The Pollywog
Will the Wise Dig Dug The Spy
The Lost Sister The Mind Flayer The Gate
Season Three appearances
Suzie, Do You Copy? The Mall Rats The Case of the Missing Lifeguard The Sauna Test
The Flayed E Pluribus Unum The Bite The Battle of Starcourt
Season Four appearances
The Hellfire Club Vecna's Curse The Monster and the Superhero
Dear Billy The Nina Project The Dive
The Massacre at Hawkins Lab Papa The Piggyback*

*Scott appears in via flashback in "The Piggyback".

Video games[]

Video game appearances
Stranger Things: The Game Stranger Things 3: The Game Stranger Things: Puzzle Tales Stranger Things: The VR Experience
Dead by Daylight Fortnite Smite Roblox


Memorable Quotes[]

Scott to Mike, Dustin & Lucas:

  • "Science is neat, but I'm afraid it's not very forgiving."

Scott in the class:

  • "Meet the human brain. I know. I know, it doesn't look like much. A little gross even, right? But consider this. There are a hundred billion cells inside this miracle of evolution."
  • "All living things, from complex mammals to single-celled organisms, instinctively respond to danger. Expose a bacterium to a toxic chemical, and it will flee. Or deploy some other defense mechanism. We're very much the same. When we encounter danger, our hearts start pounding. Our palms start to sweat. These are the signs of the physical and emotional state we call...fear."

Scott & Hopper:

  • Jim Hopper: "I always had a distaste for science."
  • Scott Clarke: "Well, maybe you had a bad teacher!"

Mr. Clarke & Dustin:

  • Scott Clarke: "Looking very snazzy tonight, Sir!"
  • Dustin: "Thank you, My Lord!"

Gallery[]

View Gallery For this subject's gallery, see Scott Clarke/Gallery.


Trivia[]

ST1 Costume Mood Board – Mr
  • In Season 1's costume design moodboards or 'tear sheets' created by Kimberly Adams, Scott is called Mr. Carter.
  • Scott and Jen are watching the 1982 film, The Thing, when Dustin calls him in "The Bathtub".
  • The Monster was killed in his classroom.
  • Scott's phone number is probably known to the boys, as Dustin called him asking how to build a sensory deprivation tank.
  • Mike mentions a lesson taught by Scott in fifth grade on combining and mixing chemicals to create new substances. This likely means Mike and the rest of the boys had Scott as their teacher in fifth grade before being in his class at Hawkins Middle School.
  • This science teacher with a knowledge of nerd culture may be named after two famous science fiction authors: Orson Scott Card (of Ender's Game) and Arthur C. Clarke (of 2001: A Space Odyssey). This has not yet been confirmed.
  • Season 4 is the only season of the show where Scott was not seen or mentioned, though he is seen in a flashback.

External Links[]

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