MBTI Type: ENFP

Joyce trusts her instincts, and tries to convince others of her ideas; she knows something more is going on than electrical mishaps when the phone explodes in her hand (and remains convinced her son has spoken to her through it, and the lights); she refuses to accept the body in the morgue as her son, even when all else tells her to doubt her conclusions; she devises creative ways to explore her intuitive conclusions (stringing up lights, papering the entire house with Will’s drawings, etc), but needs Bob to provide the concrete knowledge of the countryside’s physical layout, to discern what her son’s drawings mean. Incredibly emotional and also stubborn, Joyce really does not give a damn if everyone thinks she is insane; she knows her son is not dead, that he needs her, and that he is communicating with her in the only way he knows how. These feelings drive her to direct actions, and she can be totally ruthless in getting things done; she bashes holes in the wall of her house chasing a monster, she bluntly demands her boss give her two weeks’ advance (and a phone and a pack of Camels). When the creature ‘possesses’ Will, she first tries an emotional appeal – and then ‘burns’ the monster out of him, by cranking up the heat so high everyone else objects (she Ne/Te loops). Her inferior Si also shows in her mundane existence (working the same dead end job faithfully, out of practicality and because it’s all she’s ever known), her detachment from details (she can’t describe anything that has happened to her very well and has no idea if that ding in the wall was there yesterday), and her tendency to slip back into former familiar ruts (her friendship / budding relationship with Hopper started in their teen years).

Enneagram: 6w7 sp/so

Joyce has all the good and bad qualities of a six; the good ones are she is highly protective over her children and concerned for their safety, instantly anxious about her son not being in his room at breakfast and quick to berate his brother for being out the night before. She has a warm and affable manner with her son and is easily able to connect to him, but can also be combative, forceful, and suspicious of other people’s behaviors. She instantly knows there’s more going on than meets the eye, and deals with it in a rational manner (even though others think her conclusions are insane) – while running on anxiety. The second season shows more of her 6ish compliance (working the same boring job since it pays the rent, being proactive in protecting her son, and cautious about his illness). She escalates into full-blown panic but also ‘magical thinking’ in her fears and hunches about Will — just knowing he is talking to her on the phone without proof, and believing he is communicating with her through the Christmas lights. She can be funny and good-natured and even silly when she’s relaxed and with the boys she loves (permissive in allowing Will to rent scary movies, teasing him about the IT clown, and bringing out her ‘witch’ voice around him).