The best thing Stranger Things did to fans is not its gory and gritty trope but the beautiful setting of the world of the 80s. Be it clothes, music, plotline, or even character arcs. It takes us back to twentieth-century America when it was flourishing in its culture, preparing for the wars, and well, expanding its collection of nuclear weapons. And, they certainly do not fail to bring us the whole package of the wholesome era in the most intriguing way possible. The Brothers have admittedly taken a lot of inspiration from America of the 1980s, and they will continue to do so. Apparently, Joseph Quinn’s Eddie Munson is also one such character.
Notably, they took inspiration from the West Memphis Three trials and, more specifically, from Damien Echols. He was falsely accused of murdering three eight-year-old children to build Eddie’s character arc. The entire township of Hawkins was on a manhunt after they bizarrely suspected that Eddie Munson was behind the mysterious murder of Chrissy in season 4. And what was the reason for this accusation? His peculiar behavior. Very much the story of Echols! When he found out that a Stranger Things character is based on his life, he was more than excited.
The character of Eddie Munson is based on the life story of Damien Echols
As evident from his interview above, Echols, with his habits of dressing in black and listening to heavy metal music, was a misfit within the local community. Besides that, he also wrote dark and expressive poems. In 1993, when Echols was 18, they arrested him along with Jason Baldwin (16) and Jessie Misskelley (17) for the murder of three eight-year-olds. Damien Echols was recently asked on Twitter how he felt about the character being based on his real-life nightmare.
Here’s how he responded:
In case anyone else is wondering, I was tremendously honored by it. And I greatly appreciate all the new eyes and hearts it has brought to our fight.
I was watching it at 3 am in the morning, and when I heard the very first chords from Master of Puppets, my heart exploded. https://t.co/zHmq2vQhoW— Damien Echols (@damienechols) July 16, 2022
Fan favorite Eddie Munson, too, had a peculiar persona and a reputation as a drug dealer. He wore a damning Hellfire Club shirt, a shiny Van Halen- inspired hairstyle, and several tattoos. Particularly in the middle of the 1980s, his taste in the macabre- from his band Corroded Coffin to his quirky affinity for metal and Dungeons & Dragons- set him aside from what was considered socially acceptable. He hence became Hawkins’s top suspect for Chrissy’s murder.
ALSO READ- Here’s Why Stranger Things Star Joseph Quinn Needed Reassurance From Fellow Co-star Joe Keery
Both real-life and reel-life ‘assumed villains’ have now become fan-favorite heroes. And we couldn’t stop appreciating their edifying journey. What are your thoughts about it, though? Do let us know in the comment section below.
