Stranger Things is about to wrap up. Even though fans are crossing their fingers for the franchise to expand into a larger universe, the fifth and final season will certainly bring the current saga to a close. Throughout the four seasons, the show introduced many memorable characters alongside the main crew. Some of them, like Robin Buckley and Max Mayfield, smoothly joined the main squad and others. Unfortunately, some got written out way too soon.

One of the creators of the coming-of-age series, Ross Duffer, recently gave a shout-out to two of the characters who did not stick around longer with fans. 

Ross Duffer pays tribute to the dearly departed characters of Stranger Things

Ross Duffer has been teasing fans with his Instagram stories ever since the filming of the fifth season of Stranger Things went back to production. His recent stories featured two stones, with the first having the name of Billy Hargrove, adorned with beautiful flowers. The stone also honored the character with a sweet moniker- “Sweet William”. The second stone served as a touching tribute to Barbara Holland, with a heartfelt message “RIP Barb Holland”. The creator wrote “Billy” and “Barb” with a crying emoji in his stories.

Barbara Holland, brought to life by Shannon Purser, played Nancy Wheeler’s friend on the show and met her end in the early days of the first season. Meanwhile, Dacre Montgomery’s Billy had a more extended run of two seasons and left fans with a heavy heart in the third season. While the odds of these two characters making a comeback are slim to none, another character who shared a similar fate found their way back into the Stranger Things realm, just not through the TV.

Eddie Munson, played by Joseph Quinn, was introduced in the fourth installment of Stranger Things and departed in the very fourth season. However, thanks to Caitlin Schneiderhan, the character was brought back to the franchise once again. 

How did Eddie Munson make a comeback to the franchise?

Eddie Munson’s death was a real gut-wrencher for fans who were just beginning to fall head over heels and become completely obsessed with the character. Even after the season wrapped, fans clung to the hope of a twist that would miraculously bring Eddie back for the ultimate showdown. Caitlin Schneiderhan felt the fans’ misery and published a book, Stranger Things: Flight Of Icarus, solely focusing on Munson’s character on 31st October this year. 

The setting of the book was in the year 1984, two years before the events of Stranger Things 4. The book depicted Munson as a musician who tries to secure enough money to record a demo tape of his band. In the show, however, there is little to no chance for Munson’s return, as confirmed by both Shawn Levy, the executive producer, and Joseph Quinn himself. And with this, it is safe to say that Stranger Things have marked the end of three beloved characters- Ediie, Billy, and Barb. 

What do you think about Ross Duffer’s tribute to the departed characters? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!