Does Eddie die in Volume 2?

Stranger Things 4 was a lot. In many ways, it was a filler season—building up the stakes for the grand final season. But I like filler sometimes, and the Satanic Panic storyline helped ground the season with real human stakes, as well. And it made me cry as we had to say goodbye to …

Spoilers for Stranger Things 4.

Eddie.

Fans fell in love with Eddie Munson almost immediately—so, of course, he would be the one to die, though it was deeply satisfying to see the character go out in a heroic manner. For the season, Eddie has struggled with his cowardliness and often only answered the call when everyone else already did. By choosing to help protect everyone, Eddie died a hero, at least in the eyes of our Party.

He and Dustin play the part of the distraction in the plan to take down Vecna, by rocking out on top of Eddie’s trailer in the Upside Down as a way to draw his attention. When they take refuge in the trailer as Vecna’s bats swarm them, the bats manage to get inside, and they have to make a run for it. Eddie sacrifices himself by continuing to draw their attention, buying Dustin and the rest of our protagonists the precious time they need.

What his death means

For the rest of the people of Hawkins, thus far, Eddie was never acquitted of allegations that he was responsible for two murders. So his name is tainted—as of right now, which makes it so painful. The scene between Dustin and Eddie’s uncle is heartbreaking to watch.

Thankfully, we also didn’t see Max die this season. I almost burst into tears when I thought it was the end for Max, especially since reconnecting with Lucas was very much sadness bait. I’m not wild about her being in a coma, but I am hoping that, as another survivor of the magic within the Upside Down, when we see the final battle between the forces of evil and the Party, it will be Will, Eleven, and Max being super-powered.

Until then, we mourn Eddie Munson, the dungeon master who rolled a d20 into our hearts. Who do you think is destined to die in the final season? My money is on El or Steve, but I’m very much hoping to be wrong.

(featured image: Netflix)

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We had been warned: Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 2 would have a body count. Before the final episodes, Ross and Matt Duffer confirmed that death would visit their beloved characters. Would there be multiple deaths before the end of the season? “For sure,” they said, “for sure.”

Those deaths were three: Martin Brenner (Mathew Modine), killed by a sniper; Jason Carver (Mason Dye), ripped in half by an Earth fissure; and Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn), eaten alive by Vecna’s hell bats after playing the most metal of metal concerts.

It’s this final death that likely rocked fans most—Eddie’s journey from wallflower freak to eccentric hero representing maybe the best character evolution this season. (Why, then, he had to be the kind of hero who needlessly sacrifices himself, despite the fact that the bats were totally gonna go away in literally a few more minutes if he just kept biking, but, no, of course he had to turn around and fight, even though such an action saves literally zero lives and only jeopardizes his own—why he had to be a hero who dies like this—who knows.)

Great character evolution or not, however, there’s a sense that Stranger Things is becoming crowded with too many great characters.

Lead actor Millie Bobby Brown thinks the Duffers probably should have gone even farther in their body count this season.

“It’s way too big,” she told The Wrap, of the amount of the characters on screen. “Last night, we couldn’t even take one group picture because there were like 50 of us. I was like, ‘You need to start killing people off.’ The Duffer brothers are two sensitive Sallies that don’t want to kill anyone off. We need to be Game of Thrones. We need to have the mindset of Game of Thrones.”

Against the backdrop of We Need to Kill Off Some Characters, Eddie’s death feels more predictable than tragic. The season appeared to kill Max—a death that would have been a bit more surprising, given her longer standing on the show—but seems to have revived her as a comatose plot point instead.

Brown’s point about Game of Thrones was a point about consequences and stakes: are our heroes ever really in any danger? Can they just come back? Can Eddie come back?

Here’s what we know of at least one death.

Did Eddie Munson Die?

According to the Duffer brothers, yes.

In an interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, the writers/creators/directors confirmed that Eddie Munson is gone, and he’s not coming back.

Actor Joseph Quinn, too, isn’t holding on to any hope that he’ll return for Season 5.

In a recent interview with Variety, he shared what he was told going into the season.

“I was told very little at the beginning. Duffer Brothers told me that I would be in at least four episodes, but I wasn’t optioned for another season, so I thought maybe if I did all right, they might invite me back. That didn’t work, clearly! So they killed me, but that’s OK, I guess. I’ll dust myself off!”

Speaking to Radio Times, Quinn said they had had discussed his return with costar Joe Keery, speculating that he could come back as some kind of vision—maybe playing a hallucinogenic role in Dustin’s (Gaten Matarazzo) storyline.

Still, even without another line, Quinn says he’s generally satisfied.

“As an actor you want characters with those kinds of arcs. So whilst it would have been great to come back for another season and get together with all those lovely people again, I think it was a brilliantly realized ending for a brilliantly written character.”

That’s one character down, and—at least to Brown’s Game of Thrones wishes—probably 25 to go.

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