It won’t be long until the 5th season of Stranger Things premieres on Netflix. Despite the many beautiful moments, there were also some tragic deaths in the series. One of the saddest deaths was supposed to be even nastier, but they decided against it. To the great delight of MeinMMO editor Niko.
Which character are we talking about? Eight years ago, the 2nd season of Stranger Things premiered (yes, it really was that long ago) and the character Bob Newby was introduced, played by Sean Astin, whom most will probably know as Samwise Gamgee from the Lord of the Rings films.
At that time, Joyce’s new boyfriend not only became a sympathetic fan-favorite, but he also became a supporter of the kids, even a real hero. However, his fate was originally supposed to be quite different and would have changed Will’s character as well. In fact, it would have been for the worse.
One should not let Will suffer
Will was supposed to become a pawn for terrible events early on. In an interview with Collider from 2017, the two producers Dan Cohen and Shawn Levy revealed that Bob was supposed to die early in the season, during a car ride, controlled by the Mind Flayer through Will. This would have happened much earlier than his heroic death.
This would have harmed Will as a character quite a bit. On one hand, it would have been a shock moment just for the sake of shock. Although the series has always utilized horror elements, especially in the first season, it also always had heart and respect for its characters. If Will had been made to kill Bob so early, even if it was controlled from the outside, a different perspective would have been created for the rest of the series. How can one credibly show that Will fights against his control after such an act?
Will has already suffered throughout the entire series, so why should he be made to kill his father figure? That is also the right keyword, as there is a nice moment between Will and Bob during the car ride. He explained to the boy that one must confront one’s fears. Had Will killed him, the impact would have been diminished.
Another point the producers addressed themselves: Bob would not have received his heroic moment. He dies after sacrificing himself for the kids and Joyce. This makes his death more tragic and Will also suffers from it on an emotional level later.
This heroic death
works so well because we see throughout the season how Bob has influenced Will and Joyce’s lives. He was a father figure who, despite having limited screen time, had a big impact on fans and the characters. And that’s exactly what adults should do: protect children so they can grow.
Stranger Things has had a Spielberg atmosphere from the start. Sure, it gets dangerous and challenging, but there is still a constant flow of a familial and cozy feeling. This makes the heroic death and the fatherly moment fit much better. But horror films are also a source of inspiration for the series: The villain from Stranger Things is inspired by 2 creepy figures known to every horror film fan
