Stranger Things Creators Didn't Understand Netflix Audiences' Obsession With One Character

Season 5 of "Stranger Things" is finally coming to Netflix at long last, dropping in three parts on November 26, December 25, and December 31, 2025, hopefully giving fans of the 1980s-set horror show some real closure. "Stranger Things" has been going for nearly a decade, and while it's wrapped up some of its major plot threads ahead of the final season, there are still some things that feel unfinished. You know, like justice for Barb (Shannon Purser), who was killed by the creatures from the Upside Down in season 1 and never really spoken of again because everyone was so focused on the disappearance of Will Byers (Noah Schnapp). They even promised that season 2 would give her justice, though other than depicting her funeral, they didn't really do much for the bookish best friend of Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer).

In an interview with Time during a set visit, series creators and showrunners, the Duffer Brothers, revealed that they never fully understood why fans got so attached to Barb, and that it took prodding from Netflix for them to really pay attention to her again at all. While it's understandable that they were focused on Will's story, their total inability to see why fans cared about Barb is kind of weird! 

The writer of Time's article, Eliana Dockterman, shared that she "nearly tripped over" the replica of Barb's body in the Upside Down when she traversed the set, so we'll definitely be seeing Barb again, just not in a particularly positive way. When she asked the Duffers about Barb, they were pretty blunt, with Ross Duffer apparently rolling his eyes when discussing how they got notes back asking about Barb, because "it's a show about Will." While his brother points out that Netflix kept at them and "they were right," Ross said that "we neglected her, and as such, Hawkins neglected her, and it made her that much more famous." Barb's death became a big controversy, with the hashtag #JusticeforBarb going viral, because many fans felt she simply deserved better.

While the focus of season 1 was certainly on Will, having Barb exist only in service to his plot definitely feels like fridging, which is when (usually female) characters are killed off only to create a plot point for their male counterparts (like when Emilia Clarke's Giah was killed in Marvel's "Secret Invasion" or Phoebe Waller-Bridge's L3-37 and Thandiwe Newton's Val were killed in "Solo: A Star Wars Story.") Barb only ever existed as a sidekick whose death would be a catalyst for more, and that stinks. It's a shame that the Duffers still don't quite seem to get it, but maybe seeing dead Barb means there's a chance for catharsis yet.

Part 1 of season 5 of "Stranger Things" hits Netflix on November 26, 2025.