Netflix’s ’80s inspired Stranger Things was one of the biggest surprises of the summer, and if recent reports can be believed, it was also one of the biggest hits that Netflix has ever had. A season 2 renewal isn’t official yet, but even Netflix’s executives have admitted that they would be “stupid” to not bring it back.
With that in mind, series creators Matt and Ross Duffer have dropped some new information about the fate of two characters in the first season of Stranger Things, and they revealed which one will return. There are big spoilers ahead if you haven’t seen the first season finale. You’ve been warned!
During the finale, Matthew Modine’s Dr. Brenner came face-to-face with the creature while attempting to retrieve Eleven. And while the creature from “the Upside Down” clearly attacked Brenner, it apparently wasn’t enough to kill the show’s primary human villain. ““I would say that if we were going to kill Brenner… as an audience member watching the show, if that was his death, that would be very unsatisfying to me – when the monster jumps on him and we cut away,” said Matt Duffer in a report on IGN. “He would deserve much more than that as an ending. So yes, there’s a possibility of seeing him again.”
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Unfortunately, the news isn’t quite as good for Barb, the fan-favorite character portrayed by Shannon Purser. Barb was trapped in the Upside Down for several episodes and she was briefly glimpsed in the first season finale, where she was looking quite dead.
When asked about the possibility of Barb showing up again, Matt Duffer replied “I can’t see it happening. But Barb will not be forgotten. We’ll make sure there’s some justice for Barb. People get very frustrated, understandably, that the town doesn’t seem to be really dealing with Barb. That stuff is all happening. We’re just not spending any screen time on it.” He added that “It’s not like her parents are like ‘Oh Barb left. She died!’ Season One actually takes place over the course of six or seven days – it’s a really short period of time. So part of what we want to do with hypothetical Season 2 is to explore the repercussions of everything that happened.”
Because Stranger Things season 2 isn’t in production, it doesn’t currently have a release date. However, a 2017 or 2018 return seems likely.
How do you feel about the fates of Barb and Brenner? Let us know in the comment section below!
