So, “Stranger Things” Season 2 Almost Ended In a Very Different Way

Leah Campano
·2 min read
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While the events of Stranger Things season 2 seem like they happened eons ago — so much has happened since! — the writers of the sci-fi series revealed that the earlier chapter could have ended a bit differently for fan-favorite character Bob Newby.

“Crazy shit that almost happened #1: In season 2, a possessed Will was going to kill Bob,” the writers penned on Twitter on October 5.

Wait, what?!

ICYMI, Bob (aka “Bob the Brain,” as he was nicknamed by Jim Hopper) was Joyce Byers’ lovable boyfriend and a sweet father figure to Will and Jonathan. But in the penultimate episode of season 2, he sacrifices himself to save the others trapped in Hawkins Lab (Mike, Joyce, Hopper, and Dr. Owens). He sets off to the breaker room to restore power in the facility, but just as he’s about to reach the exit doors — where the others wait and watch in horror — Bob is tragically killed by a pack of demodogs.

Photo credit: Courtesy Netflix
Photo credit: Courtesy Netflix

Throughout this episode, Will is possessed by the Mind Flayer, which explains why Bob’s always-doomed ending could have been caused by him.

Bob’s death was heartbreaking for all Stranger Things fans, but in 2019, showrunners Matt and Ross Duffer revealed that it was originally planned for much earlier in the season.

“Bob was always intended to die, but we fell in love with Sean [Astin] and what he was doing with this character,” Ross Duffer said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. “He was supposed to die in like episode 4 and we just kept keeping him alive because he was so great and what he added to the show. Once we got to 8, we were like, we either got to do this or not do this.”

Although we wish he was still on our screens (like other fan favorites, ahem, Barb, ahem, Eddie), he’ll always be remembered as Bob Newby: superhero.

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