Sean Astin appeared in season 2 ofStranger Things, and while his tragic death was a hard thing to witness, it was a critical moment for Joyce (Winona Ryder) and the story. Bob Newby (Astin)stole the show onStranger Thingsfrom the moment he first appeared in season 2, episode 1, “MADMAX”. He’s introduced as Joyce’s high school acquaintance and a sweet, if dorky, RadioShack employee. After the peril of the previous season,it was good to see Joyce settle down with someone kind, good-natured, and quietly heroic like Bob, who seemed genuinely in love with her.
What’s better, Bob was great for Will (Noah Schnapp), providing an adult figure he could look up to who had the same interests and temperament as he did. Bob saw a lot of himself in Will, their passive natures making them easy targets for bullies but also hiding a strength of character and a love of life. While Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) found Bob a bit boring, Bob never stopped trying to be kind to Joyce’s sons. He was so kind that some people suspected he might even be a villain, but hissad death in season 2dispelled that notion.
Fans Cared About Bob And Were Devastated By His Death
Bob Was An Innocent Who Did Not Deserve To Die
After the Mind Flayer uses Will to release the Demodogs in the hospital, the power goes out. Bob, Joyce, Will, Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Dr. Owens (Paul Reiser), and Hopper (David Harbour) are all trapped in a control room. To escape, someone needs to flip the breakers on the other side of the hospital. Bob heroically volunteers and succeeds, secretly telling Hopper not to wait for him and just run with Joyce and her boys. Bob succeeds and nearly makes it, but at the last moment,the Demodogs catch up with him and violently murder him.
Will Almost Killed Bob?! That Would’ve Ruined His Stranger Things Story
The original plan for Stranger Things season 2 featured a possessed Will killing beloved Bob, but this would’ve ruined Will’s story going forward.
It’s ashocking and sad end for Bob, and one that deeply impacted a lot of fans. On theYouTubevideo of his death,@jaysharp1834wrote,
“Poor guy. This was by far the saddest scene of the series. He was one of my favourite characters”
@stars253wrote,
“This was so sad for many reasons. He saved them without knowing much of what was going on, and when he was done, everyone was trying so hard to guide his way out to safety and he was so close, but only to end up back in danger and finally death :( it’s honestly traumatizing”
On aRedditpost about whose death was sadder, Barb’s (Shannon Purser) or Bob’s, userStriking_night_01wrote,
“Barb’s death was really unfair, but the emotional impact of Bob’s death was on a whole other level for me. Bob was a more fleshed out character, more present in the story, and even though he wasn’t one of the main characters I cared about him and I cried when he died because I was actually really upset.”
That quote from Reddit really hits the nail on the head. Bob had such agreat arc inStranger Thingsseason 2, and he felt like a completely new character in the series. He was refreshing, andhaving him played by the lovable Astin, himself a mainstay of the ’80s adventure and science fiction moviesStranger Thingsis channeling, only made his death hit harder. There is a world where Bob survives and lives a life with Joyce that would have been perfectly satisfying. TheDuffer brothers were also saddened by Bob’s death, as was Astin, who said,
“The word—if it’s on the page, ‘And Bob stops running, period.’ It’s just an awful sentence to read. You know, the Duffers, I’m like ‘Did it hurt to write it?’ And he’s like ‘I was sobbing, I was sobbing writing it.’ And I’m like, well you could’ve put a comma, ‘and realizes the dogs are still behind him and so, therefore, he exercises great wisdom and judgment and continues to sneak out of the building, slamming the doors behind him, trapping the dogs forever, takes Joyce’s hand in his.’ [Audience awws] THANK YOU! I just did that riffing, but that was pretty good.”
Creating a character as universally beloved by everyone is no mean feat, and the Duffers created one they could almost not bear to part with. There was no meanness in Bob in a mean world, and despite his outwardly goofy and simple personality, he was incredibly brave and resourceful. He showed that a hero could come from anywhere.
Bob’s Death Shows What The Fight Against Vecna Will Cost
It’s always a bad sign when a writer or creative team refuses to kill off or remove a character just because they like them, socredit where credit is due to the Duffer brothers because it was the right time for Bob to leave the show. That they made his ending gloriously heroic and violent is a satisfying choice that should make fans pleased, as well as saddened. The realromance for Joyce inStranger Thingsis her relationship with Hopper. That is what the seasons have been leading up to.
Hopper and Bob have a mutual respect for one another and don’t let their competing love for Joyce get in the way of trying to protect Joyce, her family, and the rest of the town of Hawkins. Bob was never going to be Joyce’s endgame. It’s not that Bob was a rebound or a chump who she was using to make Hopper jealous; it’s just thatJoyce and Hopper’s will-they-won’t-they romancestarted all the way back in season 1. The two go through so much together that they are destined to end up together.
Bob’s Heroic Sacrifice Embodies The Show’s Major Themes
Anyone Can Be A Hero If They Stand Up For Their Friends
Bob’s sacrifice inStranger Thingsseason 2 illuminates some crucial themes in the show. In the series, the one constant is that evil can be thwarted or even destroyed by friends and family protecting one another.Whatever power the Mind Flayer or Vecna wields, normal, everyday people can stand up to him by looking out for one anotherand protecting those they love. Billy (Dacre Montgomery), Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn), and Bob all prove that anyone can fight back against a dark force if they’re willing to do what’s necessary.
You don’t have to be a hero out ofDungeons & Dragonsto make a difference inStranger Things.
Billy may have a shattered home life that crystallized into cruelty, Eddie may have trouble fitting in, and Bob may not look like your everyday hero, but each one saved the lives of their friends and families by risking their own, and they pay for it, usually violently. You don’t have to be a hero out ofDungeons & Dragonsto make a difference inStranger Things. You can be a non-conformist metalhead, an abused and pained older brother, or just an employee at RadioShack.It takes all types to defeat Vecna, and Bob Newby showed that first.
Sean Astin Does Not Want Bob To Return For Stranger Things Season 5
Joyce And Hopper Have To Finish Their Romantic Arc
While some folks may have hoped that we would eventually see Bob return toStranger Thingsseason 5, Sean Astin has poured cold water all over the idea.Astin said about Bob returning toStranger Things,
“[Fans would] say, ‘Are you gonna be in ‘Stranger Things’,’ and I would say, ‘No, I’m dead.’ But why couldn’t they do a flashback [for Season 5]… to a happier time with—I know why they won’t. Because it’s going to be Hopper and Joyce, and they’re not going to want to flashback to a time when she was actually happy [laughs].”
He’s obviously being a bit tongue-in-cheek at this moment, loyally suggesting that Bob and Joyce were the happier couple, but his emphatic response should be enough to convince most people that there won’t be any “Bob” episodesinStranger Thingsseason 5.Bob is dead, and it’s a very important part of his arc that he remains dead, otherwise, his incredibly heroic sacrifice feels hollow. Bringing Bob back would be returning to a simpler time inStranger Things, which would feel tonally weird considering how big things have gotten.
Furthermore, and Astin points to this in his comment, it’s the relationship between Joyce and Hopper that’s important now. We have only seen the two share a kiss at this point, and in season 4, their romance is just getting started. With Vecna still alive, there is no guarantee that Joyce and Hopper will make it. As great as it would be to see Sean Astin and Bob Newby back in theStranger Thingsuniverse, it’s best he stays dead and a symbol of what it will eventually cost to defeat Vecna’s evil once and for all.
