Stranger Things may not have the death count of Game of Thrones or The Walking Dead, but the small-town show has taken quite a few people out. Reddit user redcherryisdel recently re-posted a parallel photo of Barb and Billy being dragged downstairs by the Demogorgon and Mind Flayer. After commenter KS_BaZiNGa pointed out that people whose names start with “B” don’t tend to do well, we began to wonder about Stranger Things B-name vendetta.
Think about it. Benny was one of the first Hawkins residents to die in the show’s debut episode. He just wanted to go on his fishing trip with Earl, serve tasty fries, and be kind to a strange kid with a shaved head. What did he get in return? A shot to the head by Dr. Brenner’s right-hand woman, Connie Frazier. His death was avenged when El used her powers to crush Connie’s brain but Benny really died for NO REASON… except to jump-start the war against “B” names.
Of course, no one will ever forget Barb Holland. We lost her just as we were getting to know her outside of being Nancy’s relatable and wise friend. Barb didn’t want to go to Steve’s stupid party at his house near creepy woods but she did her wing-woman duty. Then she was peer-pressured into shotgunning a beer, which led to her hand being cut and her eventual death. Barb was shrugged off by pretty much everyone except Nancy, Jonathan, and her parents as the search focused on Will Byers. The Department of Energy told a believable lie about her death and paid her parents, but Barb’s death is still pretty sad.
Stranger Things 2 continued the fateful “B” name trend with good old Bob Newby, a Radio Shack manager, everyday superhero, and lovable geek. Joyce’s boyfriend helped to decode the mystery behind the Mind Flayer map and sacrificed himself to turn on power to save his lady, Will, Mike, and Hopper.
Bob’s only fault was taking a long pause in the middle of imminent danger to gaze into Joyce’s eyes. His death by Demodog was a terribly shocking moment that still causes us great pain. He was indeed a smart and brave superhero, but why didn’t you keep running Bob?! Yeah, his death led to the rise of Jopper but Bob would have been awesome in this recent season. Rest in Peace, Bob.
Benny, Barb, and Bob were the best, but not all the “B” people were great. Stranger Things 3 took out Max’s big brother Billy, who gave his life to save a powerless Eleven. The series tried to explain his awful and erratic personality with a disturbing backstory, but that still didn’t give Billy the right to be a raging jerk to everyone. He was annoying and life in Hawkins will be better without his smug mug. Bye Billy.
If Billy’s in first place for worst Stranger Things character, then the runner-up is Bruce. The Hawkins Post journalist mocked and humiliated Nancy for being a woman with good ideas. Plus, his jokes really sucked. Nancy killed a Flayed Bruce in a moment of sweet revenge that made his existence worthwhile.
It’s pretty clear that Stranger Things has a bias against this letter. Do the Duffer Brothers have beef with “B” people in real-life? What B-named person will they take out next? The world may never know but if anyone named Brandon, Brian, or Bree comes into town, they probably won’t make it out alive.
Image Credit: Netflix
