The man whose true-crime tale inspired Eddie Munson in Stranger Things responds to the character's portrayal of his emotional journey. Stranger Things season 4 has proven to be Netflix's most intense entry in the flagship sci-fi horror series yet, featuring the most extreme stakes for all of its heroes with the introduction of antagonist Vecna. Series creators the Duffer brothers debuted several new heroes to aid Eleven and her cohorts in combating this dangerous villain, including troublemaker Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn), who develops a close relationship with Dustin.
From Eddie's first moments on screen, he comes off as a crass, anti-authority delinquent whose primary interests are getting out of school, rock music, and his Dungeons & Dragons group called the Hellfire Club. His hair metal-inspired appearance and involvement with hobbies at the time considered controversial only strengthened the public's conviction of Eddie's guilt in Chrissy Cunningham's sudden murder, actually at the hands of Vecna. Stranger Things viewers learn to empathize with Eddie as he tries to evade the law despite his innocence, a struggle that the man who inspired the character knows all too well.
Although Eddie dies in the season 4 finale after being attacked by Vecna's demobats, his real-life counterpart is still alive, and he finally opens up about the character. Damien Echols shares that he is tremendously honored by the show basing Eddie on him, and appreciates the eyes it brings to his ongoing fight in the courts. He then comments on seeing Eddie's powerful Metallica scene and how it stirred his feelings. Check out the post below:
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A Netflix Geeked tweet previously confirmed that Stranger Things showrunners loosely based the Hellfire Club storyline on the Paradise Lost documentary series, which covers Echols' tale, and modeled the character of Eddie Munson on him. Echols, now an author residing in Harlem, is a prominent figure of the West Memphis Three, a group of teenagers convicted of the murder of three young boys in West Memphis, Arkansas in 1993. The ritualistic nature of the murders tied the case to the Satanic Panic, and Echols' interest in magick and heavy metal music made him a likely suspect. After a stint on death row, a unique plea deal resulted in a judge releasing all three from prison in 2011, though Echols' fight to prove his innocence continues to this day.
Once nearly put to death because of his persona and proximity to an awful crime, Echols is now a celebrated author who yearns to clear his name, much like Eddie. His appreciation for the character and the Metallica song "Master of Puppets" that caps off his arc shows that the Stranger Things team did justice to Echols and his story. If Eddie can come out a hero, perhaps people will find a renewed interest in fighting for Echols and the rest of the West Memphis Three.
Source: Damien Echols