Barbara Holland became an instant fan favorite in Stranger Things, but her death was shrouded in a bit of controversy. The character known as "Barb" was played by Shannon Purser in the debut season of the Netflix series. As Nancy Wheeler's (Natalia Dyer) best friend, she was thrust into the most popular social circle at Hawkins High School despite her more low-key personality. Unfortunately, her loyalty to Nancy resulted in her disappearance and demise, forcing fans to demand justice for the character.
Barb was concerned about Nancy's emerging popularity, especially when it came to her budding relationship with Steve Harrington (Joe Keery). Not wanting to hurt the friendship, Barb agreed to attend a party at Steve's house. She wound up injuring her hand while trying to shotgun a beer. While Barb was off tending to her wound, nobody seemed to care about her wellbeing. Even the usually loyal Nancy brushed her off by telling her to go home. Instead, the Demogorgon targeted Barb as she sat alone by the Harringtons' pool.
The teenager was dragged into the Upside Down and quickly killed by the creature. Nancy later spent time searching for her friend until the truth about her death was unearthed. Seeing as Barb served as a symbol of innocence, viewers were upset about her sudden death. A "Justice for Barb" movement came together after the character was killed, and seemingly forgotten by the town by the end of Stranger Things season 1. Though the outcry was justifiable, some fans thought it got out of hand, and a few even deemed Barb an overrated character.
The "Justice For Barb" Movement Split Stranger Things Fans
Those who pushed for justice when it came to Barb argued that she was only used as a plot device to further Nancy's arc. Seeing as Barb was already in Nancy's shadow as the stereotypical nerdy friend, viewers thought it did a disservice to the character. On the other hand, another segment of viewers believed that the "Justice for Barb" movement was insulting and viewed Barb as a boring, minor character who didn't add much to the bigger picture. The push to bring Purser back or hints at her survival made the discussion even more controversial.
Purser wound up gaining an Emmy nomination for her short stint as Barb. Despite her death early in the series, Stranger Things season 2 seemed to end the controversy by giving Barb justice without putting too much focus on her, specifically. Nancy carried the guilt of Barb's death, forcing her to take action. She successfully made Hawkins Lab publicly take responsibility for Barb's death as a way to give the Holland family closure. It seems like Stranger Things has a habit of presenting lovable innocent characters and then killing them off. Bob Newby (Sean Astin) went through a similar arc before his tragic death, but his demise didn't spark much of a fan campaign.
How Stranger Things 4 Finally Gave Justice To Barb
Similar to the way Nancy's guilt is handled during Stranger Things season 2 over Barb's death, Stranger Things season 4 provides another moment of justification for the character. In Stranger Things season 4, Nancy is transported into the Upside Down and has a run-in with the season's main antagonist, Vecna. In this scene he tortures Nancy over Barb's demise, forcing her to look at her friend's decaying body and asking her if she has already forgotten that she left Barb all alone to die a painful death. This callback was more than fan service (although #JusticeForBarb proponents would no doubt agree with the sentiment): Stranger Things season 4 justified Barb's death by making it matter more, showing that Nancy still is haunted by the tragic incident and that Barb is far from forgotten.
Barb's brief return also created real stakes right before Stranger Things' first ever mid-season break, leaving Nancy trapped in Vecna's mind and the audience trapped in an agonizing month's wait to find out whether she escaped. While Barb's funeral in season 2 did provide some closure for Barb in the town's long-sought acknowledgment of her existence and death, Stranger Things was right to drive home the point once again that Barb's bitter end deserved more attention than it initially got. The Duffer brothers let viewers know that even though Barb is gone, she's still impacting the story, and season 4 emphasized that her death wasn't in vain.