The end of the recently released Stranger Things: Volume 4 brought another epic chapter to this story and it included a death that crushed the hearts of viewers everywhere. Eddie Munson was introduced in this newest chapter and quickly became a fan favorite.
Nobody wanted to see him fall victim to the same thing that happened to the likes of Bob and Alexei, yet it did. His death was a heartbreaking end to his character arc and these Reddit fans shared their reactions to the sad scene.
The Scene Was Underwhelming
When Eddie Munson had the opportunity to prove he could be a hero, after mentioning he wasn't a hero previously, he charges in to fight a swarm of demobats. He did this to keep them from going back to Vecna's house in the Upside Down and swarming the group there.
However, some fans were not impressed with his heroic scene. Reddit user Satal111 19 said, "His death was a little underwhelming. this was supposed to be his heroic moment but his sacrifice did nothing as the bat creatures fell down dead minutes later." Though he did prove himself to be a hero at this moment, it was disappointing to see the thing he died for suddenly become irrelevant.
Ending Didn't Live Up To The Arc
Eddie is featured in some of the best scenes in season 4 of Stranger Things. Though he was quirky and didn't seem to fit into the social setting of high school, it was clear he was someone the younger kids could look up to. He was proud of who he was and didn't let people stop him from being exceptionally weird.
Reddit user Key-Cycle369 said, "The scenes leading up to his death were phenomenal. But his arc ending with him not running away, only to get killed by demobats didn’t feel right." Eddie quickly became a fan favorite in season 4, so many fans were not impressed with his sudden death and thought his story arc was leading to greater things.
His Character Would Have Been Ruined If He Ran
Though Eddie claimed not to be a hero, fans were convinced that he was going to do something exceptional to earn his character credibility in the world of Stranger Things. Many fans are upset that he didn't try hard to get away from the demobats, but others think his storyline would have been pointless had he just run away.
Reddit user exlatios said, "You gotta remember that they all agreed to not stray from the plan no matter what. Eddie and Dustin running there would’ve been terrible for his character since he agreed." Many fans were disappointed to see him die, but some also feel his heroic end was inevitable for the plot.
He Should Have Kept Running
While there are fans that think he couldn't have run without ruining his character's arc, others disagree. Some fans believed that Eddie should have tried to get away from the bats and lived another day. These fans think Eddie's death made no sense in the storyline.
Reddit user bohemiantranslation said, " If Eddie wanted to distact the bats why did he have to run into an open field? Why couldn't he have taken his bike to another building and kept distracting them?" Some fans think his death was heroic, but others feel his death was stupid and pointless.
He Made A Worthy Sacrifice
There were many characters in season 4 that almost died, but Eddie was one of the few that didn't make it out alive. Despite the audience being upset about his demise, there are many that thought it was a worthy sacrifice.
Redditor jedijock90 said, "He did the courageous thing to fight and buy the strike team time, but the time was going to be bought by someone else regardless. He was such a great character and his sh*tty death fit his story perfectly." Regardless of the threat ending soon after his death, some fans felt his sacrifice felt dire at the moment and was therefore appropriate.
The Plot Didn't Require His Death
There are a lot of epic fights in volume 4, including the one Eddie has with the demobats. However, as mentioned previously, fans thought his death was far from satisfying. Though it made for a great heroic scene, it didn't serve the plot to kill off Eddie.
Reddit user Point_Slow said, "It doesn't push forward the plot, it offers no character growth...and usually has minimal impact on other characters beyond a short grief scene. It's solely a writing tool to pull the rug out from under the readers/viewers' feet." Regardless of the arguments about what he should have done, these fans thought it was the wrong choice on the part of the writers.
The Show Needs To Honor Him
Character deaths are inevitable when it comes to action-packed, supernatural shows like this one. However, that doesn't mean the deaths have to be written off as an end to a storyline and forgotten about by the next season.
Whether or not fans are upset about the death of Eddie Munson, they want to see it honored in the future. Redditor reelfilmgeek said, "I'm hoping we see the impact of his heroic sacrifice affect Dustin next season a bit more as that would at least make it feel a little bit less lazy." Instead of just wiping their hands of this hero, fans expect the writers to remind the audience of his sacrifice.