We Finally Have Closure About Why Barb Had to Die in 'Stranger Things'
Stranger Things season two is set to premiere on Netflix on October 27, but one beloved character will be missing: high school student Barbara Holland, AKA the inimitable Barb. Of course, we’ve known this for a while—she was killed in season one by The Monster/Demogorgon in the Upside Down pool—but that doesn’t make our grief less real. But even though she’s gone, the Internet was captivated by her, falling for her epic eye roll, coke-bottle glasses, and her loyalty to her best friend, Nancy Wheeler. (Jimmy Fallon even spoofed her death on The Tonight Show.) But we still need closure—namely, why did she have to die in the first place??
Gaten Matarazzo, who plays compass genius Dustin Henderson, shed some light on the matter Saturday night at the BAFTA pre-Emmy tea party.
“She has passed. She is dead,” Matarazzo told Elle in no uncertain terms. “The character was written to die.”
Ah. He went on to explain that the point of Barb’s character was merely to illuminate how vulnerable everyone actually was to the Upside Down and the Demogorgon.
Matarazzo continued: “That was what the character was, and I think that bringing her back would kind of defeat the purpose.”
Barb’s fate is certainly unfortunate, but Matarazzo did reveal some good news. Her mysterious disappearance hasn’t been forgotten by himself, Will, Mike, Eleven, her best friend Nancy, and the rest of the crew. He also reiterated to fans that there will be #JusticeForBarb in the show’s second season—a plot point that will delve into her backstory.
Although we will sadly never get to relate to Barb’s social awkwardness and third-wheeling tendencies ever again, she will live forever in our hearts, the hashtag, and perfect Halloween costumes for years to come.
Related Stories:
–‘Stranger Things’ Season Two: Everything We Know (So Far)
–“Justice for Barb” Is Coming in ‘Stranger Things’ Season Two
–Drop Everything: The First Full Trailer for Season 2 of ‘Stranger Things’ Is Here