Why Stranger Things Season 5 Won’t Resurrect One Dead Character

Sean Astin explains why his Stranger Things character won’t return in season 5 of the popular Netflix series. Astin made his series debut in season 2 as Joyce Byers’ boyfriend, Bob Newby. Bob helps Joyce, her sons, and those close to the Byers family throughout the season. This includes helping Joyce and the others escape the Demodogs at the Hawkins Laboratory, but the Demodogs kill Bob just when it seems like he is safe.

According to The Direct, Astin shared at LA Comic-Con why Bob, despite being a fan-favorite character, won’t return for Stranger Things season 5. With season 5 being the final season, a flashback could bring Bob back into the series once more without undoing his death and the impact it had on Joyce and the other characters. Despite this possibility, Astin is adamant that Bob will not make a triumphant return to the show. Read his comments below:

[Fans would] say, ‘Are you gonna be in ‘Stranger Things’,’ and I would say, ‘No, I’m dead.’ But why couldn’t they do a flashback [for Season 5]… to a happier time with—I know why they won’t. Because it’s going to be Hopper and Joyce, and they’re not going to want to flashback to a time when she was actually happy [laughs].

Why Bob Died In Season 2, And How His Story Will Continue Outside Of Season 5

Since season 1, Stranger Things has set up Joyce and Jim Hopper as a romantic pairing for the show’s endgame. The compassionate and quirky Bob is arguably a better fit for Joyce, but the focus on the Joyce and Hopper relationship meant that Bob never had a real chance of surviving the series. He instead got a heroic and tragic exit in the same season where he was introduced. This gave the story more time to develop Joyce and Hopper’s relationship in seasons 3 and 4, and season 5 will seemingly continue that development without stirring up memories of Bob.

Even though Bob won’t be in season 5, his story will continue in the Stranger Things prequel play that is being performed in London’s West End. Stranger Things: The First Shadow opened for previews on November 17 and will officially open on December 14. Set in Hawkins in 1959, the play explores the lives of Bob, Joyce, and Hopper during their senior year of high school, along with other familiar characters, 24 years before the events of Stranger Things season 1.

The play will also reveal more about Bob’s family, as the cast includes his sister, Patty Newby. The synopsis from Netflix says that “Bob’s sister won’t take his radio show seriously,” hinting at the dynamic between the siblings. Bob having a radio show also connects to him founding the AV Club at Hawkins Middle School. Exploring Bob in the play provides an opportunity to tell more of his story, including his history with Joyce and Hopper, without affecting Stranger Things season 5.

Source: The Direct