WARNING! Spoilers below for Season 2 of âStranger Things.â
On one fateful November night in 1983, Barbara Holland (Shannon Purser) attended a party at Steve Harringtonâs (Joe Keery) house, simply hoping to keep an eye on her friend, Nancy (Natalia Dyer).
She wouldnât make it home that night.
Or any night.
Itâs kinda of hard to do that after youâre killed by a damn Demogorgon.
Barbâs death was covered up by nefarious characters at Hawkins Lab, and the show largely went on without her. That was originally going to be it. Purser herself has said that Barb âwasnât supposed to be a big dealâ in Netflixâs âStranger Things.â
But following the characterâs death, fans rallied around her. The surge of support inspired think pieces and hashtags; Purser even ended up with an Emmy nomination.
Fans demanded #JusticeForBarb.
At San Diego Comic-Con over the summer, producer Shawn Levy described what âjustice for Barbâ would actually look like, telling HuffPost, âSomeoneâs to blame, and itâs not just a Demogorgon, so maybe her justice has to do with whoever else is responsible.â
In Season 2, those responsible finally pay:
Steve Harrington
âI did not mean to kill Barb. That was not my idea of a good time,â actor Joe Keery recently told HuffPost. He continued, âI donât know if anyone remembers, but when she cuts her finger, I think I point her to the direction of the bathroom. I donât think Iâm trying to be a dick to her. Sorry, Barb. Rest in peace.â
Steve isnât directly responsible for Barbâs disappearance, but she does go missing while waiting for him and Nancy to be done with their sexy time together. And for that, we demand justice.
Lucky for us, in the new season, Steveâs unwillingness to come forward about what happened to Barb â at least to her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Holland â contributes to his breakup with Nancy.
Sorry, Steveâs relationship. Rest in peace.
Nancy Wheeler
Sure, Nancy once unknowingly left Barb to be dragged to her death in the Upside Down, but people make mistakes, right?
Her penance in Season 2 is bringing the truth to light. HuffPost also spoke to Dyer at Comic-Con, where she told us Nancy had an âitchinessâ to do the right thing ever since Barbâs death.