What could have been? Stranger Things has shocked viewers with plenty of twists and turns over the years — but not every idea made it on screen.
Ahead of the show’s fifth and final season, the official Twitter account for the writers’ room shared some major bombshells. “Crazy s–t that almost happened #1: In season 2, a possessed Will was going to kill Bob,” the October 2022 post read.
During season 2, viewers were introduced to Joyce’s (Winona Ryder) boyfriend Bob Newby (Sean Astin). The newcomer quickly became a fan favorite — only to be killed in the massacre at Hawkins Lab.
At the time, the show’s creators recalled how the cast’s love for Astin affected Bob’s story line. “Bob was always intended to die, but we fell in love with Sean and what he was doing with this character,” Ross Duffer told Entertainment Weekly in May 2019. “He was supposed to die in like episode 4 and we just kept keeping him alive because he was so great and what he added to the show.”
The Lord of the Rings star, for his part, also praised his experience on set alongside Ryder. “Winona is a revelation,” he exclusively told Us Weekly in August 2020. “I loved every second working with her. Her body of work is magical. I just can’t say enough how much I admire her.”
Joyce’s personal life continued to face some major changes when she traveled to Russia in season 4 to rescue her love interest Jim Hopper (David Harbour). After the season premiered, the writers’ room once again offered a glimpse at the scenes that almost never made it to the screen.
According to the social media account, Hopper and Joyce’s brief goodbye before the battle in the Russian prison didn’t include a kiss. However, Harbour and Ryder added the unscripted embrace after discussing the relationship between their characters.
The Black Widow actor previously gushed about getting to bring Joyce and Hopper’s slow-burn romance to life.
“It’s something that we’ve mapped out, how much they want to show is really up to them. Winona and I postulate a bunch of stuff, we have a bunch of theories. Some of them are very wild, and some of them are very tame,” he told Variety in May 2022. “In general, they had a time in high school — they knew each other when they were super innocent, and they had all this potential, both of them.”
One month later, Harbour praised his scene partner for her commitment to the show. “The vital beating heart behind every season of Stranger Things is Joyce and Winona Ryder’s stunning performance for the last seven years,” the New York native wrote via Instagram in June 2022. “Joyce will save her son, all the Hawkins kids, Hopper and the withering magnetism of her funky kitchen magnets.”
Scroll down for a guide to every moment that almost happened on Stranger Things:
