Stranger Things Season 5 Vol. 1 just premiered, and very early on in the first episode, it establishes that the people of Hawkins still hate Eddie Munson. While the character died heroically, it seems that hate for Eddie has only grown in the latest season.
Here’s an explanation of why people still hate Eddie.
Why is Eddie hated by people in Stranger Things Season 5?
Stranger Things Season 5 opened with the aftermath of the events in Season 4, where Vecna killed several teens and tore massive portals throughout Hawkins. It not only affected the town physically, but also had an emotional toll on the residents.
Unfortunately, only a handful of people know the truth. Most people blame natural causes for the cracks in the ground and continue to believe that Eddie Munson murdered the kids. He already carried an unfair reputation for his carefree behavior and was labeled as a “freak.” To top it off, his Dungeons & Dragons group, the Hellfire Club, was even accused of being a satanic cult.
The issues began when Vecna killed Chrissy Cunningham in a gruesome manner. Since she was at Eddie’s trailer at the time of her death, everyone naturally blamed him. To make things worse, two more people died in the same way, and Chrissy’s boyfriend, Jason Carver, fueled the tension with his hate campaigns against the Hellfire leader. This sentiment has clearly carried over to the latest season, which takes place 18 months after the incident.
Since officials never revealed the truth to Hawkins residents, Eddie remains the scapegoat for all the deaths. And with Dustin still wearing the Hellfire Club T-shirt around the school, it appears to rile up others even more. Jason’s friend continues to bully Dustin for associating himself with the club, and later vandalizes Eddie’s tombstone with the words “Burn in Hell.”
Still, there’s no doubt that Eddie experienced a heroic death in the Season 4 finale. In a desperate attempt to distract Vecna’s demobats in the Upside Down, he sacrificed himself to save Dustin. As a result, Dustin continues to proudly wear the Hellfire Club’s T-shirt in honor of his heroic friend.
The first four episodes of Stranger Things Season 5 Vol. 1 are now streaming on Netflix. Vol. 2 will air on Christmas.
