Who was Barb and how did she die?
Barbara ‘Barb’ Holland was best friends with Nancy Wheeler and a student at Hawkins High School.
She was killed by the Demogorgon after being dragged into the Upside Down after a pool party gone seriously wrong.
Nancy had dragged Barb to the party, which was hosted by school jock and all-round cool guy Steve Harrington.
Just before Barb disappeared, she and Nancy had a fight over Nancy going up to Steve’s bedroom.
Left alone, and feeling excluded from the party, Barb hung out near the pool as Jonathan Byers hid in the bushes, taking photos.
She left blood from a cut on her finger drip into the pool, which attracted the monster who dragged her to the Upside Down.
For a while Nancy was the only person who seemed to care that Barb had disappeared. Her parents remained mostly-offscreen, and didn’t seem to be concerned.
Eventually Barb was confirmed dead when Eleven found her body in the Upside Down – wrapped in a sort-of web and with a slug hanging out of her mouth.
Is Barb definitely dead?
Matt Duffer, who created Stranger Things with his twin Ross, has confirmed that Barb is no more.
“I mean, yes ― yes, she’s dead. I thought we were pretty clear about that,” he said.
“There’s a slug hanging out of her mouth ― out of her dead corpse. And then if you were still confused, Jim Hopper finds her in the nest, also very dead.”
“So if you are holding out hope that she is still alive, that’s just wishful thinking,” Ross added.
In a later interview with IGN, Matt explained that season one took place over “the course of six or seven days”, which didn’t give them enough time to explore the effects of Barb’s loss.
“It’s not like her parents are like ‘Oh Barb left. She died!’” Matt said.
“That stuff is all happening. We’re just not spending any screen time on it.”
The lack of concern for Barb’s wellbeing sparked the real-life hashtag #JusticeForBarb, and fans will be relieved to know season two serves just that.
David Harbour, who plays Hopper, told TV Guide: “As a result, I think, of some of the fandom and also as a result of what we want to explore, justice for Barb is a big thing in season two.
“Barb was not given the justice she deserved in season one because we were focused on Will and saving a child, but so we’ve realised from the fans that Barb is important, and so we are going to treat her with the respect that she deserves.”
Daily Express :: TV and Radio Feed
