A guide to stories that almost happened

What could have been? Stranger Things has shocked viewers with many twists and turns over the years – but not every idea made it to the screen.

Ahead of the show’s fifth and final season, the official Twitter account for the writers’ room shared some major bombshells. “Crazy thing that almost happened #1: In season 2, possessed Will will kill Bob,” read the October 2022 post.

During the second season, viewers were introduced to Joyce’s (Winona Ryder) boyfriend Bob Newby (Sean Astin). Money quickly became a fan favorite – only to be killed in the Hawkins Lab massacre.

At the time, the show’s creators recalled how the cast’s love for Astin influenced Bob’s story. “Bob was always going to die, but we fell in love with Sean and what he did with this character,” Ross Duffer he told Entertainment Weekly in May 2019. “He was supposed to die like in episode 4, and we just kept him alive because he was so great and what he added to the show.”

The Lord of the Rings The star, for her part, also praised her experience on the set together with Ryder. “Winona is a revelation,” he said exclusively Us Weekly August 2020 “I loved every second of working with her. Her work is magical. I 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 Harbor). After the season premiere, the writers’ room once again offered a look at 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 did not include a kiss. However, Harbor and Ryder embraced after discussing the relationship between their characters.

The Black Widow actor previously talked about reviving Joyce and Hopper’s slow-burning romance.

“It’s something we’ve mapped out, how much they want to show is really up to them. Winona and I postulate a bunch of things, we have a bunch of theories. Some of them are very wild and some are very tame,” he said Diversity May 2022 “Generally speaking, 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.”

A month later, Harbor praised his co-star for her commitment to the show. “The important beating heart behind every season of Stranger Things is Joyce and Winona Ryder’s stunning performance over the past seven years,” the New York native wrote via Instagram in June 2022. “Joyce will save her son, all the Hawkins kids, Hopper, and the debilitating magnetism of her funky kitchen magnets.”

Scroll down for a guide to every moment that almost happened Stranger Things: