November 6 is an unimportant day on most of our calendars. But for Stranger Things fans, it’s the day a ragtag group of tweens began their journey toward discovering the sinister alternate universe implanted in their sleepy Midwestern town.
As a treat for fans eagerly anticipating the arrival of Season 5, creators and showrunners the Duffer Brothers shared the title of its first episode. Naturally, everyone online was sent into a tizzy about what “Chapter One: The Crawl” could mean for the show’s final batch of episodes.
Fans are convinced that this title, combined with the song Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn) shreds on his guitar before becoming yet another victim claimed by the monsters of the Upside Down, confirms Munson’s return. In his final moments, he played Metallica’s “Master of Puppets,” which contains the lines “Come crawling faster/obey your master.”
Will Eddie crawl back to the Right Side Up in Hawkins, Indiana? And if the lyrical Easter egg turns out to be a hint, who is the master Eddie will follow?
Will Eddie Munson come back?
We have no idea whether Eddie Munson will actually come back in Stranger Things Season 5. He looked doomed by the end of Season 4 Part 2, and his demise in Dustin Henderson’s arms — one of the most emotionally resonant moments in the entire series — seemed... permanent.
After years of feeling purposeless as an aimless Super Senior with no intention to graduate, stop playing Dungeons & Dragons, or leave his adolescence behind, Eddie sacrifices himself so the rest of the gang can escape the Upside Down unscathed. His plan to distract the “hive mind” that controls all the flesh-eating creatures mostly works, although Max’s status after her encounter with Vecna is still TBD. Either way, Eddie’s epic outro, set to “Master of Puppets,” leads to him being bitten and battered by monsters, leaving no mystery about his fate.
While we know that Eddie Munson was a fan-favorite character that came and went in just one season, it doesn’t seem likely that he’d be resurrected solely for fan service. That would ruin Dustin’s own journey of maturation, and it would dampen the importance of Eddie’s decision to put his friends before himself. Worse, if Eddie’s resurrection means that he’s obligated to serve Vecna — à la Dungeon & Dragons’ Kas the Bloody-Handed — our hero would be subjugated and corrupted, which no one wants to see.
Still, it’s fun to think about how Eddie could return. As a zombie, perhaps? Some hybrid Demogorgon-human, straight out of the games that Eddie loves to play? Or will the episode just pay tribute to his sacrifice? The possibilities are endless.
Even if “The Crawl” has absolutely nothing to do with Eddie, it’s an intriguing hint. We may have about a year and a half left until we can check out the final season, but we’re already wondering what surprises are in store for us.
Stranger Things Seasons 1-4 are available to stream on Netflix.
