Heading into the final season of Stranger Things, fans have been flooding the internet with theories about who might return for the final chapter of the show. From Reddit threads to social media posts, fans have been speculating about which former allies, forgotten foes, and unforgettable side characters could and should make their way back to Hawkins for the last stand against Vecna.
Stranger Things season 5 volume 1 finally arrived on November 26 with the first four episodes of the season dropping on Netflix. Across these four episodes, we see the focus remain on the show’s most central characters; however, there are a few surprise returns sprinkled throughout the episodes, including some familiar faces from the show’s most recent season as well as a character who has not appeared since season 3 and one last seen in season 2!
While there are some fun surprises in the episodes, there are some notable characters fans were hoping might pop up that sadly did not appear in any of the episodes via new content.
We still have four episodes left in the final season, so there is always a chance the show might have a few surprises up its sleeve. For now, though, fans will have to keep waiting, as there’s no appearance from these particular characters in the first four episodes of Stranger Things season 5.
Warning: Spoilers ahead for the first four episodes of Stranger Things season 5.
Matthew Modine as Dr. Martin Brenner
Dr. Brenner might have died in season 4, but this is a man who has cheated death before, which is why so many expected that he could show up at some point in the final season. There is still a real chance that we could see Brenner in new footage before the show comes to a close, likely via a flashback, but there is no appearance from Matthew Modine in the first four episodes of the season.
Dacre Montgomery - Billy Hargrove
Technically speaking, we do see Dacre Montgomery in the first four episodes of the season; however, it’s not via any new footage. Instead, we see a flash of Billy from a past episode during the fourth episode of the season. Given Billy appeared in the volume 1 finale via a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it style flashback as part of a montage, we could absolutely see him returning before the show ends. After all, Montgomery did make an appearance in the fourth episode via a flashback which involved Max.
Paul Reiser as Dr. Sam Owens
We last saw Dr. Sam Owens in season 4 when he was left chained to the wall at the military facility hosting the Nina Project. Given the role he played in helping Eleven in season 4, fans refuse to believe that the moment was truly the last time we saw Owens. Unfortunately, Owens does not appear in the first four episodes of season 5, but we’re hoping that perhaps Owens will make an appearance sometime before the show signs off.
Eduardo Franco as Argyle
Sadly, it seems Eduardo Franco was not misleading fans when he revealed he had not gotten a call to return for the final season. Despite Argyle appearing in the final episode of season 4 in Hawkins with the rest of the Hawkins crew, the character is nowhere to be found when season 5 opens. It’s assumed that he left Hawkins to return to California, but no official confirmation is ever given. Who knows, perhaps Argyle might pop up in the final episodes via a fun cameo, but the odds aren’t looking good.
Joseph Quinn as Eddie Munson
We had a bad feeling from the moment we met Eddie Munson that Joseph Quinn’s time on the show was not likely to last long. Stranger Things has a bad habit of introducing new characters for fans to fall in love with only to then kill them off by the end of the season, and that was the case for Eddie. Eddie died in the season 4 finale, but fans have kept hope that perhaps he’ll return somehow in the final episodes. There is no appearance from Eddie in the first four episodes of season 5, but fans can keep holding out hope as there is always a chance Eddie could make an appearance in some capacity in the final four episodes.
Shannon Purser as Barb Holland
Fans still want justice for Barb, but sadly none comes for the character in the first four episodes of the season. There is no appearance from Barb in the first four episodes of the season; however, it sounds like we will see Barb at some point in the final season of Stranger Things. Or at least her body. Shannon Purser revealed that we will see Barb’s body at some point in season 5, hinting that perhaps Barb will at least be referred to in the final season, even if we don’t get to see Purser back for new scenes.
Gabrielle Pizzolo as Suzie
Last but certainly not least, we have Dustin’s long-distance girlfriend, Suzie. After returning in season 4, fans are hoping to see Gabrielle Pizzolo back for the final season. Given all that Dustin has gone through, we’re hoping he’ll get a happy ending in the season and that his happy ending will involve Suzie. However, the character does not appear in the first four episodes of the season, so we’re going to have to keep waiting to see if their never-ending story gets a happy ending.