Eddie's Back? Kinda, but Not Quite

https://collider.com/stranger-things-eddie-munson-one-season/

Chrissy and Eddie in Stranger Things: Season 4

Last Summer, "Stranger Things" dominated the internet for months after the release of the show's fourth season. People, myself included, couldn't get enough. The success of Season 4 even propelled several featured songs (that were released in the 80s) to re-enter the charts in 2022, ~35 years after their release. Musician, Kate Bush, earned three Guinness World Records thanks to the season featuring her 1985 song, "Running up that Hill" which rose to the number 1 spot on the UK charts. All to say, this season was big.

Fans of "Stranger Things" are no strangers to the way the show works, each season a new character is introduced into the main group of characters, and then, subsequently killed off. Each season, fans spend enough time with these new characters that they start to genuinely like the new additions... just in time for said character to die. But, what makes it interesting for fans is that Stranger Things doesn't always kill each new character, a strong example is Robin, who was introduced in Season 3, became a main character, and is still around.

Season 4, starts off strong, we're introduced to several new characters, some of which quickly become fan favorites, including Eddie and Chrissy. Chrissy's demise happens fast, occurring at the end of the first episode. And while Eddie had all the traits of a "killable" character based on the criteria in the Stranger Things world, he fit in so well with the main group that it almost felt like he'd been there for years. The burning question of whether he would die or not was answered in the Season 4 finale, when he sacrificed himself to save his new friends. Despite the inevitability of his death, fans were shocked, but mostly disappointed that they didn't get much time with him and to see his character develop. 

Stranger Things doesn't normally have a history of bringing people back from the dead, so it's unlikely that we'll see much from Eddie in the upcoming Season 5. But, fans will get the opportunity to learn more about him in the form of a book, Stranger Things: Flight of Icarus. The book will be a prequel to the events in Season 4, telling the story of how the rebellious outcast became the hero we know and love. The book will explain Eddie's backstory and give fans the chance to spend more time with him. 

I think this is a good choice, fans want more of Eddie, but to bring him back from the dead would discredit the high stakes and remove the emotional impact of his death. The author of the book is also a writer for the show, so the content will stay consistent and be as legitimate as possible. I hate when shows and movies kill a character and then bring them back a few minutes later. It ruins the stakes and emotional impact.  I like the idea of a book much better than ruining his character just for more screen time.