A devastated fan started the petition for Eddie Munson’s life on Change.org just one day after the fourth season finale. They posted a smarmy still of the persona flashing the bird with a statement crying for help and for Quinn’s followers to band together and spread the word. Within days of the petition’s launch, thousands of viewers showed their support by signing it and posting comments like “Eddie deserves to graduate” and “heathens” for the show’s creators. The campaign got frequent updates with fresh images to evoke emotions and advice to raise awareness of Eddie Munson. Even a Facebook page was created in remembrance of the deceased’s “unfair” passing, according to the admirers.
Even though he witnessed mind-bending tragedies one after another, from Chrissy’s death to the knowledge that there is an Upside Down reality with an evil Mindflayer bent on destroying the world, Eddie repeatedly stated that he wasn’t the hero of any narrative and that he thought he was a coward. After a sinister Metallica solo, Eddie met his terrible demise in the face of this evil, giving himself to the Demobats in order to save his new companions and the community that turned him into the monster. Eddie Munson smiled up at Dustin and asked, “I didn’t run away this time, right?” while hundreds of people wept throughout the world. “I guess it’s my year, Henderson,” was the closing phrase.
Quinn claimed he would be glad to return as a projection of Dustin’s imagination or “like his conscience or something,” even though the campaign expressly states they want Eddie back and “not just as a flashback.” In the end, what really infuriated viewers was the charm and genuine goodness that Eddie held underneath his gruff demeanor, as well as the grandiose redemption story provided to a guy who was never really a coward to begin with. Many people think Eddie’s death was unneeded and unjustified for the story, but if anything, the petition demonstrates what a great character Eddie was and how movingly Quinn depicted him.
The petition is about 30,000 signatures strong as of the time of writing this post, and it appears that it will shortly meet its target. Who knows how Netflix or The Duffer Brothers themselves will react to the petition, but the message from fans is very clear: Eddie wants justice since 1986 was meant to be his year.
