Stranger Issues has many mysteries to uncover going into its closing season, however one which may not get a solution is the destiny of the Byers household’s canine, Chester. The shaggy pet was notably solely seen in season 1 of the Netflix sci-fi collection, showing in a handful of episodes as an ancillary determine to Winona Ryder’s Joyce and David Harbour’s Hopper, as he appears uniquely tuned to the world and creatures of the Upside Down.
Nonetheless, within the close to decade since he was final seen within the season 1 finale, sneaking meals off of the counter in the course of the Byers household’s glad Christmas Eve dinner, Chester has been fully absent, not even together with mentions of the canine. Whereas showing at Stranger Con Chicago previous to season 3’s premiere, Noah Schnapp confirmed that Chester had handed away someday after season 1, albeit when and why has by no means been answered.
Now, in an interview with ScreenRant‘s Ash Crossan to debate season 5’s launch, Shawn Levy weighed in on Chester’s absence since Stranger Issues season 1. The chief producer/director started by acknowledging that the present hasn’t launched numerous supporting relations, notably Steve Harrington’s dad and mom, who he was “neither confirming nor denying” their potential look within the closing season after making a “temporary look” within the Broadway enlargement, The First Shadow.
Nonetheless, he did level to Chester’s ambiguous destiny about being one of many largest “dangling Chads” for him throughout Stranger Issues‘ lore, admitting to being “unclear if the Demogorgon ate him” or if the Byers’ concentrate on combating the Upside Down left their pet “forgotten and [having] died of malnutrition“:
However someplace, that canine has an untold story. Folks discuss justice for Barb, justice for Eddie? How about justice for the season 1 canine?
A lot to Levy’s level, the unspecified motive for Chester’s dying offscreen left a wide range of methods for the canine’s passing to be defined within the collection, together with probably being killed by one of many vicious Demogorgons. It definitely would not be uncharacteristic for the Stranger Issues monsters to have turned their consideration to the Byers household’s canine, as Natalia Dyer’s Nancy and Charlie Heaton’s Jonathan got here throughout the half-dead deer corpse within the woods after it had been attacked by stated creature.
As to why Chester by no means really got here again within the collection, the almost certainly rationalization has all the time been David Harbour’s unfavorable expertise with the actor that performed the canine, Cruiser, who he recalled having frequent points with whereas filming Stranger Issues season 1. Although pets are undeniably a core a part of a household dynamic, it is comprehensible why the Duffer brothers and Levy would merely elect to discover a path ahead for Harbour in lieu of the pet.
Stranger Issues: Largest Unanswered Questions & Mysteries After Season 4
Stranger Issues season 4 wrapped up its final two episodes, however quantity 2 additionally left viewers with many extra lingering questions and mysteries.
Chester is not the one main Byers member of the family who notably by no means returned after Stranger Issues season 1, as Ross Partridge’s Lonnie nonetheless has not made one other look. It definitely is extra according to his character to not have come again, given his makes an attempt to work his method again into Joyce and Jonathan’s life in season 1 was solely within the hopes of earning profits off of Will’s obvious dying.
Contemplating how a lot Stranger Issues season 5 has to wrap up throughout its eight episodes, it does sadly look like Chester’s destiny will go unanswered in the interim. Nonetheless, with every part from the upcoming Tales From ’85 spinoff collection, set between seasons 2 and three of the mainline collection, to new comics and books increasing the franchise, the Byers household’s pet may get a extra becoming sendoff in another vogue.
Stranger Issues season 5 quantity 1 premieres on November 26 on Netflix, adopted by quantity 2 on December 25, and the finale occasion on December 31.
- Launch Date
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2016 – 2025-00-00
- Community
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Netflix
- Showrunner
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Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer
- Administrators
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Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer, Andrew Stanton, Frank Darabont, Nimród Antal, Uta Briesewitz
- Writers
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Kate Trefry, Jessie Nickson-Lopez, Jessica Mecklenburg, Alison Tatlock