Major spoilers ahead for Stranger Things 2. If you haven't finished binge watching, check out one of our other stories.
Out of all the fan reactions that The Duffer Brothers have heard regarding Stranger Things Season 2, one especially shocked the show's creators. Apparently, the two couldn't believe that so many folks initially thought Sean Astin's Bob Newby was secretly a double agent for Hawkins Lab, or really anything other than a lovable goof. The brothers shared their surprise with Cinemablend's Conner Schwerdtfeger in an interview at a Master Class event at Chapman University:
Matt Duffer: I wasn't aware of it till people started to watch. Whatever, we started to hear though, people thinking that this guy was gonna turn out evil. I was shocked by it. It's almost like he was too nice. We didn't want to trick anyone. He was always supposed to be a bit of a dork but very loveable and smart.Ross Duffer: That came as a surprise.
The Duffer Brothers' attitude about Bob might come as an even bigger surprise to fans of Stranger Things, some of which thought Bob was a little too calm about the shocking amount of weird stuff that was unfolding before him. Many who watched Season 2 knew pretty early on that Will was secretly being monitored by Hawkins Lab's higher-ups during his doctor visits at the facility, so the theory that they would have a secret employee who Joyce was familiar with integrate his way into the family didn't seem too far-fetched. Fans fears were finally put to rest when Bob met his unfortunate end, and with his death came a heartbreaking realization that he was just a good guy after all.
It plays out as a great moment in the plot for those who believed Bob had some secret evil agenda, although The Duffer Brothers assure the misdirection was completely unintentional. While acccidental, Matt Duffer is especially happy with the result, and that Sean Astin's character is getting so much love from the Stranger Things community. As such, he attempted to better interpret some of Bob's actions in early episodes that led some to think he was up to no good:
Matt Duffer: "I like it though. It was good, but we weren't purposely misleading people. I mean when he gives Will the bad advice, it's actually... It's actually fairly good advice. It just happens to be, given the supernatural circumstances, which Bob could never. It's not his fault. How could he ever know what's going on in the supernatural world. No, he's just a good guy. But I love it, people responded to Sean Astin's performance in a way that we were really hoping for, so we're really happy with the response to him and Bob."
Stranger Things Season 2 is currently streaming on Netflix, and Cinemablend has all the interviews and analysis fans are craving. For more on the series, hear what the Duffer's had to say about a potential spin-off, offering closure for Barb, or what that final scene was all about. For more on what we thought about Season 2, be sure to check out the latest episode of The Cord Cutter Podcast for additional analysis and fun. Those looking for something else to jump into following the conclusion of Stranger Things should visit our fall premiere guide to see what's coming up.
