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Stranger Things spoilers: Is Barb in Stranger Things 2?

By David Rouben

BEVERLY HILLS, CA - SEPTEMBER 16: Actress Shannon Purser arrives at the BBC America BAFTA Los Angeles TV Tea Party 2017 at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on September 16, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Amanda Edwards/WireImage)
BEVERLY HILLS, CA - SEPTEMBER 16: Actress Shannon Purser arrives at the BBC America BAFTA Los Angeles TV Tea Party 2017 at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on September 16, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Amanda Edwards/WireImage) /
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The #JusticeForBarb campaign was strong enough to get her an Emmy nomination, but was it strong enough to get her an appearance in Stranger Things 2?

Note: this article contains spoilers for Stranger Things 2. It’s out now on Netflix, so go watch it when you get a chance.

When Stranger Things first premiered in 2016, one of the unexpected breakout stars was Nancy’s friend Barb. Even though she was onscreen for approximately 90 seconds, she became a massive fan favorite on Twitter, inspiring hashtags such as #JusticeforBarb and #WeAreAllBarb.

Perhaps it’s because some people identify with her outsider persona and quiet demeanor that helped her become so popular. But not everyone was on board with Barb, as people became outraged with her receiving an Emmy nomination while Winona Ryder got snubbed.

If Barb’s fan campaign was enough to get her Emmy recognition, was it enough to make her appear in Stranger Things 2? Unfortunately for Barb Hive, she doesn’t appear in season 2. There was one scene, in the second episode, where Nancy thinks she sees her in the library, but it’s just someone else with a very similarly shaped back of the head.

But that doesn’t mean Barb doesn’t play a significant role in season 2. When we learn that her parents still don’t know what happened to her, even a year later, Jonathan and Nancy come up with a plan to incriminate Hawkins Lab with the help of conspiracy crackpot Murray Bauman. Now that’s a character worth creating a fan campaign over.

Eventually, the tape gets leaked to the press and Barb’s parents hold a long overdue funeral for her. Nancy, meanwhile, can move on with her life knowing that she doesn’t have to conceal the truth to anyone anymore. And if that isn’t justice for Barb, I don’t know what is.

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Just like most of season 1, season 2 of Stranger Things still found a way to succeed without Barb in it. Hopefully, by wrapping up her story arc in season 2, we can all finally move on from her.