Stranger Things season 5 part 1 saw a different Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) than the audience was used to, and this has sparked a lot of complaints – however, all of them are forgetting a key detail from Dustin’s story. After four successful seasons, which earned it a place among the best TV shows of all time, Stranger Things is ending with its fifth and final season.

Set a year after the ending of season 4, Stranger Things season 5 part 1 sees Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and the Hawkins crew coming up with a plan to find and defeat Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) while the town is in quarantine and overseen by the military. Even though they are all working together, each member of the Hawkins team is struggling with something.

Perhaps the most notable changes are those in Dustin, who in the first episodes of season 5 is a lot more serious, irritable, and even reckless, and he’s not even getting along with Steve (Joe Keery). This has led to many complaints about Dustin’s attitude in season 5, but they all forget a key detail about his story.

Complaints Surrounding Dustin In Stranger Things Season 5 Are Forgetting How Eddie Died

Dustin’s changes didn’t happen without justification, and there’s actually a very powerful reason behind them. In Stranger Things season 4, Dustin bonded with Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn), the leader of the school’s Dungeons & Dragons club called “Hellfire Club.”

Unfortunately, Eddie was attacked by Demobats in the Upside Down, and he died in Dustin’s arms. Even worse, they had to leave Eddie’s body behind. At the end of season 4, Dustin was determined to clear Eddie’s name as much as he could, as the people of Hawkins still believed he was a murderer and were glad he had died.

While Dustin had already seen many disturbing things since season 1, none were as traumatic as having one of his closest friends (and a brother figure to him) die in his arms and not being able to give him a proper resting place.

Why Dustin Had To Be Different In Stranger Things Season 5 After Eddie’s Death

Image via Netflix

The complaints about Dustin’s changes in Stranger Things season 5 forget not only that Eddie died in Dustin’s arms, but also that Dustin is currently grieving. Everyone deals with grief differently, so there’s no set time during which a person must grieve and then magically return to their life as it was before.

Grief changes people, some subtly and others not so much, but given how traumatic Eddie’s death was to Dustin, he had to be different in Stranger Things season 5. It definitely doesn’t help that the people of Hawkins still believe the worst about Eddie, and the bullies keep taunting Dustin about it, so of course Dustin is different this season.

Dustin’s Grief Might Lead To Another Tragedy In Stranger Things Season 5

Stranger Things has always been full of surprises, and it doesn’t hold back when it comes to shocking and tragic moments. Right now, Dustin and Steve aren’t on the best of terms, with Dustin being more aggressive and Steve not really getting why his young friend is acting that way.

This has led Dustin and Steve to not talk to each other unless strictly necessary, and knowing how Stranger Things has prepared the audience for big tragedies, this might end up leading to the long-theorized death of Steve.

If Steve dies when he and Dustin aren’t getting along as they used to, it would be an even more heartbreaking moment for Dustin and the audience, and would only make Dustin’s pain even greater. There was no way Dustin would be the same after Eddie’s death, but hopefully, he will be able to avenge Eddie’s death and fix his friendship with Steve.