There’s been an interesting buzz in online fandom circles around Joe Keery, who plays lovable Steve Harrington in Stranger Things, comparing Eddie Munson’s dramatic death scene to Lord of the Rings. This sparked debate among fans about creative symbolism and whether one truly surpasses the other as an iconic farewell. Keery believes Eddie Munson’s sacrifice mirrors Pippin taking on Shelob and that The Helm’s Deep-esque concert played out similar to the Siege of Gondor with Eddie being their Aragorn figure, sacrificing himself as a distraction (and headbanging maestro!) to save Dustin and the other demobastilled escape.
Before we get into Keery’s exact comparison point and whether or not his Tolkien connections hold up, it seems crucial to understand how deeply tied Stranger Things became to fantasy tropes with The Upside Down and the monsters within taking cues from classic horror literature often seen alongside Lord of * Rings*, such being the “gateway drug” for those who then gravitated hacia higher, darker fiction fantasy that wasn’t “just goblins!”.
With these elements intertwined, fans began finding even more parallels. From season 1’s Will’s disappearance mimicking the loss of Tom Bombadil (though Will was luckily revived!), to Hopper wielding something vaguely resembling Gandalf’s fighting style in Warcraft, this love for fantasy isn’t truly out of left field. So, is it just fan fun, a deliberate stylistic choice by the writers or, as some theorize – proof Matt and Ross Duffer are channeling inner Tolkien more deliberately than ever?
- The Significance of Stranger Things‘ Borrowing: Understanding this historical context about fandoms interpreting narratives helps us see why Keery’s Eddie-as-LOTR comparison resonates with a part of the audience. Did the Duffers knowingly stitch The Two Towers moments into the Eddie’s arc? The lines between “influences,” intentional or unwitting subtext, get incredibly nuanced here, even if it fuels online fandom debate to no end!
Let me explore some core issues around how these parallels work: Did they detract from fan emotions in Stranger Things? Were these borrowed tropes effective storytelling on behalf of the Duffers brothers… Let’s dive deeper
So how did Eddie go full Lothlorian? Joe Keery suggested this via social media comparing Eddie’s doomed showdown with Jason Carver (let’s not forget about Arvie! Another character whose The Witch-infused demise gave fans chills reminiscent of LOTR side characters perishing valiantly), playing a Metallica solo on Hellfire Club-sized instruments to being a “Pippin taking on Shelob figure.” He also argued the Vecna arc mirrors The Siege of Gondor – chaos and danger where, in their epic music moment before succumbing to Demobats, the party’re like our Fellowship trying desperately for Gondor.
Fans immediately reacted. Keery is not known to engage in hardcore Tolkien theories. Some scoffed – “Eddie sacrificing himself didn’t hold The One Ring,” etc., questioning how this comparison stacked up against epic fantasy standards when compared with something that literally had Balrogs * and Orcs*. Was it too simplistic? Too meta? Was Keery messing up LOTR lore by implication making Stranger Things its direct descendant, rather than just inheriting some themes and visuals fans have already established in their own minds while watching!
Proponents, however – passionate about both fandoms crossing over – pointed back to Duffer Bros. themselves previously acknowledging their passion for Tolkien – so maybe they actually were weaving a narrative structure echoing LOTR. Some hardcore loreheads pointed out: like Frodo and the Fellowship on Aragobnath’s slopes before Mordor, Eddie & Dustin faced the Demogorgon at Vecna’s stronghold, The Upside Down becoming its twisted echo of Mordor in which they bravely made a stand before their demise and escape became possible afterward…
This is ultimately Fan Analysis 101. There are a lot more complex things about literary criticism, but we can see how Keery brought upon both:
- Simplification VS Meta Commentary: Could his LOTR comparison just simplify Eddie’s sacrifice. Yes. Or was it meant to be lighthearted fandom connection point knowing how heavily both franchises have influenced the teen horror movie/fantasy TV landscape of decades gone by.
Let’s put this into real-world examples : Think Disney princesses reimagined as Marvel superheroes, Star Wars vs Lord of The Rings fan videos. This trend blurs franchise lines for playful cross-pollination and in 2023 internet fun thrives – if Joe Keery sparks that debate over fandom drinks (online or otherwise).
This is where it’s hard to take away the definitive good and bad.* Both simplify (for meta-hum) OR intentionally weave complex things as fan theories do. Maybe there’s too much middle ground for us mortals to dissect – even if it got some folks debating whether a truly worthy “Lord Of THX 1138!” exists to rule! What do YOU think, reader?
By dissecting Joe Keery’s comparison of Eddie Munson’s Stranger Things demise to a Lord of the Rings tale, we discover just how profoundly deeply fantasy literaty works penetrate popular culture—it’s not simply borrowed imagery, but structural echo effects in storytelling.
While purists may dismiss Keery’s sentiment as oversimplification, it illuminates two distinct camps: Those seeing deliberate parallel structures woven by the Duffers brother, and Those suggesting it boils down to pop culture “play”—two fandoms colliding for memetic fun…but what does that tell us? This illustrates how viewers actively engage in creating meaning, identifying with themes/tropes they love across franchises. Can Stranger Things’ influence on future fantasy narratives now be seen directly tied to Eddie Munson? Would you then say Vecna is an actual “Dark Wizard“ if we apply LOTR comparison too much? And what happens when a show doesn’t explicitly acknowledge those inspirations?
It begs questions. Does deliberate Tolkienian echoing elevate a modern story, or does such reliance feel cliché in this increasingly interwoven pop-culture landscape ? Fans and creators alike grapple with these questions, blurring the lines between influence and homage and prompting fresh reflections on how we interpret narratives. Ultimately, these conversations remind us that stories are always alive because they belong not only to their authors but also to the vast web of voices that weave them into something new. Perhaps Joe Keery started a thought experiment with no right answer!
What role do you think Lord OF THX played, in fan culture as we see it TODAY– if any and for future writers, directors- will Tolkien be less ‘direct copy’ to more like ‘DNA template’?
