In many ways, the character of Barb on Stranger Things became the biggest cult figure of 2016. The nerdy teenager, played by actress Shannon Purser, was actually a relatively minor character in the series, but that didn’t stop viewers from latching onto her. The fact that her sudden disappearance on the show was seemingly greeted with shrugs by the townsfolk of Hawkins, Indiana, while the vanishing of Will Byers had people forming search parties seemed….well, let’s just say, kind of unfair. It’s the one notable storytelling flaw in an otherwise tremendous show.
Maybe Barb’s subsequent popularity is due to her being the symbol for all of us who went unnoticed in high school, and didn’t fit in with the popular kids, and followed the rules while the other kids had way more fun. Or, maybe I’m totally overthinking it, and Barb is so beloved because of her killer pair of oversized glasses.
In any event, Netflix is well aware of Barb-mania, and as a special Halloween treat for the Stranger Things fan base, they’ve released a special “news report” on YouTube, from Hawkins local TV station WIYZ Channel 5. The news anchor reports on the sudden vanishing of Barbara Holland, who we of course know simply as Barb. The video pokes fun at poor Barb’s unfortunate ’80s wardrobe, making sure to mention that “she could really rock a pair of mom jeans. Or, as we call them now, jeans.”
As a special little extra, the news report video also tackles Eleven’s grocery store adventure, described as “a shoplifting incident with a vagrant juvenile, who escaped with an unprecedented amount of Eggo Waffles.”
Is this little video enough to tide you over till season two of Stranger Things? Let us know in the comments below.
Image: Netflix
