‘Stranger Things’ Creators Had to Give the Only F-Bomb to Winona Ryder

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While the ending of the series wasn’t perfect, it delivered a hugely satisfying moment: Joyce Byers unleashing a rare expletive while finally defeating Vecna. During the climactic battle, a weakened Vecna seemed to almost welcome death as Joyce, fueled by anger, famously told him he ‘messed with the wrong family’ before delivering the final blow with an axe.

Some fans have revisited statements made by the Duffer brothers about Season 5, particularly regarding what they described as one of the most shocking deaths in the show. It’s likely they were referring to the violent death of Vecna. The scene is intensely graphic, highlighting each blow and flashing back to previous victims of the Upside Down’s impact on Hawkins. However, according to actress Natalia Dyer, filming the scene didn’t require many retakes. She recently shared this with Tudum:

I’m a huge fan of Jamie Campbell Bower. I remember chatting with him about music when we first met, and he’s genuinely a very kind person. I specifically made time to meet him that day. That scene felt so natural – you can’t really practice something like that, it just has to happen in the moment. I think we only needed to film it a couple of times.

Why the Duffers Gave Joyce ‘Stranger Things‘ Only F-Bomb


Netflix

It’s surprising, but the show Stranger Things only features a single scripted use of the F-word across all five seasons. While it happened once before, the creators, the Duffer brothers, hadn’t originally intended for the word to be included, according to Matt Duffer.

We’d been waiting for the right moment to use a strong swear word on the show. It seems Dacre Montgomery might have accidentally said it during Season 3’s ‘The Sauna Test’ episode, but we didn’t intend for him to. We’ve been holding back, wanting to save it for a truly impactful scene, and we felt this was finally the right time – a moment that deserved it. We decided to have Winona deliver the line.

The Duffer brothers always intended for a specific character to ultimately defeat Vecna. They wanted the final blow to be incredibly impactful and emotionally resonant – what they described as “the most emotional decapitation in history” – and that narrowed down their options considerably, according to Ross Duffer in an interview with Variety.

She’s become the nurturing figure for the group, always looking out for everyone. It was really satisfying to see her finally strike the blow against Vecna, especially since we hadn’t seen her use her ax before. The idea to connect her actions to flashbacks of Bob came during editing, and it helped build her emotional intensity. We wanted more than just a triumphant moment; we aimed for something truly cathartic, allowing the characters to release the trauma they’ve endured. It wasn’t about simply celebrating a victory, but acknowledging the deep pain Vecna inflicted.

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2026-01-06 03:32