Hellfire Club. Eddie appears midway through the opening episode of Stranger Things’ fourth season like a surge spike through an amp. Holding court in the high school cafeteria, flanked by his fellow Dungeons and Dragons players collectively known as The Hellfire Club, Eddie is all flowing locks and BDE. He stomps about in beat-up Reeboks and talks about society’s condemnation of kids like himself, nodding to the Satanic Panic crisis of the 1980s and the West Memphis Three’s Damien Echols, whom Eddie is loosely based on. His high-octane entrance is punctuated by his mockery of the mean jocks with a highly gif-able devil horns face, followed by exaggerated grace and an impish grin as he steps aside while two cheerleaders cross his path. “He’s so charismatic that it’s like, ‘How can you not like Eddie?”
Eddie’s outfit was inspired by dudes who listened to wizard metal like Dio and King Diamond.” Stranger Things also cites ’80s movie icons such as brat pack alum Molly Ringwald and Ally Sheedy as major inspirations for some of the costumes in season 4. Stranger Things champions the charm of 80s fashion by embracing some of the fun and kitsch elements of the era (i.e. El’s iconic romper in season 3!), while also staying true to the decade.
