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Stranger Things took its sweet time to drop the F-bomb, with many fans waiting to see who says it and when it happens in the series.
Now that the series has officially finished, the Duffer Brothers reveal how they decided when the F-bomb perfectly slotted in for the show.
How the Duffer Brothers Decided Who Drops the F-Bomb in Stranger Things
The scene in question comes from when Winona Ryder's Joyce Byers had to behead Vecna, only after telling the main culprit, "You f***ed with the wrong family," marking it as one of Stranger Things' rarest uses of the F-word.
"We haven't used the F-word in the show, and we've been looking for a moment for it," series co-creater Matt Duffer told Tudum, realizing that while Dacre Montgomery (who played Billy in season 3) dropped it first in The Sauna Test, they don't count it as impactful.
Matt added, "We were looking for a real moment that would deserve stronger language, and we've been saving it and felt like, well, if we're going to go there, this is the moment for it. Let's give it to Winona."
Without Joyce, Stranger Things would've felt incomplete. Without Joyce, Will wouldn't have found a way to return to Hawkins (given that it was she who first discovered her son could communicate through Christmas lights in their home). So, who would be better to deliver the F-bomb and replicate the iconic Molly Weasley line in Stranger Things?
How Winona Ryder Took the Beheading Scene in Stranger Things
In the same interview, Ryder explained that the beheading of Vecna scene only took two takes to finalize. The scene marked Ryder's last time with Vecna star Jamie Campbell Bower on the small screen.
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"I love Jamie so much," Ryder said, "I remember that he was in that position and we were talking about bands, and he's the most lovely person. I came in that day just for that. You can't rehearse a scene like that. You just have to sort of save it for the take. I think I only did it twice."
In a previous interview with Variety, Ross Duffer commended that Joyce is "the mother of this group, the protector" whom we have "never seen her hit anything with an ax," adding that she would be the perfect specimen to put an end to everything that destroyed Hawkins.
"That felt like such a satisfying way to deliver the final blow to Vecna," Ross said, "It felt right that it's not just a 'f*** yeah' moment. It was also, in a way, a cathartic moment for our characters, who are purging all this trauma that's been caused here. It's not just a stand-up and cheer moment. It's remembering that this evil has caused them so much pain."
Matt recalled telling their editor and composer: "'Let's make this the most emotional decapitation in history.' That was the goal."
All seasons of Stranger Things are streaming on Netflix.
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