In our landscape known as entertainment, a select group of movies, television shows, or characters are given the title of “popular”, “iconic”, or even “classic”. Sometimes, I try to check out programs or learn more about characters that get these titles to try to gain an understanding for why that program or character is well-liked in the first place. Back in 2022, when Stranger Things’ fourth season was released, I remember seeing pictures of Eddie Munson making his famous goofy face sprinkled across the internet like confetti on New Year’s Eve. Since I don’t watch the show, I didn’t think much of it then. That changed, however, when I saw the trailer for the fifth and final season of Stranger Things. Seeing Eddie’s headstone left me confused; how did this guy who seemed so popular on the internet end up dead? Like I said, I don’t watch the show. Therefore, I didn’t think it had a reputation like Lost or Game of Thrones; where no character is safe from getting killed off. Curiosity got the better of me almost immediately and I learned anything and everything I could about Eddie. To my surprise, the more I learned about him, the more I realized Eddie shared an uncanny amount of similarities with Harris Trinsky, my favorite character from Freak and Geeks. My curiosity, paired with my being a Harris Trinsky fan, are what led to the conception of this editorial, where I will discuss in depth why Eddie Munson and Harris Trinsky are two sides of the same coin!
Who is Eddie Munson and Harris Trinsky?
Before I officially begin this editorial, we need to establish who Eddie Munson and Harris Trinsky are, especially for readers who are unfamiliar with these characters. Eddie Munson made his debut in the fourth season of the popular Netflix show, Stranger Things. He was introduced as the Dungeon Master of The Hellfire Club as well as the local “metalhead” (someone who like metal music). Since his debut in 2022, Eddie has become one of the most beloved characters not just from Stranger Things, but in television history. Eddie’s distinct appearance and personality have also made him a very marketable character. Harris Trinsky is a character the titular “geeks” are friends with on Freak and Geeks. Though he appears in ten of the show’s eighteen episodes, Harris has a reputation for being someone the “geeks” turn to for advice and guidance. Because of his inconsistent appearances on the show, only a portion of information is known about Harris. Despite this, his dry sense of humor and brutal honesty left a memorable impression.
1. Eddie and Harris are Dungeon Masters
This similarity is what initially sparked the discovery of other similarities that exist between these two characters. In fact, when I learned Eddie was a Dungeon Master, the first thing I said was, “just like Harris Trinsky”. In Dungeons & Dragons, a game that relies on adventure and strategy, Dungeon Masters are the ones who essentially control the game (known to players as campaigns). On Freaks and Geeks and Stranger Things, both Harris’ and Eddie’s Dungeons & Dragons groups participate in a campaign. During these campaigns, each group welcomes a new member. In the Freak and Geeks episode, “Discos and Dragons”, Harris (who is affiliated with the “geeks”) invites Daniel (a member of the “freaks”) to join his group’s upcoming campaign. When Daniel experiences his first campaign, he realizes he enjoys Dungeons & Dragons and the company of Harris’ group, which consists of Sam, Neil, Gordon, and Bill. He even successfully completes his first campaign because Harris and the “geeks” explain the game along the way.
In the Stranger Things episode, “The Hellfire Club”, Lucas (one of the members of Eddie’s Dungeons & Dragons group) is unable to attend that night’s campaign due to a basketball game. Dustin and Mike (two other members of The Hellfire Club) invite Lucas’ sister, Erica, to stand in for Lucas. What works in Erica’s favor is how she is familiar with Dungeons & Dragons prior to being invited to The Hellfire Club. Her familiarity with the game, along with Eddie and the rest of The Hellfire Club’s support of her participation, help Erica win her first campaign.
Even though Harris and Eddie are Dungeon Masters of their respective Dungeons & Dragons groups, the way these groups are led is quite different. Harris’ approach is more casual, simply giving the “geeks” a reason to hang out on the weekends. Before the campaign in Freaks and Geeks, Harris reveals how “ancient Babylonia” is incorporated into the campaign itself. Not only does the campaign featured in “Discos and Dragons” take place at one of the character’s houses, the campaign schedule is also flexible, as the “geeks” agree to meet the following Saturday after Daniel expresses interest in playing again.
Eddie’s group, The Hellfire Club, is more established. It has an official name, an official logo printed on official shirts, an official yearbook photo, and even an official meeting room (located in the drama/theatre room at Hawkins High School). The “Cult of Vecna” campaign featured in the episode, “The Hellfire Club”, incorporates elements of fantasy and science fiction, which reflects Stranger Things itself. Despite these differences, another major similarity between Harris’ and Eddie’s story is how Dungeons & Dragons is included to serve an overarching theme. Freak and Geeks uses Dungeons & Dragons to promote themes of acceptance, friendship, and building bridges (with Daniel and Harris’ Dungeons & Dragons group building a bridge between the “freaks” and the “geeks”). Stranger Things’ creative team uses Dungeons & Dragons in season four’s script to provide commentary on the “Satanic Panic” that took place during the 1980s.
2. Harris’ and Eddie’s Stories Take Place in the 1980s, in High School, and in the Midwest
In the pilot episode of Freak and Geeks, “William McKinley High School”, “Michigan”, and “1980” are shown on screen. This text sets the stage for when and where Harris’ story (as well as the show) takes place. According to the video, “From CANCELED to CULT CLASSIC (Freaks and Geeks)”, from the Youtube channel, Media Pastimes, the characters live in the fictional town of Chippewa, Michigan. Because one of Freak and Geeks’ episodes is set on Halloween, the script establishes the story takes place specifically during the 1980-1981 school year. Through the dialogue, it’s revealed Harris is a sophomore at the aforementioned high school. Neil points out in “Tests and Breasts” how Harris is only a year older than the “geeks”. Harris also shares his story in the show’s pilot episode about how he faced his “freshman tormentor”, with the story being told in past tense.
Stranger Things is consistently set in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana. This major detail was established long before the show’s creative team even thought about including Eddie on the show. However, Stranger Things’ fourth season does provide the necessary information that determines when and where Eddie’s story takes place. Just in the first episode, “The Hellfire Club”, alone, the audience learns Eddie attends Hawkins High School. With the fourth season set during March 21st to 27th, 1986, it emphasizes Eddie’s story takes place during the 1985-1986 school year. This detail is emphasized again when it’s revealed Eddie is a “super senior”. In the episode, “The Hellfire Club”, Gareth and Jeff (two of The Hellfire Club’s members) call Eddie out for failing to graduate in 1984 and 1985. Despite this, Eddie expresses a desire to graduate in 1986.
3. Eddie and Harris Have An “Outsider” Status
Though Eddie and Harris are known as Dungeon Masters in their friend groups, they are both considered “outsiders” by those not affiliated with their personal circles. On Freaks and Geeks, Harris is labeled a “geek” primarily due to his association with the “geeks” (Sam, Neil, Gordon, and Bill). Meanwhile, Eddie admits he and the other members of The Hellfire Club are labeled as “freaks” when he says, “We’re the freaks because…we like to play a fantasy game?”
Harris and Eddie were not only mistreated in their respective shows for being “outsiders”, they were also bullied prior to the events of their stories. Though the only time Harris is treated poorly on Freaks and Geeks is when Alan (the “freshman tormentor” of the “geeks”) harasses the “geeks” in the episode, “Tricks and Treats”, Harris either admits to or implies other times he was bullied, such as when Harris shares his story about how he faced his “freshman tormentor”. Things got so out of hand, Harris’ “freshman tormentor” (Tom Cressman) broke Harris’ tailbone, which led to him getting expelled. When Daniel walks past Harris in the episode, “Looks and Books”, Harris asks Daniel, “You’re not gonna beat me up, are you?”
As mentioned before, Eddie was mistreated before and during his time on Stranger Things for being an “outsider”. Stranger Things Wiki states that “Upon beginning high school, Eddie found himself being targeted for bullies”. It’s unknown what the extent of the bullying was. In the episode, “The Hellfire Club”, when Eddie is delivering his famous monologue about the hypocrisy of forced conformity, one of Hawkins High School’s basketball players, Jason, calls Eddie a “prick” and a “freak”. This same character also creates false accusations against Eddie, such as claiming he is the leader of a Satanic cult. Jason takes things a step further when he not only kept a log of every location Eddie frequented, he and his friend, Patrick, also chased Eddie out of his hiding place while he had run away after Chrissy’s death.
Despite all the mistreatment Harris and Eddie have faced, neither is fazed by his “outsider” status. In fact, each wears it as a badge of honor by actively choosing to be his authentic self. This decision earns them respect and adoration from other characters in their stories. During their conversation in “Looks and Books”, Daniel commends Harris by telling him “you do your own thing”, you’re “comfortable with yourself”, and “You got it pretty wired, huh?” Keep in mind this conversation takes place before Harris invites Daniel to join his Dungeons & Dragons group. In a conversation from the Stranger Things episode, “The Piggyback”, Dustin shares with Eddie’s uncle, Wayne, “Even in the end, he never stopped being Eddie, despite everything”. Eddie also gains the friendship of characters outside of his social sphere, like Steve Harrington and Nancy Wheeler, due to his ability to help them when they needed him the most.
4. Harris’ and Eddie’s Sense of Style
This similarity between Eddie and Harris is more trivial than the other similarities discussed in this editorial. However, it is still a similarity I noticed while conducting research for this article. As I said earlier, the fourth season of Stranger Things is set during March 21st to 27th, 1986. Therefore, Eddie’s story is more condensed than Harris’ story, which is more episodic and takes place over the course of several weeks. Despite this difference, both characters wear the same articles of clothing in multiple episodes. Harris can be seen wearing a gray plaid shirt in four episodes of Freaks and Geeks: “Discos and Dragons”, “Smooching and Mooching”, “Tricks and Treats”, and “Carded and Discarded”. Meanwhile, Eddie practically lives in his Hellfire Club shirt throughout his time on Stranger Things. It should also be noted how black is the most prominent color in both Eddie and Harris’ wardrobe. Every outfit Harris wears on Freaks and Geeks is either completely black or contains at least one article of clothing with the color black in it. Even though Eddie wears the same outfit for the entirety of Stranger Things’ fourth season, his articles of clothing containing the color black are the following:
- Hellfire Club shirt (sleeves and collar of shirt are black)
- Jeans
- Watch
- Leather jacket
- Bracelet
- Bandanna (Eddie wears this later in the season)
While we’re on the subject of Eddie’s wardrobe, a major difference is how his style is more personalized than Harris’. The shirt Eddie consistently wears promotes The Hellfire Club (his Dungeons & Dragons group). His denim vest features pins and patches of metal bands he’s a fan of, which are Motorhead, W.A.S.P., Judas Priest, Megadeth, Dio, Accept, Merciful Fate, and Iron Maiden. Though Eddie and Harris’ attire appears distinct from one another, their style is casual and low maintenance, promoting personal comfort and what makes them feel good about themselves.
5. Eddie and Harris Possess a Rebellious Streak
Earlier in this editorial, I brought up Eddie’s famous monologue about the hypocrisy of forced conformity. If one were to watch that scene with little to no context, it might be easy to write Eddie off as a “rebel” or an “attention-seeker”. It is true Eddie has a prominent and consistent rebellious streak while on Stranger Things. But it’s important to pay attention to why Eddie possesses a rebellious streak. Eddie’s monologue is featured in the episode, “The Hellfire Club”. When he is introduced in this episode, Eddie reads a magazine article about the “dangers” of Dungeons & Dragons. The members of The Hellfire Club become discouraged over being considered “freaks” by the other students at Hawkins High School. This is when Eddie delivers his famous monologue, telling his friends;
“We’re the freaks because…we like to play a fantasy game? But as long as you’re into band, or science, or parties, or a game where you toss balls into laundry baskets! It’s forced conformity. That’s what’s killiiiiing the kiiiiids! That’s the real monster.”
During this monologue, Eddie climbs on the cafeteria table, yells loudly, and even makes his well-known goofy face I referenced in this editorial’s introduction. If you look past the theatrics and really listen to what Eddie is saying, he’s stressing how The Hellfire Club is treated differently due to the school community’s perception of the various extracurricular groups. By pointing out this hypocrisy, Eddie emphasizes the importance of embracing uniqueness and being a free-thinker. His monologue is such a beautiful example of how his rebellious streak is a product of his choices, as Eddie pursues his interest in Dungeons & Dragons despite the criticism and screaming the quiet parts out loud.
On Freaks and Geeks, Harris is known for having a laid-back personality. But he does show a glimmer of a rebellious streak in the episode, “Beers and Weirs”. Harris is a member of the group, McKinley High Sober Students, which discourages under-age drinking. Later in the episode, however, he attends a party hosted by Sam’s sister, Lindsay, that happens to be serving (non-alcoholic) beer. Before taking a large gulp of (non-alcoholic) beer, a party guest asks Harris if he’s a member of McKinley High Sober Students. Harris replies by telling the guest, “I only did that cause it looks good on my transcript for college.” Though this rebellious streak is brief, it is the result of Harris’ actions. Not only did he literally act in an improv performance hosted by McKinley High Sober Students, he also acts in his own interests by joining the group for academic gain instead of genuinely supporting the cause.
6. Harris and Eddie Have a Healthy Sense of Confidence
What makes Harris and Eddie such likable characters is their healthy sense of confidence. Both of them consistently appear comfortable with themselves and satisfied with their skills and talents. After gym class, in the episode, “I’m with the Band”, Harris asks Sam if he’ll sign up for French next year. During this conversation, Harris expresses a desire to take German because he’s “a quarter German”. He then speaks German on two occasions: when he shares parting words with Sam and when he responds to Coach Fredericks’ roll call in gym class. Some people might feel intimidated or self-conscious about speaking a new language in front of their peers due to fear of judgement. But in “I’m with the Band”, Harris speaks German with confidence and ease. He prioritizes using the language in contexts he deems appropriate over other people’s reactions. Because of his healthy sense of confidence in his learning abilities, Harris receives an academic head-start, as he uses everyday situations to practice and master a new language.
Eddie has been the lead guitarist of the band, ‘Corroded Coffin’, since middle school. He even discusses his musical talents with a fellow student of Hawkins High School named Chrissy. In the Stranger Things episode, “The Piggyback”, Eddie’s guitar skills play a major and even lifesaving role. While in the Upside Down, the Demobats pose a huge threat to Eddie and his friends. In order to distract the Demobats so his friends can be protected, Eddie performs a solo of Metallica’s “Master of Puppets”. This plan ends up working, as his friends, Steve, Robin, and Nancy, are able to safely get away from the Demobats and reach their intended destination. Eddie’s healthy sense of confidence in his musical abilities allowed him to become a part of something greater than himself (which was the battle of good vs. evil). It also helped Eddie find a sense of belonging and purpose, especially after being considered an “outsider” and a “freak”. Eddie’s performance even left a good impression on Dustin, as he claims the “Master of Puppets” solo was the “most metal ever”.
7. Eddie and Harris Display Self-Awareness
One quality that makes Eddie a great character is his self-awareness, which doesn’t get talked about enough. I will bring up two perfect examples where Eddie’s self-awareness shines through. When I said earlier how Eddie is a “super senior”, I mentioned Gareth and Jeff calling Eddie out for failing to graduate in 1984 and 1985. Eddie responds to this criticism by saying, “Yeah, yeah, and I was full of shit”. Anyone who knows anything about Eddie would know he’s been through some trauma in his young life. According to Stranger Things Wiki, Eddie experienced heartbreak at six years old when his mom, Elizabeth, passed away. His dad, Alan, became incarcerated, which led to Eddie’s uncle, Wayne, obtaining custody of his nephew. Keeping this information in mind, Eddie could have used his trauma as an excuse for not graduating high school sooner. He could have blamed others for his choices or given up by dropping out of school. But by admitting he was “full of shit”, he takes full accountability for his decisions and mistakes. At one point, Eddie states, “I am army crawling my way toward a D in Ms. O’Donall’s”, admitting how his grades aren’t the best, yet is trying to make some improvement in order to graduate. Later in season four, during a conversation with Steve, Eddie confesses, “…when the other dads were teaching their kids how to fish or play ball, my old man was teaching me how to hot-wire. Now, I swore to myself I wouldn’t wind up like he did…” Based on this quote alone, Eddie acknowledges two things. The first is how the way he grew up and the way his dad raised him isn’t “normal” or healthy. The second is how Eddie knows what kind of man he doesn’t want to be. This self-awareness I described explains some of Eddie’s decisions in Stranger Things’ fourth season, such as his sacrifice in “The Piggyback”. It fuels his objectives as well, like wanting to finally graduate high school.
Earlier in this editorial, when I brought up Harris’ explanation for why he’s a member of McKinley High Sober Students, it wasn’t just an act of rebellion for him. It was also Harris’ display of self-awareness for what he wants (to graduate high school) and how he’s going to achieve his goal. Other ways Harris works to achieve his goal are joining the William McKinley High School’s Audio/Visual Club (a group that consists of Harris and the “geeks”) and getting good grades (a fact he admits in his conversation with Daniel in the episode “Looks and Books”). On two separate occasions, Harris is in possession of a Dungeons & Dragons handbook: The Monster Manual (in “Looks and Books”) and Deities and Demigods (in “Discos and Dragons”). By owning these Dungeons & Dragons handbooks and taking the time to read them, Harris shows how eager he is to learn how to make campaigns as fun and engaging for everyone. He wants to truly understand the rules as well, so he can teach others how to play the game. These examples show Harris’ self-awareness for his role as a Dungeon Master and the responsibilities it entails.
8. Harris and Eddie Assume a Leadership Role and Become Role Models for Their Stories’ Younger Characters
In their respective stories, Eddie and Harris earn a leadership role through their actions and choices. They both show their leadership through putting others before themselves. Alan (in the Freaks and Geeks episode, “Tricks and Treats”) claims he’ll leave the “geeks” alone if they give him their candy. Out of all the “geeks” Alan and his friends harassed, Harris is the only one to give Alan his candy. He even tries to tackle one of Alan’s friends in order to protect the younger “geeks”. Harris was willing to sacrifice his Halloween candy and fun so Sam, Neil, and Bill wouldn’t face further torment from Alan.
During Eddie’s monologue about the hypocrisy of forced conformity, he brings up three extracurricular groups: “band”, “science”, and the basketball team. What these three groups share in common is how their members are eligible to receive letterman jackets. Depending on the school, a student’s academic/extracurricular interests will be stitched somewhere on the jacket. Patches and medals related to those interests may be added to the jacket as well. Letterman jackets are representative of a student’s time spent in an extracurricular group, as well as symbolizes those members being a part of something greater than themselves. Eddie likely saw Hawkins High School’s letterman jackets and believed The Hellfire Club deserved something similar. So, he went the extra mile to create official Hellfire Club shirts and gave them to the group’s members. Though the gesture is simple, Eddie giving Hellfire Club shirts to each member makes them feel important, even when they don’t see themselves that way. Making his Dungeons & Dragons group inclusive through the little things makes Eddie a worthy Dungeon Master and an attentive leader.
Before Sam, Neil, and Bill go trick-or-treating, Harris warns them of rumors he heard about candy potentially being contaminated. When the “geeks” eventually go trick-or-treating, Sam expresses interest in going to a wealthy neighborhood because “they hand out the best candy”. Harris then points out, “That’s not true. Rich people traditionally give out the cheapest candy. That’s how they stay rich”. These two examples from “Tricks and Treats” show Harris looking out for the best interests of the “geeks” by wanting them to stay safe and trying to help them think logically about how to best utilize their time. Harris being a role model for the “geeks” inspired them to look out for others, like when they swapped out actual beer for non-alcoholic beer before Lindsay’s party in “Beers and Wiers”.
Throughout his time in Stranger Things’ fourth season, Eddie proves to be a man of his word. One excellent example is how he is always willing to lend a helping hand. When Eddie instructs Dustin and Mike to look out for “little lost sheepies” to substitute for Lucas, he specifically encourages them to find those “who need help”. During his story, Eddie consistently helps other characters, no matter their social standing. From reassuring Chrissy she’s not the only one who feels like they’re losing their mind to encouraging Steve to work things out with Nancy, helping where help is needed is one of Eddie’s top priorities. This has influenced Dustin the most. Eddie also consistently roots for Dustin to be his genuine, authentic self, such as telling him to “never change” and pointing out how brave it was for Dustin to wear a Weird Al t-shirt to school. When Eddie dies at the end of season four, Dustin is understandably devastated, as he lost his role model.
9. Eddie and Harris’ Stories Are Told in Only One Season
The fact Harris’ and Eddie’s story are told in only one season is the most heartbreaking similarity between these characters. There has been speculation, however, over whether Eddie could, somehow, return in Stranger Things’ fifth and final season. Eddie was introduced at the beginning of Stranger Things’ fourth season, but died at the end of season four due to his injuries caused by the Demobats. On the other hand, Harris’ story lasted for only one season because that’s how long Freaks and Geeks stayed on television. The show was cancelled after its first and last season due to a variety of issues, including leadership changes at NBC (the network that distributed Freaks and Geeks), creative differences between the show’s creative team and the network, an inconsistent schedule, and NBC failing to properly promote the show. These creative decisions, like cancelling Freaks and Geeks and killing off Eddie, leave questions that may never get answered, such as if Harris eventually married his “high school sweetheart”, Judith, and what Eddie’s life would look like after graduation. They not only deny the audience a satisfying conclusion, they also deny Eddie and Harris an opportunity to reach their full potential.
Conclusion
I initially spent hours researching Eddie Munson because I wanted to understand why he was so popular. Not only did I achieve that understanding, I found a connection between Eddie and Harris Trinsky. The more I think about these characters, the more I see them as a lighthouse among a stormy sea, proving reliable in times of need. But if I had to be brutally honest, I wish Harris and Eddie had been a lighthouse for each other. Maybe Eddie could have protected Harris from getting his tailbone broken by Tom Cressman. Maybe Harris could have encouraged Eddie to graduate high school sooner and make better choices with his life. And maybe, just maybe, every year could have been “Eddie’s year”. I wish there was an alternate/parallel timeline/universe/dimension/multiverse where Harris’ and Eddie’s stories overlapped and they also became best friends, perhaps even brothers. Because I could see that as “the beginning of a beautiful friendship”. Stranger Things and Freaks and Geeks didn’t just give us two likable characters. They didn’t just give us two heroes worth rooting for either. What these shows gave us are two sparkling, shooting stars in our landscape known as entertainment.
Editorial References:
Stranger Things Wiki
I Willie Dont Know (Youtube channel)
“From CANCELED to CULT CLASSIC (Freaks and Geeks)” from the Youtube channel, Media Pastimes
“The IMPOSSIBLE musician, Eddie Munson” from the Youtube channel, RemGames
“Eddie Munson beinghimself for 6 minutes straight (contains ST4 spoilers)” from the Youtube channel, Will Breyers
“Top 10 Reasons We Love Eddie Munson on Stranger Things” from the Youtube channel, MsMojo
18 Cinema Lane 