It appears that an episode of Stranger Things from season 1 has been edited to change a scene in which Jonathan spooky photographs Nancy undressed.
One particular Jonathan scene in Stranger Things season 1 appears to have been altered. The horror/fantasy series by the Duffer brothers, which debuted on Netflix in 2016, has since grown to become one of the platform’s most well-liked programs. Supersized season 4 of Stranger Things recently set records for Netflix. The fifth and final season of the program, which has no set air date as of yet, is expected to bring the series to an end.
Although Stranger Things has grown to include a variety of extraterrestrial monsters, season 1 is the most realistic. When Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) goes missing, his friends set out to locate him. Along the way, they come upon the Demogorgon, a horrific monster, and an entrance to the Upside Down. One of those leading the hunt is Will’s brother Jonathan (Charlie Heaton), who finally teams up with Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer). Stranger Things season 1 opens with the two having a rather rough relationship, but gradually they fall in love.
Now, it appears that one particular Jonathan scene from Stranger Things season 1, episode 2, “The Weirdo on Maple Street,” has been deleted, as per TVLine. In the scene in question, Jonathan is seen secretly photographing Nancy as she undresses in Steve’s bedroom while he is out in the woods looking for his brother. Now that Nancy has taken off her top, the situation is played out somewhat differently, with Jonathan continuing to observe but without snapping any photos.
Shortly after the Duffer brothers indicated interest in revisiting earlier seasons to explain why characters in Stranger Things season 4 didn’t recall Will’s birthday, word of the change to Jonathan’s season 1 scene surfaced. It’s likely that, in retrospect, the Duffers thought the Jonathan scene was too spooky, even if they haven’t yet remarked on it. However, it should be noted that a scene later in the same episode displays the photographs of Nancy taking off her clothes, indicating that Jonathan continues to take them even though they are no longer displayed on screen.
It’s possible that other scenes in Stranger Things have also been changed but haven’t been noticed yet due to the subtle editing of the Jonathan scene. Even though the most recent edit to season 1 is unlikely to irk many viewers—especially since it involves changing a slightly spooky scene—the change serves as a reminder that unlike physical media like DVDs and Blu-rays, streaming programs like Stranger Things can be altered covertly and without warning. It is unknown what other covert changes the Duffer brothers may have planned for earlier seasons of their popular show.
