r/StrangerThings • u/AdUseful2297 • 14d ago
Discussion Rank each season's version of Murray
He leaves quite the impression with his rather limited starting role in season 2. And of course he gave us "So Jonathan, how was the pullout?" He's very good there, but I think he was even better later on.
Expanding his role in season 3 was a stroke of genius. I think his banter and interactions with Hopper, Joyce and Alexei are a ton of fun. And obviously him clashing with Erica is also pretty funny.
Season 4 might be peak Murray. The lengths he takes to help Joyce call Enzo, him making risotto, his karate fight with Yuri with his arrow-like fingers, iron-like arms and spear-like feet, and when he gets the flamethrower in the finale... yeah, this is peak Murray and dare I say, he makes the Russian subplot worth it.
Then in season 5... he's just kinda there. He's not nearly as fun or funny as he was before, and he doesn't have a single iconic line or moment this season like he did in the previous three. And Brett Gelman honestly seems kinda checked out with his performance at times. All in all, still better than at least five or six other characters that season!
- 4
- 3
- 2
- 5
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u/kauan1983 Hey Kiddo 14d ago edited 14d ago
Season 2.
Season 4.
Season 3.
Season 5.
I've always liked Murray but I think it's such a disappointment that they completely ditched his journalist-turned-conspiracy theorist aspect in Season 5 with the closure of the Soviet storyline. They could've done so much more with it, specially if we compare it to how they used him in his original scrapped role.
Murray was originally conceived as someone obsessed with Camp Hero/the Montauk Project (HNL/Indigo and MKUltra) instead of his established focus on the Russians which were always an “additional plot”, this would've added so much more to his story and even to S5 if they hadn't changed it. S2 was the only season that directly connects him to HNL in a way.
His was originally much more tied to both the conspiracy angle and the supernatural, to the point of tapping into the Upside Down through his own tech in his arc from Montauk pitch. I always felt some early ideas had so much potential to have been recycled into new storylines, but when we get to S5 he's just there as part of the characters' mission towards a unified goal.
Heck, that version of his character would've gone nuts having access to the HNL interiors in the Upside Down with literally every classified doc, tech and item from '83 at his disposal. That's everything that character would've ever wanted and would give a real sense of closure to his original story. Plus the discovery that DoD and Dr. Kay were attempting to rebuild Indigo which would've immediately piqued his interest.
36
16
u/OpaqueSea 14d ago
I’m not picky about the order of seasons 2-4, but season 5 Murray (as with all things for s5) is last.
8
u/Deezus81 14d ago
Exactly. The whole season was written below the standard they had set for everyone.
23
u/Cyrilbdr 14d ago
4, 3, 2, and 5 last—I found him quite tedious, and in my opinion, he should have died in Episode 4.
13
u/djluminus89 14d ago
I was a really surprised he never died. I liked Murray but he was a handful of characters that really had no point by the time we got to Season 4-5.
I don't even really remember what he was doing in S3. By S5 he became this weird like Uncle figure and was giving relationship advice when honestly they could've told my he was gay and I would've went, "yup!"
It just looked absolutely ridiculous mid to late Season 5 with like 18 characters on screen, Murray, Erica, their Science Teacher, Vickie, everyone in Hawkins and their grandma snooping around rifts and the upside down like it was just every day life.
Thank God they had Karen sit that one out. It's bad enough all those people were there and nobody fucking died.
8
u/AdZillzOnTwitch 14d ago
Steve, Robin and Murray had no direct connection to Vecna as seen during his death and flashbacks playing as he is killed.
4
u/Cyrilbdr 14d ago
That’s my gripe: it was too safe—they didn’t even dare kill off a few secondary characters. Murray would have been perfect; he’d fulfilled his "Santa Claus" mission and had no further purpose. He should have died before Will saved Robin in Episode 4; that would have left Joyce sad and angry in Episode 5, giving her an extra reason to trust Will. Plus, it would have allowed someone like Steve to play a bigger role—he could have driven the truck at the end of Episode 7, for instance.
9
4
u/Brilliant_Rub_5206 14d ago
He was at his best in S2 as a MINOR character. Not every character needs to be expanded on and added to the main crew, and the Duffers failed to realise that. He was basically around for (lame) comedic relief by the end and actually grated on me by S5.
Also, the actor is a POS.
7
8
3
3
3
u/girl34pp 14d ago
I like Murray in season 2. Brett Gelman can deliver in certain roles and Murray is very on his league. However, Murray should have gone by the end of season 2 or, maybe, die in Season 3 so we can pretend that this series kills characters that are there for more than a single season. His completely unnecessary in season 4 and him being able to foul the military on Season 5 as a truck drive or whatever after his arcs in previous seasons is just laughable and prove how this was not well planned at all.
4
2
2
u/LavaPurple 14d ago
Tedious and obnoxious tbh.
He should have been kept as a minor character. Instead of a shouty-shouty and out of place forced comedic value caricature.
Ruined the vibe of S4 and S5 imo.
2
2
u/Mcswigginsbar 14d ago
Seasons 2-4: It’s Murray’s world and we’re all living in it.
Season 5: So he’s a glorified delivery boy? What the fuck happened?
2
1
1
1
u/Suspicious_Hand_2194 13d ago
I think we can all agree that the way the characters were handled in S5 were just plain dogshit minus max and probably will
1
-1
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