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Stranger Things' Jamie Campbell Bower Understands Why Fans Hate Jason More Than Vecna

In an exclusive interview with E! News, Stranger Things star Jamie Campbell Bower unpacked fan reactions to the season four villains Jason and Vecna.

By Alyssa Ray Jul 06, 2022 10:54 PMTags
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Warning: This story includes Stranger Things spoilers.

Stranger Things season four, volume two had a takedown that was oh-so satisfying.

No, we aren't talking about Nancy (Natalia Dyer), Robin (Maya Hawke) and Steve (Joe Keery) weakening the humanoid sentient creature Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower). We're referring to the moment Hawkins High School student Jason (Mason Dye) was split in half by the Upside Down's newly opened gate.

It may seem cold to root for this teenager's demise, but his violent end came after his own terrible deeds, including beating up Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), ordering his lackeys to attack Erica (Priah Ferguson) and convincing the town that sweet Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn) was a cult leader.

So, we can't say we're surprised that so many people felt anger towards the secondary antagonist. One fan wrote on Twitter, "The way Jason's death was so anticlimactic has me cackling because it's deserved." Another chimed in, "I was f--king sobbing over Max and then the portals grew and shredded Jason's stupid ass and out loud I paused my sobs and said, 'at least that son of a bitch died.'" A third commented, "Can't believe I hate this guy more than Vecna in #StrangerThings."

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In fact, even Vecna himself can understand fans' visceral reaction to Jason's death. On why Stranger Things viewers may hate Jason more than the murderous Vecna (a.k.a. Henry and 001), Jamie exclusively told E! News, "I think that with Henry there is a lot of truth in what he has to say."

It's not that Jamie is condoning his character's deadly actions, but he can see that there's a relatability to Vecna. "The way he talks about the world being a lie, and the way he feels about being isolated," he continued, "I know I can relate to that. And I know how that can make me feel. So his motives are, in a way, far more human than anyone else's."

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According to Jamie, Vecna's vocalization about his feelings made it so that viewers could understand the character "in a strange way."

As for Jason? "He's just, forgive my language here, an ass."

You can say that again!

All of Stranger Things season four is available to stream on Netflix.

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