Shawn Levy Addresses Byers Family Dog’s Fate 9 Years Later

Stranger Things has many mysteries to uncover going into its final season, but one that might not get an answer is the fate of the Byers family’s dog, Chester. The shaggy pet was notably only seen in season 1 of the Netflix sci-fi series, appearing in a handful of episodes as an ancillary figure to Winona Ryder’s Joyce and David Harbour’s Hopper, as he seems uniquely tuned to the world and creatures of the Upside Down.

However, in the near decade since he was last seen in the season 1 finale, sneaking food off of the counter during the Byers family’s happy Christmas Eve dinner, Chester has been completely absent, not even including mentions of the dog. While appearing at Stranger Con Chicago prior to season 3’s premiere, Noah Schnapp confirmed that Chester had passed away sometime after season 1, albeit when and why has never been answered.

Now, in an interview with ScreenRant‘s Ash Crossan to discuss season 5’s release, Shawn Levy weighed in on Chester’s absence since Stranger Things season 1. The executive producer/director began by acknowledging that the show hasn’t introduced a number of supporting family members, particularly Steve Harrington’s parents, who he was “neither confirming nor denying” their potential appearance in the final season after making a “brief appearance” in the Broadway expansion, The First Shadow.

However, he did point to Chester’s ambiguous fate about being one of the biggest “dangling Chads” for him across Stranger Things‘ lore, admitting to being “unclear if the Demogorgon ate him” or if the Byers’ focus on fighting the Upside Down left their pet “forgotten and [having] died of malnutrition“:

But somewhere, that dog has an untold story. People talk about justice for Barb, justice for Eddie? How about justice for the season 1 dog?

Much to Levy’s point, the unspecified reason for Chester’s death offscreen left a variety of ways for the dog’s passing to be explained in the series, including potentially being killed by one of the vicious Demogorgons. It certainly wouldn’t be uncharacteristic for the Stranger Things monsters to have turned their attention to the Byers family’s dog, as Natalia Dyer’s Nancy and Charlie Heaton’s Jonathan came across the half-dead deer corpse in the woods after it had been attacked by said creature.

As to why Chester never actually came back in the series, the most likely explanation has always been David Harbour’s negative experience with the actor that played the dog, Cruiser, who he recalled having frequent issues with while filming Stranger Things season 1. Though pets are undeniably a core part of a family dynamic, it’s understandable why the Duffer brothers and Levy would simply elect to find a path forward for Harbour in lieu of the pet.

Stranger Things: Biggest Unanswered Questions & Mysteries After Season 4

Stranger Things season 4 wrapped up its last two episodes, but volume 2 also left viewers with many more lingering questions and mysteries.

Chester isn’t the only major Byers family member who notably never returned after Stranger Things season 1, as Ross Partridge’s Lonnie still has not made another appearance. It certainly is more in line with his character to not have come back, given his attempts to work his way back into Joyce and Jonathan’s life in season 1 was solely in the hopes of making money off of Will’s apparent death.

Considering how much Stranger Things season 5 has to wrap up across its eight episodes, it does unfortunately seem like Chester’s fate will go unanswered for the time being. However, with everything from the upcoming Tales From ’85 spinoff series, set between seasons 2 and 3 of the mainline series, to new comics and books expanding the franchise, the Byers family’s pet could get a more fitting sendoff in some other fashion.

Stranger Things season 5 volume 1 premieres on November 26 on Netflix, followed by volume 2 on December 25, and the finale event on December 31.