The fourth season of Stranger Things both introduced a wide number of characters and reintroduced a smaller number of familiar characters. For example, we finally got to see the return of Dr. Brenner since his alleged death in the very first season. We’re going to be talking about a very different doctor from Stranger Things, however – Dr. Owens.
Dr. Owens, portrayed by actor Paul Reiser, was first introduced in the show’s second season. He’s maintained a decent presence since then and illustrated a connection with Millie Bobby Brown’s iconic character Eleven. This was an instrumental part of the plot in Stranger Things 4, as Dr. Owens brought Eleven with him to a secret facility and even did his best to protect her from Lt. Colonel Jack Sullivan. Unfortunately, he’s left handcuffed in the secret facility following an argument with Dr. Brenner. At this point, Sullivan finds him, and ignores his requests to spare Eleven’s life.
Sullivan sends a military team after Eleven but she manages to destroy them. At this point, a massive explosion rocks the area, and it’s left unknown whether or not Sullivan or Dr. Owens survived. But considering that his character is not shown to have died, it seems possible that he actually survived. Especially when characters like the aforementioned Dr. Brenner have done the same.
As such, it seems very likely that Dr. Owens and even Sullivan could both return for Stranger Things 5. At the very least, it seems like the two have unfinished business and became integral parts of Eleven’s life. Whether or not the Duffer Brothers will choose to focus on those elements in the next season, however, remains to be seen. As such, they’ve probably written themselves into a place where they can have Owens and/or Sullivan killed off screen if they feel their presences don’t work for the final season. And, if they do want to include them, they can say the two survived the explosion given that they were underground.
In any case, it’s certainly possible that we haven’t seen the last of Dr. Owens in Stranger Things. So fans can stay tuned to ScreenGeek for any news regarding the beloved Netflix show as we have it.
All four seasons of Stranger Things are currently available to stream on Netflix.