Everyone remembers the clock. That heavy, ominous ticking that basically signaled the end for the most popular girl at Hawkins High. When we first met Chrissy Cunningham in Stranger Things Season 4, she seemed like the standard "Queen Bee" trope we’ve seen a thousand times. But then something shifted. Within one single episode, the Duffer Brothers and actress Grace Van Dien turned a potential cliché into one of the most tragic figures in modern television.
She died fast.
It was brutal, honestly. Watching her bones snap in Eddie Munson’s trailer is a core memory for anyone who binged that season. But why are we still talking about her? Most "first victims" in horror movies are forgettable. They’re just fodder for the monster to show off its powers. Chrissy was different because she represented a very specific kind of internal rot that Hawkins—and the 1980s—tried so hard to hide.
The Pressure of Being Chrissy Cunningham
On the surface, Chrissy had it all. She was the lead cheerleader. She was dating Jason Carver, the golden boy of the basketball team. She was the literal face of school spirit. But if you look at the scene in the bathroom where she’s struggling with her reflection, it’s clear she was drowning.
The show doesn’t explicitly say "eating disorder," but it doesn’t have to. The imagery of her mother screaming at her through a door, the focus on her physical appearance, and her sheer desperation to make the "visions" stop points to a girl under immense pressure. Chrissy Cunningham wasn't just running from Vecna; she was running from the expectation of perfection.
Why the Eddie Munson Connection Worked
The woods scene. You know the one.
It’s arguably one of the best-written character interactions in the entire series. We see Eddie, the social pariah, and Chrissy, the princess, realize they actually liked each other back in middle school. "Chrissy, help is on the way!" Eddie shouts in a goofy voice, trying to make her smile. It worked. For a second, the terror vanished.
This moment is vital because it humanized her. It showed that her status was a cage. She didn't want the jock; she wanted someone who saw her as a person rather than a trophy. When she dies later that night, it hurts more because we just saw the real version of her for the first time. The tragedy isn't just that she died, but that she died right when she was starting to be honest with herself.
Vecna’s First Victim: A Psychological Choice
Vecna, or Henry Creel, didn't choose his victims at random. He went after trauma. He went after the people carrying secrets they couldn't tell anyone else. Chrissy Cunningham was the perfect target because her trauma was quiet. It wasn't a loud, explosive tragedy; it was the slow, grinding misery of trying to live up to a mother's impossible standards.
The Duffer Brothers have mentioned in interviews that they actually regretted killing her off so early. Once they saw the chemistry between Van Dien and Joseph Quinn (Eddie), they realized they had lightning in a bottle. But the plot demanded a sacrifice. Her death was the catalyst for the entire season. Without Chrissy’s "accident," Eddie never goes on the run, the Hawkins High lynch mob never forms, and Max never realizes she’s next.
The "Chrissy Wake Up" Phenomenon
You couldn't get on TikTok in 2022 without hearing the "Chrissy Wake Up" song. It was everywhere. Created by schmoyoho, the song took Eddie’s frantic pleas and turned them into a viral earworm. It’s funny, sure, but it also kept her character in the cultural zeitgeist far longer than a one-episode character usually stays.
It turned a horrific moment into a community meme.
But even beneath the memes, there's a genuine affection for the character. Fans started writing "what if" stories. What if Chrissy had survived? What if she had joined the party and helped fight Vecna? The "Hellcheer" ship (Eddie + Chrissy) became one of the most popular fan pairings despite the characters having roughly ten minutes of screen time together. That speaks to the performance Grace Van Dien turned in. She made us care about Chrissy’s survival in record time.
What Most People Get Wrong About Her Arc
A lot of viewers dismiss Chrissy as a victim of "fridging"—a trope where a female character is killed off just to motivate the male lead. While her death definitely motivates Eddie and Jason, it’s unfair to say that’s her only purpose.
Chrissy’s story is a commentary on the "satanic panic" of the 80s. The town of Hawkins blamed a "cult" (The Hellfire Club) for her death because they couldn't wrap their heads around the idea that their perfect cheerleader was suffering from mental health issues. They chose a fantasy villain over a difficult reality. In a way, the town's reaction to her death was just as monstrous as Vecna himself.
🔗 Read more: The Only List of Songs by James Taylor You Actually Need for Your Next Rainy Day
The Realistic Horror of Her Trauma
The visions she saw—the table full of rotting food, her mother’s distorted face—were manifestations of her body dysmorphia and anxiety. For many viewers, this was the scariest part of Season 4. Demogorgons are scary, but a parent making you feel like your body is a failure? That’s a real-life horror movie.
- Isolation: Even with a boyfriend and a squad, she was alone.
- Silence: She couldn't tell Jason about the visions because he expected her to be "fine."
- Desperation: She was willing to buy drugs from a "freak" like Eddie just to feel numb.
This wasn't a girl who was "popular" in the way we usually think. She was a girl who was trapped by her own reputation.
The Legacy of Chrissy Cunningham in Stranger Things
As we look toward the final season, Chrissy’s shadow still looms large. Her death broke the seal on Hawkins. It was the moment the "Upside Down" stopped being a secret and started being a public nightmare.
The actress, Grace Van Dien, has spoken at various conventions about how the role changed her life. She’s noted that people often come up to her to talk about their own struggles with anxiety and eating disorders, sparked by that one scene in the school bathroom. It’s rare for a character with such little screen time to have that kind of social impact.
Why We Can’t Let Her Go
We love an underdog, and despite her status, Chrissy Cunningham was the ultimate underdog. She was fighting a war inside her head that she was losing long before Vecna showed up. Her kindness to Eddie in the woods showed us her true heart. She was a good person in a town that valued "looking good" over "being good."
The "Hellcheer" fandom isn't just about shipping; it's about a desire for a different ending. We wanted the girl who felt broken to find a place where she was accepted for exactly who she was.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans and Creators
If you’re a writer or a fan looking to understand why this character worked so well, here are the core elements:
- Subvert the Trope: Don't make the popular girl a bully. Make her human.
- Micro-Interactions Matter: One 5-minute scene of genuine connection can outweigh 10 hours of action.
- Visual Metaphor: Use the monster to represent a specific, real-world struggle (like anxiety).
- Relatability over Perfection: Chrissy resonated because she was flawed and terrified, not because she was a cheerleader.
To really appreciate her impact, go back and re-watch the first episode. Look at the way she carries herself when Jason is looking versus when she's alone. The performance is full of small, shaky details. She wasn't just a victim; she was a girl trying her best to survive in a world that didn't give her a way out.
👉 See also: The Dagger Once Upon a Time Fans Can't Stop Talking About
If you're feeling nostalgic, check out the various fan-made documentaries and "missing scene" edits on YouTube. They fill in the gaps of her life that the show didn't have time to explore. Better yet, pay attention to how the final season references the original victims of the Hawkins rift. Chrissy started it all, and her memory is a reminder that in Hawkins, nobody is truly as "perfect" as they seem.