Who Is the Bald Conspiracy Guy in Stranger Things Season 4? (& Why Is He So Important)
Stranger Things is one of the series that does a good job at giving its supporting characters roles that allow them to actually contribute to the narrative in their own way. Of course, a lot of people might have noticed that bald conspiracy guy who tends to always be there in the story but isn’t one of the main characters. So, who is this bald conspiracy guy in stranger things, and why is he so important?
The bald conspiracy guy in Stranger Things is named Murray Bauman. He has been around since season 2 and started off as a private investigator that looked into Barb’s death. In season 3, he worked with Hopper because he could speak Russian. Then, in season 4, he helped Joyce get Hopper back from Russia.
Murray is one of the many different characters that didn’t have a huge role when he was introduced but eventually became an important character as the series went on. He had a bigger role to play in season 4 when he was helping Joyce in her quest to bring Hopper back home. In that regard, let’s look at what we know about Murray Bauman and how important he is to the story.
Who Is The Bald Conspiracy Guy In Stranger Things?
Stranger Things season 4 became the platform that some supporting characters used to become more important in the story, despite the fact that they were never part of the main cast to begin with. Of course, this includes the bald conspiracy guy that fans saw tagging along with Joyce throughout the entire season. But who is this bald guy in Stranger Things anyway?
Many forget about the fact that this bald guy has been with Stranger Things since season 2 because he didn’t have big roles in the earlier seasons. However, in season 4, he finally got his big break when he began seeing more screen time. This bald guy is actually Murray Bauman.
In season 2, Murray was first introduced as a former investigative journalist working for the Chicago Sun-Times but eventually left his job to become a private investigator. He was hired by Mr. and Mrs. holland to look into the mysterious disappearance of their daughter Barb, who died during the events of season 1.
It was during season 2 when Murray met Jim Hopper, who he tried to convince that there were Russians hiding in Hawkins. The cop dismissed Murray’s theory, but he eventually agreed to talk to the conspiracy guy when he mentioned something about a girl with psychic abilities, which we all know is Eleven.
Meanwhile, after the talk with Hopper, Murray eventually met Nancy and Jonathan, who visited him in his home in Illinois so that they could help each other expose Hawkins National Library. It was Murray who told Nancy and Jonathan to change their story regarding what happened to Barb and to Hawkins by telling them that they should release something about a chemical leak instead of telling the public what really happened. As such, because of the story released by Nancy and Jonathan, with the help of Murray, the public believed that Barb died because of the chemical activities of Hawkins Lab.
In season 3, Hopper and Joyce were able to take a Russian scientist named Alexei hostage when they found out that there were indeed Russians in Hawkins and that these Russians were trying to experiment with the gate that led to the Upside Down. To that end, Hopper and Joyce traveled to Illinois to meet up with Murray because he was the only person they knew that could speak Russian fluently.
Murray agreed to become their translator and ended up forming a friendship with the fan-favorite Alexei, who was experiencing American culture for the first time but ended up dying when an assassin killed him. He was left devasted by the loss of his new friend.
Eventually, Murray joined Hopper and Joyce when they went to Starcourt Mall. They formulated a plan to infiltrate the Russian base in the mall so that they could shut down the machine that was operating a portal that led to the Upside Down. Murray dressed in a Russian uniform and used his knowledge of the Russian language to infiltrate the base and allow Hopper and Joyce to shut the machine down. However, after the successful mission, Murray and the other survivors of the Starcourt incident were captured by American soldiers, who temporarily took them into custody.
In season 4, Joyce was still sad about Hopper’s death but ended up receiving a Russian porcelain doll from the mail. She called Murray, who instructed her to break the doll because there could be something inside it. Joyce found a letter that told her that Hopper was still alive and that she needed to contact a certain number, which led her to a man named Enzo, who is actually a Russian prison guard named Dmitri, who Hopper bribed to help him escape from prison in Russia.
Murray went over to California to help Joyce with her problem regarding Hopper, as Dmitri instructed her to go to Alaska to meet a smuggler named Yuri and to give him the money that Hopper left behind for Eleven. As such, Murray and Joyce traveled all the way to Alaska so that they could attempt to bring Hopper back from Russia.
Why Is Murray Bauman So Important In Stranger Things?
As mentioned, Murray has been with Stranger Things since season 2 and has played important roles in the story since then. However, his role grew in season 4 because he was now actively helping Joyce to carry out her quest to bring Hopper back from Russia. So, why is Murray so important?
Murray Bauman is so important because he is one of the few people on the show equipped with the skills that some of the characters need to accomplish their goals. As an investigative journalist, he has a lot of knowledge regarding conspiracies and other things that may be happening around the country. He also knows how to solve problems and get the evidence they need to solve different issues.
Of course, Murray is fluent in the Russian language and seemingly has inside knowledge about the Russians and what they were doing in the US and in Russia. As such, he was able to provide a lot of help in seasons 3 and 4. However, he became more important in season 4 because he knew how to speak Russian.
After Murray and Joyce traveled to Alaska to meet up with a smuggler named Yuri, they were drugged because the smuggler had chosen to double-cross Dmitri and deliver Murray and Joyce to the Russians to get more money.
However, while they were in the plane bound for Russia, Murray and Joyce escaped from their bindings. Murray, who had studied karate prior to the season, ended up defeating Yuri in a battle as they crash-landed in Russia. Murray became even more important when he pretended to be Yuri and used Joyce and the real Yuri as “captives” so that they could infiltrate the Russian prison where Hopper was being kept. And with Murray’s help, Joyce was finally reunited with Hopper at the end of Stranger Thing season 4 episode 7.
Who Plays Murray Bauman In Stranger Things?
Murray Bauman, otherwise known as the bald conspiracy guy on Stranger Things, is portrayed by actor and comedian Brett Gelman, who himself is a native of Illinois, much like the character he plays on Stranger Things.
Brett Gelman has been acting since 1998 and has appeared in a lot of different movies, television shows, and other productions. While he is best known for his role as the bald conspiracy guy named Murray on Stranger Things, he has appeared on productions like The Other Guys, Lemon, and Fleabag.
