Spoiler Warning! This article or section reveals details from the fifth season. Read at your own discretion...

Murray Bauman, portrayed by Brett Gelman, is a main character in Stranger Things, being introduced in the second season as a recurring role before being promoted to the main cast from the fourth season onward.

A former investigative journalist for the Chicago Sun-Times, Murray was hired by the Hollands in 1984 to investigate their daughter Barbara's disappearance the previous year. He concluded the events in Hawkins were evidence of a "full-scale Russian invasion" due to finding leads about a mysterious girl with a shaved head. The chief of Hawkins police, Jim Hopper, continually dismissed Murray's attempts to convince him of the conspiracy.

A friend of Barbara Holland's, Nancy Wheeler, went to Murray's home with Jonathan Byers, hoping to expose Hawkins Lab. They explained the prior year's events to Murray, including Barb’s disappearance, and the various ways in which the lab were involved. While the teenagers stayed over at Murray's, Murray poked fun at the pair, advising them to stop avoiding their feelings for each other. Murray later helped them release tapes containing an unwitting "confession" by Hawkins Lab director Dr. Sam Owens. The lab were forced to acknowledge their involvement in Barb's death, but claimed she died due to a chemical leak, a cover story that Murray persuaded Nancy and Jonathan to endorse.

In July 1985, Chief Hopper and his friend Joyce Byers discovered a covert Soviet operation at Hess Farm, capturing a Russian scientist named Dr. Alexei in the process. Needing help to translate Alexei's speech, Hopper and Joyce begrudgingly turned to Murray for help, the nearest Russian speaker that Hopper knew of. Through Alexei, the Americans learned that Alexei and his compatriots had assembled a machine in a secret base deep beneath Starcourt Mall; a technology capable of prying open a new gate to the Upside Down. After Alexei was killed by Russian hitman Grigori, Murray assisted in infiltrating the hidden base, allowing Joyce and Hopper to disable the gate machine. Moments later, he and Joyce were found by the U.S. Army, though Hopper apparently perished during his final skirmish with Grigori.

When Joyce received an anonymous package in March 1986, Murray helped her find a note hidden within the package, claiming Hopper was still alive. Murray soon joined Joyce on a rescue mission to break Hopper out of a prison camp in Kamchatka, discovering he had been captured by the Russians after closing the gate under Starcourt the previous year. Despite being double-crossed by smuggler pilot Yuri Ismaylov, Murray and Joyce reached Kamchatka and successfully rescued Hopper, though in the process, indirectly killed the majority of the prison staff by setting the Russian Demogorgon free. ^[2]

Despite escaping to Yuri Ismaylov's warehouse in Kyrzran, the group returned to the prison after learning Hopper and Joyce's children were imperilled by a new evil threatening Hawkins. They hoped that by destroying swirling particles they had witnessed at the base - a captured fragment of "the Mind Flayer" - they could deal damage to the Upside Down's hive mind, and assist their friends in need. Returning to the prison, Hopper, Joyce and Murray learned that gunfire shattered the tanks holding the Mind Flayer fragment and numerous cryogenically frozen Demodogs, with the Mind Flayer re-animating the Demodogs. The Americans set out to kill the Demodogs and the Russian Demogorgon, fighting for their lives while hoping to inflict pain upon the hive mind. After some time, Hopper, Joyce and Murray managed to execute all the creatures, with Dmitri Antonov and Yuri arriving by helicopter to take them back to America.

In November of 1987, Murray was fully integrated into the group's plans on searching the Upside Down for Vecna, with Murray supplying information and equipment under the guise of Bradley's Big Buy employee Austin Milbarge. Murray also resumed his involvement in Nancy and Jonathan's love lives by bringing Jonathan an engagement ring. Once it was discovered that Vecna was now targeting and kidnapping children, Murray and Robin Buckley joined a mission to transport children out of Hawkins, utilizing a tunnel system connected to the barracks in which the children were held. However, their truck was attacked by Demogorgons, and the children were abducted.

Murray later returned to the Upside Down's version of Hawkins Lab alongside Hopper, Eleven and Kali, where he set charges to destroy a ball of Exotic Matter hovering above the lab, which in turn, would destroy the entirety of the Upside Down as well. As Murray waited for his cue, he witnessed the US military storm the lab in their relentless hunt for Eleven. Murray herorically, albeit also reluctantly, used some of the explosives to take down the army's helicopter, saving Hopper's life in the process. After hearing from his allies, who had successfully defeated Vecna and saved the children, Murray started the timer for the explosives and left the Upside Down with Hopper. Unfortunately, the group were ambushed by Dr. Kay and the rest of her forces, once again looking for Eleven. However, Eleven remained in the Upside Down as the Exotic Matter's destruction ripped it apart and Murray watched helplessly as she seemingly sacrificed herself in front of everyone.

Eighteen months later, in 1989, Murray attended the Hawkins High School graduation ceremony and watched as Dustin Henderson delivered a rousing speech whilst sitting next to Scott Clarke.

Quick Answers

Who is the actor that plays the character Murray Bauman in Stranger Things?

The character Murray Bauman in Stranger Things is portrayed by the American actor and comedian Brett Gelman.

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What was Murray Bauman's profession before he started investigating Barbara's disappearance?

Before Murray Bauman started investigating Barbara's disappearance in the series 'Stranger Things', he was an investigative journalist for the Chicago Sun-Times.

Provided by: Community

What conclusions did Murray Bauman draw from the events in Hawkins?

Murray Bauman, the conspiracy theorist from Stranger Things, concluded that the strange events in Hawkins were evidence of a full-scale Russian invasion. This conclusion was drawn from his investigation into the disappearance of Barbara Holland, which led him to discover leads about a mysterious girl with a shaved head. Despite his attempts to convince others, his theories were often dismissed, notably by the chief of Hawkins police, Jim Hopper.

Provided by: Fandom

What role does Murray Bauman play in the series Stranger Things?

Murray Bauman, played by Brett Gelman, is a significant character in the series Stranger Things. Introduced in the second season, he becomes a main character from the fourth season onward. Murray is a former investigative journalist for the Chicago Sun-Times, who was hired by the Hollands to investigate a mystery. He's known for his fiery speeches and strong personality, and is a heavy drinker with a fondness for music from the 1930s-1950s, such as Billie Holiday.

Provided by: Community

Does the character Murray Bauman die in the series Stranger Things?

No, the character Murray Bauman, also known as the 'bald guy' or 'conspiracy theorist' from Stranger Things, does not die in the series. He is alive and continues to play a significant role in the storyline.

Provided by: Fandom

History

Background

Murray was originally an investigative journalist for the Chicago Sun-Times. At some point, he became a karate instructor^[3] and private investigator and eventually hired by Mr. and Marsha Holland to investigate Barbara Holland's disappearance.

1984

Mysteries in Hawkins

On the morning of October 30, 1984, Murray met Jim Hopper outside the police station where he tried to convince Hopper of a Russian spy presence in Hawkins. Hopper initially dismissed him, but once he mentioned a theoretical "Russian girl with psionic abilities", Hopper agreed to give Murray five minutes to talk.

Murray told Hopper of how he had spoken to a former Bradley's Big Buy employee who claimed to have witnessed a girl smash the front doors with her mind. He also told of how a co-worker of Ted Wheeler said Ted claimed to have harbored a "Russian" girl with a shaved head in his basement, but later retracted this claim. These reports led Murray to believe that, not only were there Russian spies in Hawkins, but they were responsible for the disappearance of Barbara Holland. As Murray was talking, Hopper received a phone call from Florence. The phone call was a ruse to allow Hopper to cut the interview short.

Hoping to find a way to expose Hawkins National Laboratory, Nancy and Jonathan traveled to Murray's warehouse in Sesser, Illinois. After listening to their tape recording of Dr. Sam Owens revealing the truth of what happened to Barb, Murray explained that though he believed their story, the tape wouldn't be enough evidence as it could easily be discredited and the public would not find it believable. He then proposed to Nancy and Jonathan that they "water down" their story in order to make it more appealing to the public. Afterwards, Murray talked to Nancy and Jonathan about how they are "friends", and how it's apparent that they are lying and are actually in a relationship.

The next morning, on November 4, as they were having their breakfast, Murray asked Jonathan "...how was the pullout?" as a double entendre, causing Jonathan to choke on his water, while Nancy smirked. After altering their story to say that Barb died from a chemical leak originating from the lab, they placed the evidence in several envelopes to be sent to the Chicago Sun-Times. Murray crudely bid Nancy and Jonathan farewell, and asked them not to contact him again.

The Lab Exposed

A month later, Murray watched as military personnel left the shut-down Hawkins National Laboratory, with one soldier giving him the middle finger as he passes by Murray.

1985

Being A Translator

On July 3, 1985, after taking Alexei hostage, Hopper and Joyce Byers traveled with him to Illinois to meet up with Murray, who was the only person Hopper knew who could speak Russian. Murray greeted them with a shotgun as a precaution against Alexei, and was not pleased that Hopper brought a Russian to his residence, but agreed to serve as their translator.

The next day, Murray translated Alexei's statements about the Soviet base underneath Starcourt Mall designed to open a gate to the Upside Down using a machine called a Key. He accompanied the group as they returned to Hawkins. In the process, he bonded with Alexei as he taught the Russian scientist about American culture. They both mocked Hopper and Joyce for failing to recognize their attraction to each other.

Murray took Alexei to the Hawkins Independence Day Fun Fair organized by Mayor Larry Kline, where he showed Alexei the carnival games, stating they are rigged. Murray left Alexei alone momentarily when he went to buy corn dogs. As Alexei was about to reunite with Murray, Alexei was shot in the stomach by Grigori, a Russian hitman. Despite Murray's best efforts to find help, Alexei bled to death, leaving Murray devastated.

Invading the Starcourt base

Murray joined Hopper and Joyce as they arrived at Starcourt Mall and tried to formulate a plan to shut down the Russians' Key, but was interrupted by Erica Sinclair, who reminded him she had already been inside the base and helped the group figure out a new plan, and insulted him as well. Murray insisted on joining Hopper and Joyce in entering the base, dressed in Russian army uniforms. Murray used his Russian skills to talk his way past a checkpoint, and helped set off the alarms to give Hopper and Joyce the freedom to shut down the machine. At one point a code he had provided Hopper with, Planck's Constant, was wrong, and Hopper reprimanded him for it. Dustin Henderson contacted his girlfriend Suzie Bingham to get the code. Before she divulged the code, she forced Dustin into singing a rendition of "Never Ending Story" with her, much to Murray's disgust. After Hopper sacrificed himself to allow Joyce to close the portal, Murray reunited with Joyce, saddened by Hopper's apparent death. On their way out of the facility, they were found by American soldiers.

1986

A Message from Russia

On March 21, 1986, after finishing his karate lessons, Murray noticed he received a phone call from Joyce, saying she had received a doll from Russia in the mail today. Calling her back, Murray explained to her that he had karate lessons before he recounted everything she told him about the doll. When Joyce described the stamps of the package she received, Murray knew at that instant the doll came from Russia, believing the Soviets sent it as a threat to intimidate Joyce for destroy their secret operation in the United States last year. When Joyce wondered how the Soviets could learn her name, Murray theorized the Russian foreign intelligent organization, the KGB might had traced her down. When Murray started to get change out of his Gi, he got an idea that something could be attached to the doll so he instructed Joyce to remove the doll's dress. Right after he got into his bathtub full of ice cold water, Murray asked Joyce if she saw any wires or bugs attached to the doll's body, only to hear her say she found the doll's waist to have a large crack. Thinking the wires or bugs could be inside the doll, Murray instructed Joyce to get some rope and a heavy object so she could destroy the doll and see what was in it.

Arriving at Lenora Hills, California the next day, Murray goes to leave the airport and take a taxi to head straight to the Byers' new house. Once he arrived at the Byers' house, Murray unloaded his luggage from the taxi and goes inside the house where was welcomed in by Joyce. She then showed him the message she found in the doll, claiming Hopper had survived from the Key exploding last year and instructed her to make a reservation without informing the American government. After reading the message, Murray, not trusting it, asked Joyce who had sent her the letter and believed it to be a ransom note of some kind. When Murray exclaimed there was no proof of detailing Hopper's survival, Joyce insisted there was proof due to the letter being signed by someone using the name "Enzo", after a restaurant she and Hopper had planned to go on a date at. Murray calmly tried to remind Joyce that she had witnessed Hopper die, only to find that she was positive of his survival. Murray then tried to calmly come up with a theory and explain if Hopper did survive, he would have been captured by the Soviet Union and forced by the KGB to send the message to Joyce so she could get captured, only for Joyce to flatly say he just made up his theory. With both of them having different theories and opinions of whether Hopper was indeed alive, Murray decided to call "Enzo" through the number he wrote on his letter, but by rerouting the call and using a recorder Murray packed so he and Joyce could figure out "Enzo's" identity. Enzo commanded Joyce and Murray to head to Nome, Alaska with 20,000 USD.

Later, that night, Murray and Joyce returned to her house where Murray started cooking risotto for dinner. When Mike, El, Will, Jonathan, and Jonathan's new best friend, Argyle arrived, Murray warmly welcomed them, offering them risotto. While eating dinner with the Byers family, Argyle, and Mike, Murray lied to the teenagers, saying he was in California on to see a client and decided to stop by the Byers's house to spend the night. To keep the teens from knowing about the rendezvous to retrieve Hopper, Murray signaled to Joyce to lie to the kids about having to go to Alaska for a business trip tomorrow. Murray was even amused by Argyle's attempts to have a conversation with him where he asked everybody at the table who he was. When Joyce told Jonathan he was in charge while she was gone, Murray watched Jonathan express confusion on what was going on before Argyle told Jonathan what his mom had just announced earlier. When his mom questioned him why was acting strange, Jonathan said he was feeling stressful, but Murray was able to see he had been using drugs, but decided to not to rant him out to Joyce. Murray and Joyce then became confused when Jonathan and Argyle brought up a girl getting a head injury at a roller rink earlier today. When Argyle stated the girl was going to be fine and a bitter Mike to comment on the event, this caused El to abruptly excuse herself from the table and storm off into her bedroom. Murray and Joyce looked confused over the tension between the children where Murray believed they did not liked his risotto. However, the high Jonathan and Argyle assured Murray that the problem was not his dinner and that they found it delicious, causing Murray to amusingly say "Still have no idea who he is."

Rendezvous and Capture

On March 23, Murray and Joyce boarded the plane to Alaska early the next day. Aboard the plane, Joyce worried about her children. Murray attempted to soothe her, but only made matters worse. He fell asleep on the plane, falling on Joyce's shoulder, much to her annoyance. When the plane landed in Alaska, Murray commented on how cold the weather was.

On March 24, after getting ready to go meet Yuri Ismaylov in order to proceed with the exchange, Murray watched Joyce attempting to call and check up on her children to hear how they were doing. Murray assured her she can check on the children later, but she was slightly puzzled due to nobody answering the phone on the other line. However, Murray insisted that they get on with the exchange so they can meet with Yuri on time. They left their hotel and took a taxi to get to Yuri's Fish n' Fly.

Upon reaching Yuri's Fish n' Fly, they were met by Yuri, who initially joked that he was not Yuri. Joyce and Murray gave Yuri the money and were offered coffee by him. However, the coffee was drugged. They both fell unconscious, and Yuri tied them up on his private plane.

Crashing into Russia

On March 25, as Yuri flew his plane to Russia, Murray tried to inform him that he had to go the bathroom, but Joyce told him not to bother as Yuri could not hear him due to flying the plane. Murray insisted it was not some ruse to escape, but watched in confusion as Joyce proceeded to kick a crate of peanut butter jars, shattering a few of them. Asking what she was doing, Murray was told by Joyce to help her reach for the glass shards, saying they would use them to cut their binds before Murray used his karate skills to fight and knock Yuri. When Murray pointed out who would be flying the plane if Yuri was knocked out as neither of them knew how to fly, Joyce changed the plan, telling Murray to instead grab Yuri's gun and force him to turn the plane around. Murray was unsure the plan would work as he revealed to Joyce that he had never used karate in a real world scenario and only sparred with younger teens, much to Joyce's chagrin. However, upon recounting how he had beat one karate student, Jeremiah, Murray became confident with himself in beating Yuri, leaving him and Joyce to start putting their plan into motion.

The next morning, Murray ventured around the surrounding forest to look for any nearby towns. After more than an hour later, Murray returned to the plane where he told Joyce he saw some smoke south, thinking there may be a town in that direction. Realizing that Yuri or any Russian will not help them get to the prison where Hopper is being held, Murray and Joyce decide to question one last time and start making their way to the prison to rescue Hopper themselves. Murray approached the tied up smuggler and removed the his gag, only to see Yuri was uncooperative. Murray then pretended to bribe Yuri to get him to cooperate and seemingly accepted his offer until he revealed he was tricking the smuggler.

After laughing and mocking Yuri, Murray told him that the only thing he will get if he helped them was his life, but the smuggler was unfazed until Joyce pointed out they will just leave him to die, tied up in the wilderness. Taunting and scaring Yuri, Murray and Joyce prepare to leave Yuri behind until the smuggler called out to them, revealing the location of his secret warehouse in Kyrzran, Kamchatka, where they would get weapons they need to save Hopper, but warned they need to reach the prison by nightfall if they wished to save their friend.

Reuniting with Hopper

Murray and Joyce devised a plan to infiltrate the prison. Murray dressed up as Yuri, while Yuri was forced to be disguised as Murray. Murray drove to the prison in a van, and fooled a prison guard into believing that he was Yuri, "importing" Americans. The guard checked Yuri's ID and believed that Murray was Yuri, due to Murray's uncanny smile.

Once in the prison, Murray loudly practiced threatening the prison warden Melnikov, annoying Joyce. Once Warden Melnikov arrived, Murray introduced himself as Yuri and Joyce and Yuri (still disguised as Murray) as the Americans who broke into the Starcourt base. Melnikov ominously cracked a joke that Murray was not Yuri, making Murray nervous for a few moments, before he realized the joke. Murray asked Melnikov where the Hopper was, describing how he "hoped" Hopper was being tortured gruesomely in order to remain inconspicuous.

Melnikov led Murray, Joyce, and Yuri to a corridor from where they saw the prisoners, including Hopper, lined up in the courtyard of the prison, being instructed by Ivan. Murray was distressed by Hopper's condition and asked Melnikov what was going on, who said that if he told them, it would "spoil the fun". Murray anxiously laughed. Murray eventually held a gun to Melnikov's waist, making Melnikov worrisome. Murray commanded him to save Hopper, but Melnikov said that he was already dead. Murray chuckled and led Melnikov to the controls room. Murray ordered a man working in the room to open the gate of the courtyard, but Melnikov told him not to. Murray then fought the workers in the room while Joyce frantically attempted to open the gate.

Finally, she pressed the right button. Hopper and his friend Dmitri Antonov, who had sent the note, managed to escape a Demogorgon that the Russians had kept. Hopper finally reunited with Murray and Joyce. Walking back to the controls room, Hopper heard screeching coming from a closed door. Murray, Joyce, Dmitri, and Yuri followed Hopper into the room, where they saw a living Demodog split open. After Hopper put it out of its misery, the group walked into an adjacent room with several cryogenically frozen Demodogs, as well as a sample of the Mind Flayer, shocking Murray.

Dmitri found a drain through which the group went. They managed to escape the prison, and returned to Yuri's warehouse in Kyrzran. In the van, Murray, Hopper, Joyce, and Dmitri forced Yuri to find a way back to America. He led them to his helicopter Katinka, much to the group's dismay. Yuri intentionally stalled the group by pretending as if Katinka was not working, to Murray's annoyance.

Fighting the Demogorgons

Once at Yuri's warehouse, Hopper and Joyce realized that if there were living creatures from the Upside Down, something sinister was happening in back in Hawkins. The group attempted to call Dr. Owens, but later realized that they would need to kill the creatures in the prison to help the children in Hawkins. Murray initially disapproved of this plan, but eventually went back to the prison alongside Joyce and Hopper.

Once back in the prison, Murray learned from Warden Melnikov that the particles of the Mind Flayer had entered the Demodogs, awakening them, after they had been freed from the cryogenic tanks due to gunfire. Hopper explained the plan to the group. Murray was to burn the Demodogs and the Russian Demorgon using one of Yuri's flamethrowers after Hopper would lead them in. It went according to plan, with Hopper baiting all the Demodogs and the Russian Demogorgon into the prison courtyard. Just as the Demogorgon was about to attack Hopper and Joyce, Murray burned all of the creatures, killing all of the Demodogs. This weakened several of the Upside Down's beings, such as Vecna, Demobats, and vines, through the hive mind. The Russian Demogorgon survived the blaze, but was promptly beheaded by Hopper.

After the Demogorgons were killed, Yuri and Dmitri flew Katinka to the prison, making Murray ecstatic. The three were rescued and Murray was presumably brought back to America.

1987

Supplying the Party

Following the events of March 1986, Murray chose to stay in Hawkins and aid his friends in the crisis. They created a plan to scope out the Upside Down in search of Vecna, in a series of missions called "crawls". Murray was given the key role of supplying the others with weapons and equipment, as well as relaying information as to when military officials would go through a gate to the Upside Down near the Hawkins Public Library. To carry out his tasks, Murray took the alias of Austin Milbarge, receiving shipments for Bradley's Big Buy.

On November 3, 1987, Murray arrived with a shipment of weapons, devices, and an engagement ring for Jonathan to give Nancy hidden inside a cassette, as well as the information of a military mission to the Upside Down that day. Later on, Murray further supplied equipment to orchestrate a Demogorgon trap his friends were planning on creating at the Turnbow house. Chief among these was a detector, which Murray caught Nancy inserting into a bullet. He cautioned Nancy that the detector would implode on contact with the Demogorgon, rendering the plan useless, but Nancy challenged this notion. To test Murray's theory, Nancy, Murray, and Jonathan proceeded to walk to an open area. On the way, Murray attempted to convince Jonathan to propose to Nancy, with Nancy being annoyed by their incessant chatter. Nancy shot the detector-laden bullet into a potato sack, resulting in no explosion and proving Murray wrong.

Destruction of the Upside Down

Murray participated in the mission to destroy the Upside Down and kill Vecna. Alongside Hopper, he planted explosives on the rooftop of Hawkins Laboratory and was still there when Lieutenant Robert Akers and his soldiers arrived looking for Eleven. Thinking quickly, Murray blew up the soldiers' helicopter, creating a distraction for Eleven, but not before Kali Prasad was fatally shot.

After the death of Vecna and the defeat of the Mind Flayer, Dustin sent the signal for Hopper and Murray to activate the bomb. Murray set the charges and activated the musical trigger. On the drive back to Hawkins, the two men cut off the truck carrying everyone else and hit a spike strip upon their return. Murray was devastated when Eleven seemingly chose to die in the destruction of the Upside Down.

Eighteen months later, in 1989, Murray attended the Hawkins High School graduation ceremony and watched as Dustin Henderson delivered a rousing speech whilst sitting next to Scott Clarke.

Personality and Traits

Murray is a quirky, but vigilant journalist for the Chicago Sun-Times. Although an investigative journalist, he was always ignored by others due to his eccentric behavior and strange reports in solving investigations. After being hired by the Holland family to investigate their daughter's disappearance, he started working as an investigator, following over 200 tips to try to discover Barbara Holland's whereabouts. While he was ignored by most people, he was sure that the Hawkins National Laboratory was somehow responsible for the abnormal events occurring in Hawkins and the death of Barbara and was committed to uncovering the truth. He had a good ability to analyze a person's character and personality. He recognized Jonathan and Nancy's feelings for each other and later made a similar deduction about Hopper and Joyce. His accurate psychoanalysis could make those he analyzed very uncomfortable.

Murray is also shown to be incredibly nonchalant and relaxed, as he casually waves and sips a drink at the people who despise him.

He was also shown to be very clever when he explained that the tape evidence provided by Nancy and Jonathan could easily be discredited, but a modified tape which was more believable to the public could expose the lab.

Despite his rough demeanor, Murray had a soft side to him, overcoming his hatred of Russians in bonding with the scientist Alexei, teaching him about American culture through cartoons, food, and carnival games. When Alexei was murdered before his eyes, he was left devastated, trying to grapple with the fact he had left him unprotected just to get a corn dog.

Murray was shown to have a high esteem because of his black-belt in karate. Though he had no experience in combat other than in sparring matches, Murray proved himself to be a skilled fighter as he was able to go one-on-one with Yuri Ismaylov and several Russian guards. Murray was even a master of disguise as he was able to impersonate Yuri with ease and bypass the US military by pretending to be a deliveryman when smuggling goods into Hawkins.

In 1987, Murray showed extreme loyalty to the Party and their allies, helping them in their goal to find Vecna and stop his evil plans of destroying the world by bringing the items they need, keeping tabs on the military, providing them transport, and taking part in their plans. While he remains eccentric, Murray has become incredibly supportive to his friends, even going so far to risk his life for them. After recruiting Scott Clarke to help find Nancy, Jonathan, Dustin Henderson, and Steve Harrington, Murray slowly became impressed with the man's intelligence and started to show some respect towards him after initially having some doubts.

Eighteen months later, after Vecna's death and the Upside Down's destruction, Murray was shown to be happy and less eccentric after having formed a close bond with Scott where they sit next to each other as they attend the Party's graduation ceremony together.

Abilities

• Bilingualism: Murray is very proficient in speaking Russian as a secondary language, with only few flaws. Being a conspiracy theorist, Murray had a theory of the Soviet Union invading Hawkins, Indiana. He speaks Russian presumably due to this. In 1985, Chief Jim Hopper and Joyce Byers arrived at Murray's warehouse so that Murray could help translate the words of Dr. Alexei. Murray was successful in doing so, and this was key in figuring out the Soviet operation underneath Starcourt Mall. Later, Murray helped Joyce and Hopper in the Soviet base under the mall using ability to speak Russian. His multilingualism continues to prove helpful in 1986, when he acts as Yuri Ismaylov, successfully tricks Warden Melnikov, and threatens the guards of a facility in which Hopper was incarcerated by speaking Russian fluently. He also is able to tell Joyce and Hopper that the Mind Flayer had broken free from its tank in the facility and possessed several Demodogs by translating Melnikov's words.
• Karate: By 1986, Murray has a black-belt in karate, taking classes every Tuesday. Although it is implied that the class is for teenagers, with Murray stating "It doesn't go lower than thirteen," Murray has defeated the top fighter, sixteen-year old Jeremiah. Murray is able to demonstrate his karate skills aboard Yuri's airplane, where he kicks and then proceeds to fight with Yuri. Eventually, he manages to knock Yuri out. His experience in karate may also have proved useful when he fights the prison guards at the facility.
• Deduction: Murray is extremely accurate in predicting couples. In 1984, he correctly predicted Nancy Wheeler and Jonathan Byers's relationship, and the following year, he predicted Hopper and Joyce being a couple. This turned out true in 1986.
• High Intelligence: Murray, being a conspiracy theorist, has a high intelligence level. He, by himself, has a great knowledge of public opinions and understanding. Through this, he comes up with the idea to publish on newspapers that Hawkins National Laboratory killed Barbara Holland as a result of a chemical leak, instead of telling the truth that she was killed by the monster released by the lab. He also has a high understanding of technology, creating advanced devices such as metal detectors and anti-tracking devices.

Equipment

• Double-barrel Shotgun: At some point, Murray obtained this firearm. In 1985, he uses it as a cautionary weapon against Dr. Alexei when Jim Hopper and Joyce Byers bring him to Murray's warehouse.
• Metal Detector: Murray developed a homemade metal detector at some point. In 1985, he uses it to scan Alexei's body, with Murray stating that Alexei is an "enemy of the state".
• ROKS-2 Flamethrower: Murray acquired a flamethrower from Yuri Ismaylov's warehouse when he, Hopper and Joyce returned to the Russian gulag. He uses the flamethrower to burn several Demodogs and the Russian Demogorgon, saving Hopper and Joyce, killing the Demodogs and severely weakening the Russian Demogorgon, enough for Hopper to later kill it by beheading it with a sword.
• Anti-Tracking Device: Another one of Murray's own inventions, this device is used to stop a phone from being tracked. In 1986, Murray connected the device to Joyce's landline phone when Joyce and Murray called "Enzo", to prevent him and/or the KGB from tracking Joyce's phone to her house in Lenora Hills, California.

Relationships

Familial

Murray’s mother is only mentioned when Murray tells Jonathan and Nancy that the code to his house is his mother's birthdate (March 15, 192?^[4]). She is also mentioned in a hidden voicemail that can be heard by calling Murray's phone number. In the voicemail, he insists that she calls him at a certain time, possibly indicating she calls him often, much to his annoyance.

Non-Familial

Murray met Nancy Wheeler in 1984. Nancy told Murray she had proof that Hawkins Lab was responsible for the death of her friend, Barbara Holland. Although Murray believed Nancy about the lab and the Upside Down, he told her that her evidence could easily be discredited and ignored by the public. So, they worked together in altering the evidence to indicate Barbara was killed by a chemical spill caused by the lab. Afterward, Murray was able to notice Nancy's feelings for Jonathan and encouraged her to embrace them. Nancy thanked Murray for his help and he returned the gesture, telling her not to seek him out again.

However, on July 4, 1985, Murray gave Nancy and Jonathan the keys and passcode to his house, so they and the kids can be safe from the Mind Flayer.

Overall, Nancy is polite to Murray.

Murray met Jonathan Byers in 1984 as the latter accompanied Nancy to tell Murray that Hawkins Lab was responsible for the death of Barbara Holland. After working together to make Dr. Owens's recorded confession sound like a chemical spill killed Barbara, Murray noticed Jonathan's feelings for Nancy and encouraged him to embrace them, which he did. The next day, Murray asked Jonathan how was the "pull-out," causing Jonathan to choke up on his drink, confirming Murray's suspicions that Jonathan and Nancy slept together.

On July 4, 1985, Murray gave Nancy and Jonathan the keys and passcode to his house, so they and the kids can be safe from the Mind Flayer.

In 1986, Murray remained on good terms with Jonathan when he visited his family in Lenora Hills, California. While eating dinner with his family and Murray, Jonathan who had been smoking weed with Argyle earlier, passed off his high state as being stressed out, but Murray could tell Jonathan had been smoking weed and did not rant him out to his mother.

In 1985, when Murray, Hopper, and Joyce arrived at the Starcourt Mall alongside the Party to close the Gate, Murray went over the Russian base's layout through Alexei's map. He estimated the distance between the Hub and the Vault Room was about 50 feet, but Erica corrected him that is was about 500 feet, and questioned their logic of "waltzing in like it was Commie Disneyland". Murray asked who she was, to which Erica snootily introduced herself and asked who he was. When Murray introduced himself by his full name, Erica incorrectly called him "Mr. Bumman". She apologized for telling him how to do things, but announced to the group that following his plan would lead to their deaths. Murray asked in annoyance why "this four-year-old" was speaking to him, causing Erica to counter back by saying that she was ten and calling him a "bald bastard", shocking Murray.

It can be presumed that Murray and Erica have a somewhat negative opinion of each other, due to annoyance and insulting remarks.

Murray was friends and acquaintances with Chief Jim Hopper, although the two were sometimes annoyed with each other. In 1984, as Murray investigated the disappearance of Barbara Holland, he tried to explain his clues and theories about a girl with psychic powers and how there could be Russians in Hawkins. However, Hopper, knowing the truth about Eleven and what really happened to Barbara, dismissed Murray's claims and told him to go home.

In 1985, Hopper sought Murray's help when he and Joyce captured Russian scientist Alexei, as Hopper knew that Murray knows how to speak in Russian. Though Murray was reluctant to have a Russian in his home, Murray agreed to help Hopper and Joyce Byers. After learning why, the Russians were in Hawkins due to trying to open a gate to the Upside Down, Murray and Hopper drank vodka together and decided to figure out a way to close the gate and destroy the machine that was being used to open it. The two then traveled to Hawkins to save the Party together with Murray advising Hopper to consummate his feelings for Joyce, much to Hopper's annoyance and disgust.

In 1986, Murray helped Joyce rescue Hopper from Kamchatka. When Hopper finally reunited with Joyce and Murray, he did notice and look at Murray, but tightly embraced Joyce instead. It is unknown how Hopper initially reacted to Murray being present in Russia to save him. Later, Hopper completely ignores Murray's warnings and suggestions to not go to the gulag. However, in the end Hopper's plan worked, leaving Hopper grateful to Murray for saving him and Joyce from the Demogorgon and Demodogs.

Appearances

Video games

Memorable Quotes

• "It's a central nervous system depressant. So yes, with vodka."
• "You don't need me to believe you. You need them to believe you."
• "Your priest, your postman, the world at large. They won't believe any of this."
• "Those people... They're not wired like me and you, okay? They don't spend their lives trying to get a look at what's behind the curtain. They like the curtain. It provides them stability, comfort, definition. This... This would open the curtain, and open the curtain behind that curtain, okay?"
• "We like Steve. But we don't love Steve."
• "So, Jonathan.. how was the pull-out?"
• ”Oops...”
• (in Russian) "I may be bald, but you’re the one in handcuffs, Soviet scum."
• "He says he likes strawberry too."
• (in Russian) "Who said you had to be an American to join the fun?"
• "I'm sorry, why is this four-year old speaking to me?"
• "I hate children."
• "Bald Eagle has landed. Repeat. Bald Eagle has landed."
• “So, please, for my sake, either quit your bickering, or pull over, tear off those clothes, and GET IT OVER WITH ALREADY!”
• (in Russian) "I told them they should have sex."
• "My fingers are like arrows! My arms, like iron! My feet, like spears! Resist, and I will end you. But turn this plane around, and I will spare your life!"
• "Looks like we have ourselves a moron!"
• "…the Americans are very tricky."
• "I gotta hand it to you commies. You're committed!"
• "Uh, I hate to interrupt, but apparently they can climb too."
• "Wait, time out. We're talking about the particles inside the prison? The prison we just narrowly escaped from?!"
• "Alright. There is a fine line between courage and stupidity, and this falls very far on the side of stupid. This is Dirty Dozen stuff, except there are, uh, four of us!"
• "Okay. I'm with ya. Except the whole, uh, getting them all in here part."
• "So count your blessings, hang some mistletoe, pucker up, and kiss my jolly ass!"

Behind the scenes

The character was first revealed as a new addition to Season 2 in an article by The Hollywood Reporter on November 18, 2016, in which he was described as "a disgraced journalist-turned-conspiracy theorist who is investigating a cold case in Hawkins." It was announced that actor-comedian Brett Gelman had been cast to portray Bauman.^[5]

An early iteration of Murray is mentioned in the original Montauk pilot script and the Montauk pitch book, the latter containing a short description of the character. The description reveals the character was originally envisioned as an "anti-social movie theatre projectionist and conspiracy theorist" resembling a serial killer, and would have played an important role in the story. The character was cut from the the first season because there was no room for his character.^[6] Strangely, the character was originally named "Terry Ives", the name that would later be given to Eleven's mother.

In the behind-the-scenes show Beyond Stranger Things, Brett Gelman claims that Murray's backstory (that was not mentioned in his introduction) prior to the second season was his daughter and family's relationship was destroyed as a result of Murray following an unspecified story while working for the Sun-Times, and that helping the Hollands find Barbara was a way to make peace for what he did. Whether Murray having a daughter and family was cut from the show in general or simply didn't make it to the cut and will be explored in the final season has yet to be revealed.

Gallery

For this subject's gallery, see Murray Bauman/Gallery.

Trivia

• Murray can speak Russian, as shown in season 3, in spite of "Russian spies" being a focal point of some of his paranoia and conspiracy theories in season 2.
• Season 4 is the only season in which Murray appears in every episode.
• He appeared in only four episodes in each of Stranger Things 2 and 3.
  • For the latter, he didn't appear until the second half of the season.
• Judging by the scale of the Russian presence and infrastructure shown in season 3 and the short period of time between season 2 and 3, Murray's accusation of an "invasion right here in Hawkins" would have been correct at the time.
• It's possible to call his phone number (618-625-8313). When calling, the caller will receive a message from Murray:
  • "Hi, you have reached the residence of Murray Bauman. Mom, if this is you, please hang up and call me between the hours of 5 and 6 pm as previously discussed, okay? If this is Joyce, Joyce, thank you for calling, I have been trying to reach ya. I have an update. It's about, well, its probably best if we speak in person. It's not good or bad, but it's something. If this is anyone but my mother or Joyce, well, you think you're real clever, getting my number, don't ya? Well, here's some breaking news for you: You're not clever. You're not special. You are just simply one of the many, many nimwits to have called here, and the closest you will ever get to me is this prerecorded message so at the beep, do me a favor and hang up and never call here again. You are a parasite! Thank you and good day."
• Murray stated that he hates children, but it's unknown if this is true or is just an expression of his annoyance when he's given the codename "Bald Eagle".
• Murray is a black belt in Karate.
• When originally being the character Terry Ives, his age was described to be 40. This is most likely the same age in Murray once he is introduced.
• In season 3, both Alexei and Erica made fun of Murray's baldness.
• Murray is the fourth character in the series to make their debut as a recurring character, before being promoted to a main character, following Noah Schnapp's character Will Byers, who was recurring in season 1, and Joe Keery's character Steve Harrington, who made his debut as a recurring character in season 1, before returning as a main character in season 2, and Priah Ferguson's character Erica Sinclair, who made her debut as a recurring character in season 2, before returning as a main character in season 3.
  • In addition, Murray is the first character to spend two seasons as a recurring character before coming back as a main character, as both Steve and Erica spent only one season as a recurring character before being promoted, seasons 1 and 2 respectively.
• Murray has red paper with a Weather Underground logo hung on a wall in his residence, implying that he may have supported or have been affiliated with the group prior to the timeframe of Stranger Things.
• In line with many stereotypical private investigators, he is a heavy drinker and has a fondness for music from the 1930s-1950s, such as Billie Holiday.
• Murray's alias, Austin Milbarge, working for Bradley's Big Buy is a callback to his introduction in season 2, when he mentioned how Eleven shattered the doors of said department store telekinetically.

References