'Delightful' Derek Turnbow Is The Real MVP of 'Stranger Things 5'

*This article is spoiler-free.

Derek Turnbow is the star of Stranger Things 5.

While the rest of the cast remains excellent, Jake Connelly, 13, steals the season with his portrayal of the foul-mouthed, unpleasant bully, who transformed from "Dipshit Derek" to "Delightful Derek" in just a few episodes.

From telling his mom to "suck a fat one" to bullying kids on the playground, Derek still became a bit of a folk hero on social media over the weekend, following Netflix's release of the first four episodes of the final season.

Ross Duffer, who co-showruns the series with his brother, says they original created Derek to be a  "generic bully character," but Connelly so impressive that they decided to explain his role.

"He was just so charming and hilarious that we started to gradually increase the size of his role throughout the season," Ross Duffer said in an interview with Netflix. "So, not unlike Steve Harrington, Derek started out as a stereotypical bully, but grew into something much more compelling — all thanks to Jake."

Netflix cited reviews and social media posts declaring  Derek Turnbow "a legend" and the "Season 5 MVP."

Before, starring in the most popular season since "Game of Thrones," Connelly had only ever appeared in a local Chicago furniture commercial, where the Duffer brothers spotted him.

"Jake is a special kid …. we found him and it’s different than how we imagined Derek originally, but that’s how it was with most of the actors we found," Duffer told the Hollywood Reporter. "Gaten [Matarazzo] was very different than the Dustin we originally imagined, but what you want to find is someone who you think is special, and then you just write the role to them."

Without going into spoilers, as promised, there's a good chance Derek plays a significant role going forward in the war against Vecna.

Netflix will release three more episodes Dec. 25, before the finale on Dec. 31. 

Let us know your thoughts on Derek and the final season of Stranger Things at robert.burack@outkick.com