Now that Stranger Things season 4 promises to bring in new test subjects, the show can focus on Eleven’s character arc more than her superpowers and fix her story. Since the Netflix hit debuted in 2016, Stranger Things has been gradually unveiling heroine Eleven’s powers across its three seasons. However, Stranger Things season 4 should focus more on her character than her abilities, something that its plot about new Hawkins Lab test subjects can accommodate.
When she first appeared in Stranger Things, Millie Bobby Brown’s Eleven became an instantly iconic sci-fi heroine. A small child who harbored some serious psychic powers, the character was shy, sweet, and lovable in Stranger Things season 1, and viewers were left heartbroken by her apparent death in the season finale. However, when El returned in Stranger Things seasons 2 and 3, the show focused more on her abilities and less on her personality, much to its detriment.
Eleven's Stranger Things season 2 story mostly consisted of her frustrated attempts to discover her origins, while her season 3 arc was more about Mike and Hopper than her growth. Eleven’s static story was only one of Stranger Things season 3’s many mistakes, but luckily, it is one that the show’s upcoming season 4 can easily redress judging by its trailers. The introduction of new Hawkins Lab test subjects can make Eleven less of an anomaly and give Stranger Things season 4 time to focus on her growth more than her superpowers. Already, two of Stranger Things season 4’s trailers have hinted at the existence (and eventual escape) of more Hawkins Lab test subjects, meaning El will no longer be alone and can expect some growth after two seasons worth of being the only super-powered being on the series.
Eleven’s Character Matters More Than Her Powers
Stranger Things viewers like Millie Bobby Brown’s heroine because she is a compelling character, not because she is the only one on the show with superpowers. As proven by the divided audience reaction to a potential Eleven/Mike breakup in Stranger Things season 4, the character’s relationships and chances to find new friends and family after a traumatic upbringing are more pivotal to her appeal than her psychic abilities. However, El’s lack of a compelling story in Stranger Things season 3 (where she had little to do outside bicker with Hopper, break up with Mike, and eventually save the day) proves that the show doesn’t know what to do with a heroine who is at her best when she is more human than invincible. Few Stranger Things viewers tune in to see El bend metal with her mind, but many want to see her happy after all her hardship—something that could be helped by introducing new characters with similar powers.
Season 2 Tried (& Failed) To Introduce Other Test Subjects
Stranger Things season 2 did try to imply that there were more super-powered Hawkins Lab test subjects, but the standalone episode in which they appeared is one of Stranger Things’ biggest mistakes. An outing that had no real connection to the plot of Stranger Things season 2, it was a pretty transparent ploy for a New Mutants-style spinoff series that never materialized when audiences hated the episode. However, while this episode was deservedly derided, Stranger Things season 4’s promised Hawkins Lab breakout could fix its issues by keeping the action set in Hawkins (instead of faraway Chicago) and introducing a slew of new test subjects with Eleven-esque powers. This would make the heroine more human and vulnerable, which is a tricky thing to pull off when Eleven has now defeated the Mind Flayer twice and killed more than one Demogorgon with her psychic powers.
However, judging by Stranger Things season 4’s ‘HNL Control Room’ teaser trailer, the rest of Hawkins Lab’s test subjects can also cause some bloody chaos with their powers. As such, there may be other test subjects as powerful as Eleven introduced in Stranger Things season 4, a prospect that would make the show's invincible heroine feel more human again. The fact that they are in Hawkins while she resides in California with the Byers also provides compelling drama, since the new test subjects and Eleven may not end up facing off against one another for some time. Whether they work together or throw down, Eleven encountering another test subject could make her character less of a lone wolf and ensure she is not always able to handily defeat the villain of each season.
How Season 4 Can Fix This Problem Without Test Subjects
Like its predecessor, Stranger Things season 4’s trailers imply that the outing will have plenty of subplots on the go at one time. Between the Creel House story, the relationships of Mike and El and Jonathan and Nancy, Hopper’s return from Siberia, and Billy’s potential return, the test subjects of Hawkins Lab may end up having a smaller role than anticipated in Stranger Things season 4. However, even if the new test subjects are a red herring and don’t end up having a plot to themselves, Stranger Things can still make Eleven seem more human and vulnerable by giving Will Byers some form of power. Will’s many sojourns to the Upside Down have left the kid scarred but never resulted in him changing or gaining any sort of power, something that doesn't gel well with the number of times he has been sought out by the Mind Flayer's many forms.
Despite Will not being killed by the Demogorgon way back in season 1, Stranger Things has still never explained what makes his character different from Barb or Bob Newby and this plot thread is something that could provide a compelling arc for the somewhat static Will. Giving Will powers (or revealing he has always had them) would also serve to make Eleven less of an anomaly and more like the normal teen she wants to be, particularly when she already lives with Will and could help him come to terms with his abilities. Thus, even without the test subjects of Hawkins Lab turning out to be major players, Stranger Things season 4 can still improve Eleven’s character by giving Will new strengths to explore and Eleven a mentoring role instead of her typical, now over-familiar heroic duties.