The first 8 minutes of Stranger Things season 4 were released on YouTube and showed a flashback to the infamous massacre at Hawkins Lab, where it appears that Eleven is the person responsible - but here's why that may not be the case. Stranger Things season 4 airs on May 27th, 2022, and the season will be split into two parts. While the first 8 minutes of Stranger Things season 4 tease the Hawkins Lab massacre, viewers will have to wait until the final episode of season 4, part 1, "The Massacre at Hawkins Lab," for the whole truth to be revealed.
Stranger Things season 4 looks set to be the biggest season of the hit Netflix series to date. With the show's grand finale clocking at almost two and half hours, its bumper episode lengths seem to partly explain how Netflix has spent approximately $30 million per episode on one of their breakout streaming hits. The series' expansion of its Russia plot and the additional special effects that could be needed to depict Vecna and his powers could also be reasons why the production costs are so high. What's certain, however, is that Netflix is doing all it can to ensure the culmination of Eleven, Mike, and the gang's story does not disappoint.
The opening 8 minutes of Stranger Things season 4 casts doubt over Eleven's true nature, as it appears her past is even darker than previously thought. Like many facets of Stranger Things, however, this terrifying opening scene should not be taken at face value. Social hubs such as Reddit are already abuzz attempting to glean the true meaning of the Stranger Things season 4 opening scene, which contains several nods that Eleven is not actually responsible for the massacre of her fellow test patients. Here's why Eleven didn't kill the test patients in the opening scene of Stranger Things season 4 and why she may have actually been trying to save them.
The Massacre of Hawkins Lab Betrays Eleven’s Character
If Eleven did indeed kill her fellow test subjects as suggested in the Stranger Things season 4 opener, it would completely change how the audience views her character. It may suggest that deep down, Eleven is murderous and cold-hearted - but that works against all her character development across the previous three seasons. Since Eleven met Mike and the gang, her first instinct was to protect them. Eleven was stripped of social skills when she was taken from her mother and raised in Hawkins National Laboratory, yet due to the kindness of Mike, Dustin, and Lucas, she formed a friendship with them and managed to reintegrate into soceity. Despite her cruel upbringing, Eleven has proven that she reciprocates kindness and protects those she loves, as she seemingly sacrificed herself for the gang in Stranger Things season 1 to destroy the Demogorgon.
In Stranger Things season 2, Eleven also proved that she could not kill mindlessly. When she reunited with her fellow test subject, Kali, she was told to kill Ray Carroll, one of the people responsible for putting Eleven's mother in a catatonic state. Eleven chose mercy, however, and stopped Kali from killing Carroll too. While the opening scene of season 4 takes place before the events of Stranger Things season 1, it would still be unusual for Eleven to kill in cold blood. Her arc across the last three seasons has been focussed on how she learns to love and be loved while displaying an intuitive desire to protect the vulnerable. Since her other test subjects did not appear to pose a threat to her, and they experienced the same harrowing upbringing, her killing them would juxtapose everything that Eleven represents as a character to date in Stranger Things.
Eleven Saved Dr. Brenner
Dr. Brenner and Eleven have always had a twisted relationship in Stranger Things. Brenner stripped Eleven from her mother and imposed himself as a father figure, and Brenner was the only person Eleven could have real socialization with. When Eleven performed well in tests, he would give her affection, and when she did not, he would psychologically torture her. Thus, if Eleven was the killer of the other test subjects, it's hard to imagine that she would not try to kill Brenner too. It's possible that she may not have been able to because she thought of him as her "papa." However, it's much more likely that if she could kill children that were placed through the same ordeals as her, she would have also been capable of killing Brenner, the person responsible for those ordeals - cementing the idea that Eleven didn't kill the test subjects.
Vecna Or Number 1 Were Likely The Real Stranger Things Culprits
If Eleven is not to blame for the massacre of Hawkins Lab in the first 8 minutes of Stranger Things season 4, Vecna or Number 1 could well be. During the tense scene when Dr. Brenner searches the lab after the attack, he finds the bodies of several of the children. Other than Eleven, several numbers were also absent. Number 8, Kali, the woman that Eleven joins during an episode in Stranger Things season 2, is not seen for obvious reasons. Also, the door to Number 13's room remained mysteriously closed, even though all the other doors were forced open.
The most mysterious number in this sequence, however, is Number 1. The identity and purpose of Number 1 in Stranger Things has been a topic of intense speculation. The Writer of Stranger Things EU media, such as SIX, Jody Houser recently disclosed that "the one restriction we got was we couldn't use Number One." As such, the Duffer Brothers must intend to use Number One in Stranger Things' final season; otherwise, this character restriction seems pointless. Netflix's show is the most significant aspect of the Stranger Things universe, so it's only fitting that the biggest reveal, and possibly the biggest villain, is saved for the show. There's speculation that Number 1 could be the Mind Flayer, or it could be season 4's villain Vecna, who is the first villain from the Upside Down that can speak.
If Number 1 is not responsible for the massacre at Hawkins Lab and is not linked to Vecna, then Vecna seems the most likely culprit for this atrocity. To be a villain worthy of Stranger Things' finale, Vecna must be capable of such terrifying feats. While Vecna's motives remain unclear, there's reason to believe that it would hold a grudge against Eleven and the other test subjects. In the Stranger Things season 4 trailer, it says: "You've broken everything. Your suffering is almost at an end." While this line could be delivered to all of the gang, Eleven has done the most damage to anything to come from the Upside Down so far - meaning its likely directed at her. It's possible that Vecna knew the test subjects would grow into a force powerful enough to thwart his plan, and thus, he attempted to nip this threat in the bud when they were at Hawkins Lab.
Theory: Eleven Was Trying To Save The Test Subjects, Not Kill Them
During the opening 8 minutes of Stranger Things season 4, there is a suspicious crack in the wall behind Eleven when she is revealed in season 4's opening clip. The crack looks eerily similar to portals that lead to the Upside Down - perhaps indicating that Eleven attempted to save the test subjects rather than kill them. While she may have failed to protect many of the subjects, the crack could mean that Eleven sealed whatever killed the test subjects in the Upside Down, hence why whoever did it may not have shown their face in Stranger Things yet. The glass behind Eleven is also shattered, suggesting a struggle took place, and the blood dripping from Eleven's nose is a sign that she used her telekinetic powers to her full ability. This may have been necessary to kill her other subjects, but it also could be an indicator of a titanic struggle against the real culprit. The reveal of Eleven standing amongst the massacred test subjects with cold fury etched upon her face is more likely to be intentional misdirection by the Duffer Brothers rather than a confirmation of her guilt in Stranger Things season 4.