Stranger Things 4’s Test Subjects Can Fix Eleven’s Story

 Stranger Things season 4 is set to introduce new Hawkins Lab test subjects, allowing the show to focus on Eleven's personality and not her powers.

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.