There is an art to watching Stranger Things. You binge it all at once and then waste hours of your life pouring over theories. That is all. Maybe some stalking, too. One particular theory, founded on Reddit, sent fans into a squabble because it claims Eleven will be the villain in season 4. And now, Millie Bobby Brown herself has responded to the theory.
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The Reddit theory gist, part one: At the end of season 3, during the depressing Hopper (David Harbour) voiceover bit, there’s a shot of Eleven in the car. For a brief second, the shadow of what looks like the Mind Flayer passes over her face. Or maybe it’s a tree.
The shot in question.
The Reddit theory gist, part two: Earlier in the season, Eleven is bitten by the Mind Flayer – a chunk of it is injected into her leg. Later on during the big battle at the mall, she uses her powers to pull the thing out of her leg.
Billy (Dacre Montgomery) was also bitten by the Mind Flayer, infecting him.
HMM.
If you haven’t already, I 10/10 recommend reading the full Reddit thread and all the rebuttals because you’ll change your mind at least twice during it.
In an interview with Elle, Brown was asked about the aforementioned theory and how she felt about it. Obviously, she couldn’t give anything away. However, she did say she was “into it.”
“I kind of like it!” Brown revealed.
“In scenes after the Mind Flayer grabbed me, I wasn’t playing it as I was infected. I was definitely playing it as normal as possible. And maybe that’s the reason they didn’t tell me. To make it as real as possible.
“Those theories freak me out a bit,” she continued. “Because I’m like, ‘Oh god, that could genuinely be true.’ And what if she is the villain? That would be so cool.”
Brown added that she’d love to be a baddie, “but then I also wouldn’t because Eleven is perfect. It would suck.”
And that just about sums up how I feel about this entire thing.
