‘Stranger Things’ Fans Have a Theory About Eleven’s New Hair
Netflix has offered us another glimpse into the ever-evolving world of Stranger Things Season 4. The new 30-second teaser blends together old and new footage, while also revealing that the forthcoming season will arrive in 2022.
If you watch the montage closely, you'll notice a key shot that provides insight as to what Season 4 has in store for one of our beloved Hawkins, Indiana, residents. The shot depicts Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) being held back by two men in suits. Her messy bangs and slouchy flannel are reminiscent of someone else we know: Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder), who left town with Eleven and her son Will (Noah Schnapp) at the end of Season 3.
An eagle-eyed Twitter user pointed out the similarity, with a side-by-side comparison of El and Joyce:
It's a tiny detail, but it reveals that Joyce could be influencing El in a maternal way. This would be a huge development for both of them, as El's relationship to her real mother is incredibly strained. Joyce only has sons, so she's never been able to share a mother-daughter bond with anyone. And since Jim Hopper (David Harbour) is basically El's father figure, perhaps Hopper and Joyce will rekindle their romance and become El's unofficial parents.
Over the course of the past three seasons, El's hairstyle has reflected where she is in her character's journey. As her hair has grown out, she's been able to reclaim her identity as a young woman, rather than a human lab experiment. And since bangs are very hard to cut yourself, it's only natural for fans to deduce that Joyce cut them for El.
As another Twitter user observed, all signs are pointing to a bonding scene where Joyce does El's hair. Well, we can hope, can't we?
Stranger Things Season 4 has experienced its share of delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but this teaser finally confirms that the next installment will arrive on our screens by next year. In addition to the existing cast, the new season will also welcome newcomers Jamie Campbell Bower, Eduardo Franco, Joseph Quinn, Amybeth McNulty, Myles Truitt, Regina Ting Chen and Grace Van Dien.
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