The Stranger Things writers continue to shock their fans. A recent social media post has revealed that the writers considered a shocking turn for Millie Bobby Brown's Eleven back in season 2.Stranger Things has never been afraid to go dark. Eleven's backstory alone is straight out of a Stephen King novel: a child who was abducted at birth and raised as a weapon for her powerful psionic abilities. Eleven turned into quite the rebellious character over the course of Stranger Things, but her upbringing was stifling and traumatic. Her mother, Terry Ives (Aimee Mullins) attempted to save Eleven, only to be rendered permanently catatonic for her efforts. By the time of the show, she's spent a decade unable to speak in coherent sentences, only occasionally managing phrases related to her predicament.In a tweet posted to their Stranger Writers account, the Stranger Things writers simply wrote, "Crazy s*** that almost happened #2: In season 2, Eleven was going to mercy kill her mother." Season 2 saw Eleven reunite with her mother and her aunt Becky (Amy Seimetz). Eleven eventually ran away from her aunt, thinking she was going to turn her into authorities, while also believing her mother wanted her to find a fellow test subject Eight (Linnea Berthelsen).
Eleven has had her share of trouble, but it looks like she was going to take a very dark turn in Stranger Things season 2. While she ended up getting a punk makeover, the season ended with her character realizing the value of her friendships and her connection with Hawkins. Had the writers gone through with Eleven killing her mother, Stranger Things season 2 would have probably ended on a darker note.
It's not the first change the writers have discussed. The account has also posted about Will's possible character development in Stranger Things season 2, revealing that he nearly killed newcomer Bob Newby (Sean Astin). As with that development, the writers likely realized that it was probably a touch too dark for an already extensively traumatized character.
The change also leaves open the door for Terry Ives' possible return in Stranger Things season 5. But it also provides an explanation for why Eleven's aunt Becky hasn't been seen since. After all, if the original idea was for Eleven to kill her mother, then Becky probably would have been devastated. She spent many years caring for her sister and was mystified when it turned out that Eleven was real because she had spent years insisting Terry had had a psychotic break. Hopefully, Stranger Things returns to these two when it comes back, as their storyline does not seem tied up just yet.
Stranger Things seasons 1-4 are now available on Netflix.
Source: Stranger Writers/Twitter