Stranger Things season 4: Why does Eleven lose her powers?

Season 3 of Stranger Things left fans with several agonizing cliffhangers. The Byers family moved away from Hawkins, taking Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) with them after the apparent death of Jim Hopper (David Harbour). Despite the demise of the Mind Flayer, Eleven continued to struggle with the loss of her powers after she was bitten by the monster.

Why does Eleven lose her powers after being bitten by The Mind Flayer?

This is a question that still genuinely stumps me. Eleven’s telekinetic abilities are pretty awe-inspiring, and they’ve grown stronger each season. She was able to close the gate to the Upside Down in the season 2 finale, but a part of The Mind Flayer still remained in our world.

Eleven was bitten by the monster in season 3, and even though she removed the piece of The Mind Flayer embedded in her leg, her powers no longer worked. Even three months after the battle, she is still struggling to regain her abilities.

I doubt that her powers are gone for good, but it will definitely make for an interesting storyline in season 4. Without her powers, Eleven no longer has the upper hand in a fight and she can’t locate anyone. The Mind Flayer had it out for her after she vanquished him in season 2, so it makes sense that the monster would want revenge.

The narrative has continuously demonstrated the immense power that the Upside Down and its inhabitants hold. We also know that the Upside Down can affect you after you leave, which was evident in season 2 when Will (Noah Schnapp) was connected to the alternate dimension via The Mind Flayer. Will was able to see and feel what the Mind Flayer was doing, and it seemed that he even had a physical connection with the monster. When he was controlled by The Mind Flayer, he couldn’t stand the heat, and felt immense pain when the creature was burned by scientists at Hawkins Lab.

Similarly, when Billy was possessed in season 3 he appeared to have increased physical strength and the ability to see Eleven when she was using her powers to spy on him.

Since The Mind Flayer seems determined to take over our world, perhaps he decided that Eleven’s incredible powers would help him succeed. It’s pretty easy for this monster to control people, so it’s not far fetched to say that maybe he found a way to make Eleven less of a threat while gaining new powers in the process.

However, if The Mind Flayer has absorbed her abilities, how will she get them back?

Hopefully, the mystery of Eleven’s disappearing powers will be revisited in season 4 of Stranger Things.