Is Eleven actually evil in Stranger Things? (Is she the villain of season 4?)

We’re just a week out from Stranger Things season 4 volume 1, and new information about the show’s highly-anticipated return is coming out more and more each day. On May 20, Netflix surprised fans by dropping the first eight minutes of the season 4 premiere, along with confirmation on how many episodes will be in each volume. By the looks and sounds of it, this new season is going to be absolutely epic, and we’re counting down the days until we can binge it all!

As teased by the Stranger Things season 4 trailer, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) will be back at Hawkins Lab in the new episodes, though we’re not sure why. She did lose her powers in season 3, so maybe she’s remembering her time and learnings with Papa, a.k.a. Dr. Brenner (Matthew Modine). In any case, the first eight minutes of the premiere confirm that Brenner and the Rainbow Room will be very important once again as we see a flashback from El’s time at the lab.

Spoilers ahead for the Stranger Things season 4 premiere.

The first eight minutes of season 4 are seriously chilling, as it sees multiple murders and a seemingly guilty Eleven. Watch it below and see what you think!

Dr. Brenner returns in Stranger Things, Eleven seemingly kills kids at Hawkins Lab

Dr. Brenner makes his return in Stranger Things season 4 for this flashback opening, following him as he teaches the kids at Hawkins Lab. He goes into a separate room with Number Ten to do some tests, and there’s a quick light moment where Ten can’t recognize Brenner’s terrible drawing. But then, we hear gunshots and screaming as one of the workers tells Brenner that “something’s wrong.”

The door to the room flies open and hits Brenner, knocking him out unconscious. And when he wakes up, what he sees is beyond anything he could ever imagine. He walks out into the hallway and sees that everyone’s dead, and when he gets to the Rainbow Room, only a young Eleven is there staring back at him. She’s covered with blood spots on her hospital gown and has blood dripping from her eyes. She looks so sinister!

Brenner is shocked as he asks Eleven, “What have you done?”

This scene opens up Stranger Things season 4 with the question… is Eleven actually evil? Is everything we know about her actually not true? We still don’t know how and why El escapes Hawkins Lab before meeting Mike (Finn Wolfhard) and her now-best friends, and it’s crazy to think that all this time she might actually be a cold-hearted murderer. Of course, we’ve seen her kill people before, but not innocent people. The fact that this scene suggests she killed multiple kids and workers at the lab is incredibly scary.

So is Eleven evil? Because Stranger Things season 4 isn’t out yet, this question is really just up for speculation. To be honest, I don’t think the show would go that route, but they are making it seem like a possibility. Though the Netflix Original has its dark moments, it’s still a show about friendships, family, and love. At its core, it’s wholesome. Because of this, I don’t see the Duffer Brothers completely changing course and revealing that Eleven is the actual villain. People would be mad, and it wouldn’t fit the nature of the show.

During an interview with Entertainment Weekly in April, Millie Bobby Brown said Eleven will be “in the darkest state she’s ever been” come season 4, adding: “This has definitely been the hardest season I’ve ever filmed.” Interesting. Very interesting.

As a horror lover, I wouldn’t mind Eleven becoming the villain. I think it’d be pretty cool. But for now, I don’t think she’s evil. I bet there’s a whole lot we don’t know about concerning her past and I hope we get more answers about it soon!

Stranger Things season 4 volume 1 debuts on May 27, with volume 2 to follow on July 1.

What do you think about Eleven’s storyline in Stranger Things season 4? Could she be evil? Let us know in the comments section below!