In Season 2 of Stranger Things, fans were thrown for a loop when Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) left Hawkins, Indiana. She was pissed at Chief Hopper (David Harbour) for hiding secrets on her lobotomized mom, and got clues that led her to Kali, aka Eight.
This episode got panned, however, so with that in mind, let's dissect how Season 3 quickly moved away from this and fixed the mistakes.
"The Lost Sister" seemed like an enticing prospect on paper, but the execution felt like a bad Halloween story. Eleven used her mental powers to track down Kali -- a girl from her past at the Hawkins lab -- in Chicago, with the two bonding as Kali thought Eleven's mother sent the child to her so that Eleven could gain a sister and become a young girl again -- Jane -- not a weapon.
However, they embarked on a dark journey that fans didn't think fit with the tone of the franchise. Kali had a gang of criminals and they were hunting down people who hurt them in the past. She roped Eleven in for a mission to kill Ray, a former worker in the MKUltra program with Dr. Brenner. It led to Eleven no longer wanting revenge and actually stopping Kali from the murder, which Eleven felt was stripping them of their humanity.
Apart from Eleven's training at the train tracks, it just didn't feel like Stranger Things, as the Duffer brothers killed the escapism and wonder for something so bleak, it'd seem like Zack Snyder concocted it. Eleven's goth makeover, her being forced to grow up and act adult and her abrupt punk attitude in general just felt out of character. This this inorganic essence was a paradigm shift not well-received by the audience who just wanted her back home to be herself again. Thankfully, she bailed and Kali was left driving away, wondering if Eleven would become Jane again.
Thankfully the show had the presence of mind to move away from this, leaving Kali's gang for the comics, as the jarring, poorly-handled new arc felt a lot like Heroes, The Gifted or Alphas. Season 3 totally dropped this group altogether, realizing that after meeting Eleven/Jane's mom, Terry Ives, they didn't need to really go back for Eleven to find lost souls like her. Once Eleven returned to Hawkins, only quick remarks are made about her new look and no one really delves into where she's been. It's as if the writers decided the best thing to do was ignore the misstep altogether -- and for good reason.
This direction allowed focus once more on Eleven's family in the present, making Hop's cabin more of a home. Not to mention, she had Max as a sister as they discussed boys and their problems, giving Eleven that relatable and human feel for teenage girls. This added nuance to the universe without breaking the momentum of the gang and losing the mystique of Hawkins. The shadow of Terry loomed, but again, the idea of mom was covered as Joyce Byers (Will's mom) took on that role.
This allowed Eleven to focus on a romance with Mike too, helping her craft an identity of her own away from Brenner's minions. It's why, while a flashback with Kali was used to encourage Eleven to dig deep and harness her powers once when they go wonky, she already had the proper motivation. She didn't need vengeance, as keeping the people around her safe was more than enough. With Billy, the Mind Flayer and the Upside Down haunting them, Eleven knew to risk it and fight for people in her life, not strangers in a foreign land. Ultimately, that road trip was a misstep best forgotten, reminding us Eleven's best path is powering forward, not looking back at an era that stymies her progress.
The first three seasons of Stranger Things are streaming on Netflix. You can skip "The Lost Sister" and you'll only be confused by why Eleven suddenly looks like Severus Snape in the following episode. Season 4 of Stranger Things has yet to receive an official release date.
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