Does Eleven die in 'Stranger Things' season 3?

16 November 2018, 16:48 | Updated: 16 November 2018, 17:01

Millie Bobby Brown season 2 Stranger Things and Instagram screenshot
Picture: Netflix/Millie Bobby Brown/Instagram
Nicky Idika

By Nicky Idika

What if Millie Bobby Brown's Instagram posts hint at an emotional goodbye for the character?

Welcome, guys, to an official internet investigation of whether or not Eleven will die in Stranger Things season 3. I can only stress that this is all a theory based on what we know about the character Eleven, played by Millie Bobby Brown, as well as clues from her recent social media posts.

We have no behind-the-scenes insight other than an overgrown interest in the social media postings of a 14-year-old actress. Right, let's get into it.

Exhibit A - Millie's posts about wrapping the season seem really...final.

Shortly after wrapping season 3, Millie Bobby Brown posted a shout out to her fellow cast mate Sadie Sink."As we said goodbye, I gave my best friend the biggest hug and told her I loved her so much. My sister forever."

Millie Bobby Brown instagram goodbye
Picture: Millie Bobby Brown/Instagram

Sadie posted the same picture to her own Instagram page with the caption "that's a wrap on El and Max. Love you so much @milliebobbybrown. Thanks for the memories."

EXCUSE ME, A WRAP ON EL AND MAX?!

Now, let's compare Millie's recent post to a June 3, 2017 post she shared shortly after wrapping season 2.

Millie Bobby Brown screenshot
Picture: Millie Bobby Brown/Instagram

Millie still thanks Sadie and the rest of the cast in this post but is way less final about it all.

Now, you might be thinking 'maybe Millie is emotional because she won't see Sadie for a long time'. Not true! According to this comment left on Sadie's goodbye post, the pair are linking up next week.

Millie Bobby Brown comment screenshot
Picture: Millie Bobby Brown/Instagram

Now combine this with Millie's emotional Instagram stories and we're having THOUGHTS.

Millie Bobby Brown Instagram stories
Picture: Millie Bobby Brown/Instagram stories

Moving onto our next piece of evidence.

Exhibit B - Eleven was supposed to die at the end of season 1

The Duffer brothers have spoken in the past about Eleven escaping death in the first season. In the new behind-the-scenes book, Stranger Things: Worlds Turned Upside Down, the brothers opened up about almost killing Eleven in season one.

"Eleven was going to sacrifice herself to save the day," Ross Duffer says in the book. But because of how "special" the young star was, they knew they had to bring her back for more seasons.

Now, she's saved the gang TWICE from certain death, does Eleven really have nine lives to spare?

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Exhibit C - In a THR interview last year, the Duffer Brothers hinted at the Mind Flayer becoming "aware" of Eleven and her powers.

"They've shut the door on the Mind Flayer, but not only is it still there in the Upside Down, it's very much aware of the kids, and particularly Eleven. It had not encountered her and her powers until that final episode. Now, it knows that she's out there. We wanted to end on a little bit of an ominous note on that level."

Does that mean Eleven is going to die? Not necessarily. Is this the interview equivalent of "u in danger, girl"? 100%.

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This is definitely a lot of conjecture, but we're not the only ones who got a weird feeling in our hearts while reading Millie's posts. Fans have expressed an inkling that Eleven might be in danger in the upcoming season.

Eleven fan comments
Picture: Instagram/badrepfinn
Eleven stranger things reaction emotional instagram
Picture: Instagram/oceanminogue
Millie Bobby Brown stranger things reaction tweet
Picture: Twitter/holdtightsabx

While Millie's social media posts do give us some pause, we're also inclined to think that killing Eleven in season 3, just as she is starting a potential relationship with Mike and becoming Hopper's adoptive daughter, would be needlessly cruel.

Of course, there are dozens of theories about Stranger Things season 3, so you can probably just add this one to the pile.

What do you guys think? Is Eleven in danger? What's the most convincing ST3 theory you've seen so far?