Netflix 'Stranger Things' Season 4 Episode 5: How does Eleven get her powers back?
Contains spoilers for 'Stranger Things' Season 4 Episode 5 'The Nina Project'
Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) being powerless without her abilities has been one of the key storylines in 'Stranger Things' Season 4. With Vecna killing his victims grotesquely one at a time, the gang at Hawkins somehow manages to save Max (Sadie Sink) in the previous episode. 'The Nina Project' shuttles between three storylines — Eleven getting her powers back, Will (Noah Schnapp), Mike (Finn Wolfhard), and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) planning to find Suzie (Gabriella Pizzolo) to find out where Eleven is, and the gang at Hawkins finding out more about Vecna.
The reintroduction of Dr Brenner (Matthew Modine) adds a massive twist to the series. Although it was confirmed that he was alive and kicking well before the show's premiere, he plays a vital role in establishing the father and daughter connection with Eleven. While Dr Owens takes her back to the special facility where the children are being experimented upon, she struggles to adapt and let her past fears kick in.
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Brenner puts Eleven in stasis and has her in an environment that plays with her mind. The teen sees visions of her younger, uncontrollable self, while also struggling to come to terms with what made her powerless. While Owens suggests that they go easy on her, Brenner pushes her by putting them through scenarios where Eleven goes through trauma eventually awakening her power. One of the sequences sees her have an arrest, only to be revealed that she faked it. She manages to overpower the guards by using her abilities, even only for a few minutes.
Much of Brenner's move revolved around reconnecting Eleven with her past as the trauma greatly heightened her abilities. The grief that eventually turned to rage made her special over the other children in the lab, and the devious scientist manages to get the breakthrough again. But is it enough to slay Vecna and save Hawkins again?
'Stranger Things' Season 4 is streaming on Netflix.