The world of Stranger Things is growing in Season 2, and a new casting notice from Backstage has fans wondering if Hawkins National Laboratory is about to admit some new patients. Buzzfeed speculates the Stranger Things ' casting call for women willing to cut their hair could mean the show is going to introduce the test subjects who came before Eleven, and I must admit, my curiosity is piqued as well. While the casting notice simply states that actors with an "'80s look" who are willing to cut their hair for background roles are needed, it is impossible not to wonder if Stranger Things is planning on delving deeper into the experiments that led to Eleven's heartbreaking stay at Hawkins Laboratory.
No one starts counting with the number 11, so it is a given there were patients before Eleven. Whether or not any of those patients survived the experiments they were forced to undergo is anyone's guess, but it stands to reason that somewhere out there is number one. Now that Hopper is seemingly working with the government, it makes sense he would use his new role to further investigate a system so unconcerned by the damage they did to an innocent child.
The laboratory would surely label Eleven a success given the immense power she possesses, which means she may not be their last patient. Even if Eleven's predecessors did not survive the process that unlocked Eleven's abilities, that does not mean no children came after her. While I would like to believe the experiment would be shut down in the wake of the monster being unleashed on Hawkins, the '80s government conspiracy story is almost certainly here to stay.
The Duffer Brothers promised Season 2 would expand beyond Hawkins' borders, and having Hopper work as a double agent digging deep into the world that created Eleven is the perfect way to make that happen. While this initial casting call is for extras, I'd say no one should rule out the possibility of Hopper walking into a nightmarish scenario where he discovers another laboratory filled with children just like Eleven who are being weaponized. Stranger Things has only just begun to explore the system responsible for what happened to Eleven. There is still so much story left to uncover, and as heartbreaking as the Hawkins Laboratory scenes were in Season 1, it is hard not to be curious about the possibility of meeting other characters like Eleven.
Of course, Eleven will always be the priority for fans (and the show). The kid stole hearts everywhere, and if she is going to come back, the show has to continue exploring her life before she met Mike and his friends. Whether or not this particular casting call is for Eleven's cohorts, Stranger Things Season 2 is almost certainly going to be doubling down on the government conspiracy now that Hopper and Eleven's lives are on an Eggos-hidden-in-the-forest-fueled collision course of awesome.
Images: Netflix; Giphy (2)
