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Psychology of a Hero: Eleven from STRANGER THINGS

Cinema Therapy

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How do you gain autonomy after being controlled?

Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker Alan Seawright react to Eleven’s hero journey from Stranger Things. They talk about El’s abusive upbringing and how she learns to develop healthy connections. And they discuss what happens in the end… what do you think?

EXCLUSIVE episode: Trauma Responses in STRANGER THINGS Patreon: exclusive-trauma-150461353

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Written by: Megan Seawright, Jonathan Decker, and Alan Seawright
Produced by: Jonathan Decker, Megan Seawright, Alan Seawright, and Corinne Demyanovich
Edited by: David Sant
Director of Photography: Bradley Olsen
English Transcription by: Anna Preis
Theme music by: Caleb Blood

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20 Comments

@CinemaTherapyShow Creator 6 months ago Pinned

@kriscynical 6 months ago

Parents letting go: on my 18th birthday my parents called me into the living room to tell me something, and even at 41 I still remember it:

"You're 18 now; you're an adult. Everything we wanted to instill in you should be there by now and if it isn't, that's our fault. We're done raising you now, but we'll always be here for you if you want advice or support. Your life is your own now and your choices are yours to make. We trust you to make good ones."

And they've continued to be my biggest cheerleaders in everything. I do not have the words to describe how incredible my parents are, truly. I'm very blessed. Now that they're in their late 70s, I'm more than happy to help and take care of them in return for everything they did for me when I was growing up. I wish everyone could have that experience.

@t.vinters3128 6 months ago

I think part of the reason people take issue with the ending is because there's this weird... tendency, for deeply traumatized characters to have their arc resolve in a heroic sacrifice like this. Which ends up conveying a message along the lines of "If you're too damaged to fully heal and become normal, you can't have a meaningful life, and your best hope is to die a meaningful death".

Which is not a great message for people who already struggle with wanting to live, and imagining a good-enough future for themselves.

@nataliabouaj.7369 6 months ago

"I dump your ass" is great, but my absolute favorite has to be "I piggy-backed in a pizza dough freezer"

@ArcticChameleon 6 months ago (edited)

Steve and Dustin video about their friendship especially how it evolves over the show would be awesome.

@misterbennnn 6 months ago

Thank you for covering Hopper and Eleven's fight. I know you guys couldn't pull an entire episode out of that one fight, but I'm grateful to hear you guys dissect one of the ugliest and, honestly, most realistic fights I've seen on film.

@secondstarASMR 6 months ago

Eleven was a formative character for me. I always had trouble relating to female characters as a really traumatized, bullied tomboy. Then I watched Stranger Things and Eleven helped me realize how cool girls are, how strong broken people can be, and her mall scene helped me find my personal style.

@FirebunCEO 6 months ago

People forgot just how hard acting is. Good acting is being able to ignore the props, the stage and all the other people and being able to fully embrace that you're currently a different person.

There's a reason most actors need to have time to get out of character after a shoot.

@jessicastevens1629 6 months ago

You know what, the fight with El and Hop was a great shout. It's an ugly fight but it really shows the difference between what Hopper provides and what Papa doesn't, based on how El can lash out and not fear love being taken away.

@trinaq 6 months ago

It was realistic how they depicted El's growth, and that it took time for her to start to trust people. You can sense her and Hopper's mutual frustration in Seasons 2 and 3, and I like that she and Max become genuine friends.

@Leslie58 6 months ago

The first time I remember seeing Millie was on an episode of NCIS. She played a sociopathic child who kills her mother so she can basically have her father all to herself. She was brilliant and this was just prior to being cast in ST.
She definitely had the acting chops at a young age. I cannot imagine how hard it has to be a child actor going into adulthood & the public still relates you as a child.

@sammillward62 6 months ago

To me, Eleven and Dr Brenner's relationship reminds me in a lot of ways of Thanos and Gamora. I think in some weird twisted way that Brenner did kind of care for Eleven, but it came from a really unhealthy place, to say the least, like is the case with Thanos, and that care in both cases was conditional on them showing up how they wanted them to. I also like that even though he saved her and died in the process, it wasn't really a redemption for his character since he still isn't willing to take responsibility for his actions.

@trinaq 6 months ago

As a fan of "Found Family" stories, I really enjoyed Eleven's storyline of overcoming an abusive childhood, and finding true love and support for the first time. While I have mixed feelings about Eleven's ending, it's an otherwise beautiful depiction, especially her relationship with Hopper.

@Hi-ImBobbie 6 months ago

I enjoyed the series finale. I hate the idea everyone has to die to make it meaningfull. These kids have been through enough - they battled and earned the right to have a future

@trinaq 6 months ago

I'd love if you did an episode revolving around "Wonder." It's such a powerful story which explores being different, accepting others, and dealing with having a sibling who requires more attention. It's sad, yet wholesome, watching.

@gwenzelle65 6 months ago (edited)

the world NEEDS a cinema therapy episode about nancy wheeler, and her guilt and her strength and her ( sometimes very reckless ) ambition and her incredible character arc. too many people completely misunderstand her as a character, and i think you two are the perfect people to break down all the reasons why she's one of the best characters on the show.

and if you'd like to have a nancy wheeler expert as a guest for that episode, i'd be more than happy to join in that conversation 😁

@xooxxxoxa 5 months ago

You watch 5 seasons of this girl's journey wanting her to survive. The one thing that the finale doesnt provide. Watching her being cornered into that choice without any written development was so heartbreaking.

@anakinruiz1429 6 months ago (edited)

Can’t count how many times you guys have given me hope.

@leahnibert3849 6 months ago

Yes more Stranger Things content!!
I love El, she's an incredible character. Her ending is heartbreaking and I believe she deserves better! She sacrificed herself and that is a noble thing. But she either died, or she has to live somewhere alone and not see the people she loves anymore! 💔

@Middledust027 6 months ago

24:32 Her saying “I will always be with you” says something more for me.

I always saw El as the manifestation of the “magic” of childhood and adolescence. And so in this scene, Mike is essentially trying not to lose his childhood and El (childhood) says back
“You’ll always have me. You’ll always have the memories of me” MUCH like how viewers like myself who grew up with the show had to say goodbye as well. It was her saying it to Mike, but also to the viewers.

Like the kids who grew up with Harry Potter having to leave Hogwarts, the AV club of Gen-Z had to leave Hawkins.

And damn if that doesn’t make you sob when you think of it that way