After finishing season 4 this question got stuck in my head so I watched the Lab scenes again and count the children in the Lab many times.
There are 16 children in total. Number 1 is an adult now. And number 8 isn’t in the Lab. (in episode 6 number 1 says when 8 was still here, that means she isn’t in the Lab anymore).
16 children + Number 1 + Number 8 = 18
This means the last childs number is 18. But why is this important? During the DnD game when Dustin rolls the dice he gets 11 but that’s not enough to beat Vecna. When Erica rolls the dice she gets 20 and that’s enough to beat Vecna. A lot of fans (including me) thinks this is foreshadowing. Sooooo Eleven isn’t gonna beat Vecna by herself she is gonna get help from another child with powers.
There is also another theory about a child whose number is 20 gonna beat Vecna but there aren’t 20 children in the Lab. I think some children survived and we are gonna see them on part 2.
jonathan going from “he’s wanted to go to nyu since he was six years old” to choosing the local college because he can’t leave his mom and brother is so sad actually. he was forced into the role of co-parent and provider so early that he’s pushed all his dreams and personal needs to the background.
like, his driving force into all this is so different from the other teens in the gang. they all were forced to get involved due to traumatic events and they all want to save and protect their friends obviously, but what drives them to continue meddling with the upside down is different. for nancy it’s her innate curiosity- by now it’s all driven by her journalistic instincts. steve basically keeps finding himself in this mess because a bunch of kids told him “get in loser we’re going demon-hunting”. robin is tagging along because she holds hers and steve’s shared brain cell at all times. jonathan, though, only gets involved because his family keeps getting in danger.
steve is the certified mom friend, but jonathan is the one who actually has had to carry the parenting role outside the scooby doo meddling. it’s telling that the only time since will’s disappearance we’ve seen him kind of carefree is when they’re away from the dangers of hawkins and when joyce has a job that can actually provide well enough for the family.
and i just hope that now that joyce got hopper back he can take this co-parenting weight off jonathan’s shoulders and we get to see him figure out his dreams and needs and what he wants for his life and actually live like a young adult. he’ll always feel the need to protect will and el and their mom obviously and they’ll always be a top priority, but he needs to prioritise himself too at some point.
jonathan going from “he’s wanted to go to nyu since he was six years old” to choosing the local college because he can’t leave his mom and brother is so sad actually. he was forced into the role of co-parent and provider so early that he’s pushed all his dreams and personal needs to the background.
like, his driving force into all this is so different from the other teens in the gang. they all were forced to get involved due to traumatic events and they all want to save and protect their friends obviously, but what drives them to continue meddling with the upside down is different. for nancy it’s her innate curiosity- by now it’s all driven by her journalistic instincts. steve basically keeps finding himself in this mess because a bunch of kids told him “get in loser we’re going demon-hunting”. robin is tagging along because she holds hers and steve’s shared brain cell at all times. jonathan, though, only gets involved because his family keeps getting in danger.
steve is the certified mom friend, but jonathan is the one who actually has had to carry the parenting role outside the scooby doo meddling. it’s telling that the only time since will’s disappearance we’ve seen him kind of carefree is when they’re away from the dangers of hawkins and when joyce has a job that can actually provide well enough for the family.
and i just hope that now that joyce got hopper back he can take this co-parenting weight off jonathan’s shoulders and we get to see him figure out his dreams and needs and what he wants for his life and actually live like a young adult. he’ll always feel the need to protect will and el and their mom obviously and they’ll always be a top priority, but he needs to prioritise himself too at some point.
Who ordered more Byers family feels? It was me! UvU The second in a mini-series of Byers family time, we have Jonathan and El! I don’t know about you, but I feel like El would be absolutely fascinated with pictures and photographs. After all, she needs to see someone before she can use her powers to find them!
This was also done by @mizunoir, who is awesome as always with her bootiful art. Anyone wanna guess who is next?
