Joyce will become a mother figure to Eleven in ‘Stranger Things’ 4

Stranger Things season three left the show’s status quo well and truly shattered. With Hopper believed to be dead, the Byers and his adoptive daughter Eleven moved away from Hawkins, Indiana, tearing the group in two. While that’s tragic for the relationships and friendships that were ripped apart, the move also means the bond between El and the Byers will be strengthened.

Most prominently, El and Joyce will have a newfound mother/daughter dynamic in the incoming fourth season, as teased by star Millie Bobby Brown. Ahead of ST4 premiering on Netflix next month, Collider recently spoke with both Brown and Finn Wolfhard, who were on hand to hype up what’s to come. Specifically, the Enola Holmes actress promised that any fans looking for more screentime between Brown and Winona Ryder will not be disappointed.

“As you know, she moves away with Joyce, Jonathan, and Will, and naturally when a woman is in your life, you’re inspired by her, especially a mother figure. That’s something that Eleven hasn’t had yet. So naturally, you’re going to see that relationship take its natural progression for sure.”

While El and Joyce have shared some scenes together over the first three seasons, with the Byers matriarch acting as nurturing towards her as you would expect, they mostly haven’t had too much interaction. Their bond in season four should be pretty touching, then. Especially because, as Brown reminds us, El has never had a mother figure in her life before, after being raised by Dr. Bremmer and her biological mom, Terry Ives, being locked in a catatonic state.

Unfortunately for the telepathic teen, while she’s now got a mother figure in her life, she also has to put up with the harsh realities of high school, as the trailers have revealed that El will face loneliness and bullying as she tries to settle in at her new school. But how long will it be before the Byers move back to Hawkins and El is reunited with her friends?

We’ll find out when Stranger Things season four, part one makes its Netflix premiere on May 27. The second half then follows six weeks later on July 1.