We need to talk about that incredible Stranger Things 2 opening scene
Everything you need to know about 'Eight' and that brilliant first episode WITHOUT spoiling the rest of the season
If you’re reading this then it’s probably for one reason: that downright sensational opening to Stranger Things season two.
The scene may have started on a quiet Pittsburgh street, but it soon burst into action when a group of masked figures stormed outside a building and then ran inside a nearby parked van. This van then ploughed through the city roads and alleys with the police hot on its tail, before a mysterious bridge-destroying illusion caused the cops to crash into one another.
It was a gripping start to the season, taking the show out of Hawkins and introducing us to a new bunch of characters and a mind-boggling psychic trick. However, the three-minute sequence also left us with plenty of questions. In particular...
Who on earth was that girl in the van?
You know the one: the badass and bloody-nosed girl riding shotgun. There’s been plenty of speculation that Stranger Things was going to bring in another psychic like Eleven and it looks as though they’ve delivered. And, dare we say it, the new character on the block looks even more badass than Millie Bobby Brown's Eleven: we can’t see this girl stopping for Eggos anytime soon.
However, at this point, her exact identity isn’t clear. We know who plays her (Danish actor Linnea Berthelsen), but we’ve got three possible names for her after only one scene. During the chase sequence, one of the characters calls to her “do something, Kali!”, which contradicts the news Berthelsen was cast as ‘Roman’.
And, of course, there’s her other possible name: Eight. During the last moments of the scene, the character rolls up her sleeves to show a “008” tattoo, positioned in the same place as Eleven’s “011” mark. So, how exactly is she connected the Hawkins psychic? Were they part of the same mind control testing we saw in season one? If so, what happened to subjects nine and ten?
What special abilities does she have?
As far as we can see, Kali/Roman/008 has the power to create illusions. She can make people see things that aren’t there – in the opening scene she made one of the pursuing police officers think they were driving into a crumbling bridge. Yet, this new character could cause more damage than a police pile-up. It could be that Kali/Roman/008 causes Eleven to lose control of her powers.
Hear us out: remember how the first series seemed to draw comparisons with Eleven and the X-Men telepath Jean Grey? Specifically, when the show referenced the Dark Phoenix Saga, the story where Jean gains great and uncontrollable power? Well, in the comics, Grey transforms into the destructive Dark Phoenix after being manipulated by Mastermind, an evil mutant who can create visions. And the consequences are massive: Phoenix ends up blowing up a star and killing billions.
Is 008 Stranger Thing's version of Mastermind? We’re not saying Eleven could be tricked into blowing up the sun, but 008 is definitely one to watch with a suspicious eye.
What were they stealing?
It’s not exactly clear. Although the building doesn’t look like a bank, it was strange how the police arrived almost instantly. A building rigged with a panic alarm, perhaps?
And actually, although the police chase and masks may leave you with the impression of a heist, the gang that jump into the van with 008 aren’t carrying anything when they leave the building. Was this not actually a robbery after all? Did it fail? Or was whatever they stole small enough to fit in a pocket?
But are we reading too much into this? Does it really matter they weren't carrying any bags?
So many questions, so much binge watching ahead.
Stranger Things season two available to watch now on Netflix
