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Stranger Things Fans Are Convinced School Counsellor Is A Secret Villain
Featured Image Credit: Netflix

Stranger Things Fans Are Convinced School Counsellor Is A Secret Villain

Is this the key to the code?

Warning: Article contains major spoilers...

There's a new fan theory doing the rounds on Stranger Things' fourth season suggesting the school counsellor is actually a covert villain.

Ever since the new episodes of Netflix's hit sci-fi show dropped last month, fans have been busy speculating about all of the various plot points and clues relating to the new big bad Vecna.

But the latest theory relates to another season four newbie – Ms. Kelly, the Hawkins High School guidance counsellor portrayed by Regina Ting Chen.

Although she might appear to be driven by the desire to help students recover from their trauma, a number of viewers think she might actually be secretly liaising with the demonic soul-sucker Vecna.

The first major clue is her necklace, consisting of a gold chain with a grandfather clock pendant.

Anyone who's been binge-watching the latest instalment will know that all of Vecna's victims have visions of the creepy Creel House clock before falling under his spell.

What's more, the pendant is in the shape of a key, one that could very well be used to unlock the clock - notice the keyhole at the side of the ticking timekeeper?

TikTok user @ladybug5489 pointed this detail out, alongside the fact that during all of Max's (Sadie Sink) sessions with Ms. Kelly you can audibly hear a ticking clock in the background, similar to the sound the villain's victims hear in the countdown to his attack.

Did you spot the necklace?
Netflix

Let's also note that all of the teens who were targeted by Vecna – including Max, Chrissy (Grace Van Dien) and Fred (Logan Riley Bruner) – all sought the help of Ms. Kelly to deal with their trauma.

Could it be that she's essentially Vecna's real life liaison officer, feeding him information about their agony so that it can be used to his benefit?

The jury's out on this one for the time being, although many fans are convinced this will come to light in part two of the fourth season, which drops in July.

Commenting on the TikToker's theory, one viewer pointed out that Ms. Kelly also knew 'the students were having the same symptoms' such as nosebleeds, headaches and nightmares.

There's a keyhole on the side of the creepy grandfather clock.
Netflix

"Never trusted her to begin with," wrote another, while a third said, "Guess well find out in vol 2."

A fourth added: "So I’m not the only one who thought it was weird they didn’t show her making connections about the same symptoms in each student."

You can watch the first volume of season four now, with the second volume - comprising two film-length episodes - due to be released on 1 July on Netflix

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Topics: Stranger Things, Netflix, Film and TV