[Spoilers]Theory before the finale on El...

Some are saying she's been sidelined by the narrative and Not given much to do despite being the main character. And that her being set up as The arch enemy of Henry is being taken by Will's place in the story especially because Vecna himself hasn't mentioned El by name at all and with one episode left in the season There's no way their rivalry will have a satisfying payoff.

Others are questioning if the writing is failing the performance or Millie Bobby Brown is phoning in her performance because of the seeming lack of Emotion in certain scenes compared to previous seasons where her acting really made us feel the intensity.

Some are also saying she's been "nerfed" & isn't as powerful as she should be.

I might be just being generous but I feel like The creative decisions with El's character this season are 100% intentional. She's intentionally being worn down emotionally and Physically and psychologically & now she's the least prepared & the most afraid going into the finale. Think about it? Everyone else has pretty much aired out their Emotional baggage. Nancy & Johnathan, Robin, & Will, Steve and Dustin, Hopper to El earlier about his Daughter, Max to Lucas upon waking up. And Will to everyone just before the finale after seeing a vision of everyone drifting away(And being made to feel like it was because of him)...

All have been given their emotional moments and nothing has been hidden from each other ultimately making them all stronger so Vecna cannot use anything against them. The only one who hasn't released emotionally or opened up really to anyone this season is El. Not even to Mike... (Who come to think of it Also hasn't emotionally released because since s4 he Doesn't feel he has anything to hide anymore which is why he's 100% optimistic about the battle ahead & the future ahead.)

I believe this is because since El's inability to stop Henry in s4 either by empathizing with him as she did with Billy in s3 or by Defeating him physically with her powers even after being amped by Nina & restoring her lost memory & being forced to Watch Max die she's now doing the opposite of what She used to do & bottling it all up. Holding it in & instead becoming dangerously obsessed with Taking down Henry in vol one to the point that she's got tunnel vision. Training herself tirelessly & even becoming more hard headed & snappy in certain interactions. It's clear from her rooftop conversation with Mike that while he's confident & emotionally open (firm in his belief in her and that they'll win & have a life".) She's tired & more uncertain. However she seems to remain determined so she can ultimately win however this all changes with Kali's introduction. It's probably no coincidence that "Kryptonite" was the word being used to refer to whatever was behind that door & El's tunnel vision over Henry never allowed her to consider it was anyone else but him behind the door.

While El initially was more bottled up somewhere inside her she took Mike's words of a future to heart as she asks Kali to help her find & kill him so that as she says "We can live, really Live". But Kali rejects this notion completely calling it a fantasy because they will always be hunted & used as Lab rats to create more Henry's.(Especially her because she is implied to be as powerful as Henry was)... This only causes her to shut down even more to the point that even Mike cannot easily pull her outta it.(And she is made to feel 10 times worse when Kali says specifically that Mike Will be killed). Which is why she's going into This last battle being more vulnerable than she's ever been having kept her & Kali's plans secret despite living by the phrase "Friends don't lie" like a mantra.

I think This is a trap set by both Henry and Kali who will be revealed to be a traitor or Trojan horse. Using her fear of losing her friends & family particularly Mike to eat away at her so she has baggage in the fight with Vecna & the mind flayer that'll inevitably be used against her.

Kali believes they'll never live a happy life & she's planted the idea in El's mind. El is Psychologically being weakened so she won't be strong enough and someone will have to help her overcome her turmoil so she can win & survive this battle...

Thoughts?