The following contains spoilers for Stranger Things Season 4, Volume 1, now streaming on Netflix.
Vecna's huge identity reveal at the end of Stranger Things Season 4, Volume 1 caused mass hysteria among fans in what has to be the scariest season of the Netflix series yet. In addition to countless frightening moments, Season 4 introduced several new faces in the town of Hawkins, Indiana, and most were welcome additions. Viewers grew attached to Eddie, Argyle and even Chrissy -- before she was prematurely killed off.
While those characters became fan-favorites, one new addition didn't sit well with fans. Regina Ting Chen played Ms. Kelley, the guidance counselor at Hawkins High School. Max had therapy sessions with Ms. Kelley to process her trauma after she witnessed Billy's death. Ms. Kelley seemed to deeply care for Max and was concerned after she missed a counseling session, but some viewers are convinced that the school employee has ulterior motives.
Vecna was revealed to be Henry Creel -- also known as Number One. He tried to recruit Eleven to assist with the brutal massacre at Hawkins Lab, but she wasn't having any of it. Vecna could have found another human helper in Ms. Kelley, either willingly or by having forcefully possessed her as his human host -- like the equally evil Mind Flayer did to Will. The Hawkins gang discovered that Vecna preyed on emotionally vulnerable victims like Max (with her grief after Billy's death) and Chrissy (with her eating disorder). Ms. Kelley would be a logical choice, based on her contact with students struggling with their mental health.
A guidance counselor is supposed to assist students with their emotional problems, but that hasn't been the case with Ms. Kelley. After she asked Max if she was still having headaches and nightmares, she didn't give a solution to them. Chrissy also was shown to be much worse after she left Ms. Kelley's office and even hallucinated her mother in a bathroom stall. This was an incredibly obvious red flag to Stranger Things fans.
In addition to her lack of actual comfort, one subtle accessory detail of Ms. Kelley's wardrobe may mean way more than peopl thought. When Max was in Ms. Kelley's office, the counselor was shown wearing a grandfather clock necklace. Vecna is known for his obsession with time and a grandfather clock appears to his victims right before their deaths. Ms. Kelley's bracelet could also be hiding a 001 tattoo like the one seen on Vecna's wrist.
Considering all three of Vecna's victims attended counseling sessions with Ms. Kelley, it's plausible that the two are connected. Ms. Kelley may not even be an actual person -- she could be an image conjured by Vecna, since he'd already transformed his body into something completely unrecognizable. Stranger Things fans must continue to wait to find out more answers about Vecna and if their favorite characters will survive his wrath in Season 4's final two episodes.
Stranger Things Season 4, Volume 2 premieres July 1, 2022 on Netflix.