Season 4. Episode 8.
Holy moly…
Papa begins with Nancy’s encounter with Vecna who sends her off to relay a message to Eleven. I will say that every time a main character interacts with Vecna and isn’t killed he becomes a little less frightening. Rectify this soon.
We then return to the motherland and the Demagorgon situation. Following a clumsy escape we have a touching heart to heart with Hopper and Joyce with the latter reminding the former that he is “the hero of Hawkins”. This romantic moment is curtailed somewhaqt by the discovery of a half dissected but still alive Demagorgon strapped to a gurney. I’ve had worst first dates.
Elsewhere, El’s powers return in a big bad way. All the worst characters find themselves cooped up in a van together (Mike, Will, Argyle and Jonathan) and Dustin forms an ingenious plan to destroy One. When Vecna is doing all the murdering, his physical form is vulnerable. Interesting. The ever courageous Max offers herself up as a sacrificial lamb in this scheme and I have a feeling that it wont all run smoothly this time.
Back In Russia, the prison breakers realise that they still need Yuri to make any progress which is hilarious. Yuri then introduces them to his shitty aircraft which prompts a phone call to Owens. Anything to avoid climbing into that piece of shit for its maiden voyage.
Later, The Steve Harrington Collective (as they shall forth be known) visit the Gun store where they conveniently bump into both Robyn’s true love and that jock asshole that has been chasing them this whole time. This culminates in a quick getaway and a lovely scene in which they goof around whilst making weapons for the big showdown. I like it when Stranger Things reminds us that these characters are all just kids.
Finally, the underground bunker that houses Eleven is attacked by the military. I don’t really have a grasp on who these people are or what they want. Apparently the guy running that particular show is named Lt. Colonel Jack Sullivan. Well, if this guy is going to be important in future episodes then he needs to be fleshed out. Right now his personality is just ‘army man’.
The episode concludes in two vehicles. The Steve Harrington Collective going one way and the Eleven alliance going another. It’s going to be quite the finale.
Stray Observations
- Nancy’s encounter with Vecna was the most overtly Elm Street moment yet. Fitting that this should happen to a girl named Nancy… a name that looms large over the whole Freddy franchise.
- The Demagorgon clones-in-jars sequence was very similar to a scene in Alien: Resurrection. And with that observation, this is probably an appropriate time to mention the debt that the creature designs in Stranger Things owe to H.R. Giger and his fascinating, grotesque creations.
- I’m still not buying the interactions between Will Byers and Mike Wheeler. Neither of those two actors have the chops to carry a scene of such emotional depth like the one that takes place in the van early in the episode. The whole thing grinds to a halt whenever the pair appear on screen, especially when coupled with Argyle and Jonathan – probably the other two weakest characters on the show. I want one of them dead by series end please.
- Nancy’s vision ends with Holly, Mike and herself dead. For the record, I had to look up who Holly was (the younger Wheeler sister). She has barely featured up until now. I wonder if a larger role beckons?
- Lucas: “Four kills… four gates.” Who is the fourth kill going to be? I actively think it’s time for a main character to go. This thing is too bloated.
- Steve Harrington in a denim vest. And the world swooned.
- I’ve made so many references to Elm Street in these reviews, but it in the end it was Halloween that received the most obvious namecheck this time round. Eddie Munson donning a Michael Myers mask was truly wonderful. God, I love those movies.
- That was Creedence playing as Eddie and the gang stole the RV. The Dude would approve.
- Owens really pulls through for Eleven here. Paul Reiser is quietly one of the best actors in the whole show. And yet, he ends up chained to a radiator for his troubles. No justice.
- Eleven: “Hospital?? No. A prison.” She’s not wrong. It was life affirming to see El finally stand up to Brenner.
- On that subject… And just like that. Brenner is dead. Whilst he did go full heel by the end, he did redeem himself a little by deactivating that collar thing that he had put round Eleven’s neck. He shall be missed. Kind of.
- Eddie the Banished. A great nickname. I’ve also just realised that the name ‘Eddie’ is probably a reference to Iron Maiden’s famous mascot. Rock on!
- Robyn: “Not everything has a happy ending.” I sincerely hope this isn’t some kind of cruel foreshadowing.
- El destroying that helicopter. What. A. Moment.
- And yet… I felt nothing about her reunion with Wheeler. I just don’t find them convincing as a couple. And I probably never will.
- I should end by saying that this was a great episode of television. Top marks all round.