Stranger Things’ Season 4 (Volumes 1 and 2) gave us a glimpse inside the desires, longings, aspirations, and impulses of Dr. Martin Brenner. In contrast to Season 1, which established him as a clear-cut antagonist, Season 4 made sure to delve deeper into the character’s tangled motivations and ideologies. This added another layer to the character. You may see him as a cold-blooded scientist at times, and his acts may send chills down your spine, but you may also be forced to see his compassionate side, when he is being kind and kind. Similar to reality, Dr. Brenner’s character cannot be accurately described by using a single colour because it encompasses many shades and moves across many different frequencies and wavelengths. At the conclusion of Stranger Things, Season 4, Chapter 8, Dr. Brenner makes his case and explains to Eleven what he really meant to do. For Brenner, it was a story-versus-story struggle, but for Eleven, the evidence stood on its own. Insofar as they didn’t totally persuade you in his favour, Dr. Brenner’s statements had enough persuasion power to at least plant a seed of doubt in your mind. It was sometimes difficult to determine if this person was good or bad because his behaviour frequently diverged from his demeanour. Brenner was concerned that Eleven would not perceive him as a villain. He had this theory that, in the end, when the mystery was revealed, his followers would understand that all he did was for their protection and benefit. Finally, in Season 4, chapter 8, the famed scientist turns to a young woman who has now discovered a sense of identity and belonging and begs for her approval. The girl has learnt to trust her instincts, despite his best efforts to persuade her and his numerous justifications. When words mislead, deeds seem contradictory, and conscious thinking seems to fall short, all that is left is an instinctive sensation that develops into intuition. This feeling never announces its conclusion; instead, it quietly moves within your subconscious, pleading with you to believe it.
Dr. Martin Brenner: A Self-Proclaimed Papa
Jane was whisked away by Dr. Brenner after Terry Ives gave birth to her. Because he was worried about a mentally unstable mother raising a new baby, he refrained from doing it. Brenner was aware that the infant possessed psychic talents and that it would be a useful tool for his ongoing research. Terry even attempted to have Jane returned, but Brenner had institutional and governmental support, and for a woman already dealing with a number of mental health issues, it was impossible to establish in court that she had not miscarried but rather that her child had been taken by a well-known scientist. Brenner stole the identities of each of his victims as well. In accordance with the order of their arrival at Hawkins’ laboratory, he assigned them numerical names. The subjects, whom he referred to as his offspring, had no idea of their origins or where they came from. Everyone in his lab had to follow his orders, and any who disobeyed were subject to harsh punishment. Every parent wants their kid to listen to them, and we frequently observe that if the kid acts out, disciplinary measures are applied. Yet, Brenner had a reputation for using harsh punishment that might permanently terrify a child. That indicated that he was more concerned with achieving his aim through them than with their quality of life. His major goal was to harness their abilities and help them reach their maximum potential. He didn’t care whether the child suffered trauma as a result of the situation. In actuality, Eleven was likely the second-most popular subject after One, but that was not due to affection, caring, or concern. Eleven was unique from the others, and Dr. Brenner was aware of this. She was strong. Brenner believed himself to be a necessary evil and wanted all of his subjects to address him as Papa, but in reality, the subjects’ lives would have been significantly better without Dr. Martin Brenner’s presence. True, they might not have understood what they were capable of, but they would have been raised with unconditional love rather than the monetary affection, which they wanted while obeying orders from a rasping voice in a cruel and merciless facility.
Is Dr. Brenner Dead or Alive?
Dr. Brenner is primarily driven by the emotions of remorse and obsession, which are both prominently displayed in Stranger Things, Season 4, Chapter 8. Eleven explains the true purpose of the Bath Experiment, in which Dr. Brenner placed her in a sensory-deprivation tank. She had been under the impression that Brenner wanted her to help the national intelligence services identify Soviet spies, but in actuality, he was only interested in learning more about Henry Creel, also known as Vecna or One, the facility’s first subject. After a young Henry killed his mother and siblings, Brenner took the youngster into his facility since he was aware of the boy’s extraordinary abilities. After escaping the wrath, Henry’s father was charged by the authorities and committed to Pennhurst Mental Hospital, where he spent the rest of his life rotting. Brenner accepted responsibility for not being able to care for Henry Creel when he entered the Upside Down during a battle with Eleven in the year 1979. He felt bad since he thought he had neglected his responsibilities. Even after learning that Henry was Vecna and had murdered innocent people in Hawkins, his fascination persisted. Brenner never gave a thought to the safety of his fictitious children. He was interested in the outcome. He was determined that in order for them to reach their full potential, they would have to endure difficult and traumatic workouts.
Dr. Owens transports Eleven to the covert facility in Stranger Things Season 4 so she can regain her power and give the other characters a fair shot at taking down the powerful Vecna. She had been assured by Dr. Owens that the place wasn’t a jail and that she could go whenever she wanted. Brenner, though, saw a danger in unrestricted freedom. He was aware that if he had given the subjects more control, he would not have been able to accomplish the advancements he had up to this point. He orders his soldiers to imprison Dr. Owens because he lacks the heart and will to carry out the necessary action, in his opinion. Even Eleven was imprisoned by him, but his schemes were foiled by Lieutenant Colonel Jack Sullivan’s untimely intervention. The Nina project manager was compelled to leave the underground facility where he was working. Brenner declares what he considered to be his noble aims as he takes his final breaths before being shot by Sullivan’s soldiers. Eleven is informed that all he wanted to do was protect her and other kids with exceptional talents and skills like her. He begs for her approval in his signature soft-spoken, compassionate manner, but Eleven could not ignore his monstrosity. Brenner was willing to go to any length, and he had the strange conviction that his heinous deeds were a necessary component of the charitable scheme that adhered to a standard of virtue. Eleven, however, knew him better than he did. He was a selfish man, and over time, his priorities had become glaringly obvious to her. She refuses to provide him consolation for his passing. Brenner undoubtedly felt proud of Eleven, but he erred when he claimed that she was a member of his family. He wasn’t lying when he claimed so, but he had a wrong understanding of kinship. Eleven knew what family was all about. After being with Mike, she was familiar with how love felt. She had a father, but it wasn’t Dr. Brenner; Jim Hooper was a police officer from Hawkins, Indiana.
Dr. Brenner passed away in front of the building where Project Nina was housed. Perhaps the doctor always felt that what he did was right and that he should take the blame for Henry Creel entering the upside-down dimension, but what he didn’t realise was that his passion had turned into an obsession the moment he allowed an innocent man to suffer for crimes he didn’t commit in order to further the psychic and telepathic abilities of the gifted human minds.
See More: Stranger Things Season 4: Ending, Explained: Is Vecna Dead Or Alive? What To Expect From Season 5?
