*Spoilers*
9th August, 2022.
Right …
It’s Tuesday, and stuff is officially boiling.
Vegetables: if you want me to be more specific.
That’s right: I’m cooking dinner … again.
Chicken, if you must know.
Once that’s eaten … ?
Frankly?
Once that’s eaten, I’m going to be watching the next episode of Stranger Things’ fourth season.
I’ll have my written and video reviews up, tomorrow night!
10th August, 2022.
Chapter 7 — The Massacre at Hawkins Lab — picks up directly from The Dive: and show us Steve (Joe Keery) struggling to fight off the monsters from the Upside-Down.
Until Nancy, Robin and Eddie (Natalia Dyer, Maya Hawke, Joseph Quinn) come to the rescue.
The creatures being seen off is when the trouble starts: as Nancy heads for where she believes more trouble is brewing.
Back at the Nina Project?
Back at the Nina Project, Drs Brenner and Owens (Matthew Modine and Paul Reiser) are arguing.
About exactly how effective Brenner’s attempt to restore Eleven’s powers is.
Brenner believes going slowly is best: but Owens is very aware that the town of Hawkins has very little time, if it’s too survive an assault from Vecna.
Eleven (Millie Bobbie Brown) herself?
Is conflicted: still believing — at the start of the episode — that she is responsible for a major incident in the Hawkins Lab, but still getting help from a seemingly friendly orderly
The scene shifts: to show us Lucas, Dustin and Max (Caleb McLaughlin, Gaten Matarazzo and Sadie Sink), who’ve been left behind in the real world, and are now facing some intense questioning from Hawkins police.
Lucas and Dustin are eventually separated from Max: as she volunteers to be questioned, first.
Whilst the boys are left speculating about exactly what’s going on.
It’s only whilst Dustin is thinking out loud? That he — with some help from Lucas — realises that there’s new gates to the Upside Down opening at the site of Vecna’s murders.
Meanwhile, in Russia … ?
Murray and Joyce (Brett Gelman and Winona Ryder) have arrived at the Soviet prison that’s holding Sheriff Hopper (David Harbour) … just in time to see he and the rest of the prisoners face down the hidden Russian super weapon.
A very hungry demogorgon.
Back in the Upside Down … ?
Nancy and company have got to the Upside Down version of her family home: as she had guns stored there, guns she feels may be of use.
It’s only then she — and the team — realise something.
- The Upside Down version of the Wheeler family home is three years behind the real one.
- They can hear Dustin and the rest of the team in the real Wheeler house.
- And that both groups can get to a nearby gate … at the Munson family trailer …
~≈🧟♀️≈~
Now … what did I make of this episode … ?
First things first: let’s get the revelations out of the way.
We find out a couple of things by the end of The Massacre at Hawkins Lab.
We find the orderly that’s been helping Eleven is Victor Creel’s son, Harold: the child who — many years earlier — committed the murders that were blamed on his father.
He’s also Dr Brenner’s first test subject at the Hawkins Lab: we see him getting the
001 tattoo in one scene.We see him, in a flashback, giving what has to be one of the the speeches in this series: just after massacring the staff and patients at the lab … and before starting a fight with a extremely distressed Eleven.
And we see a young Eleven using her powers to push him away: pushing him through a mirror, then a wall … then through the first gate into the Upside Down.
We see one consequence of that, in the first series: it’s that rift being researched at the Lab, in the first series.
The other consequence? Or revelation? Is that Harold Creel transforms into Vecna … as he heads for the Upside Down version of the Creel family home.
As a last, minor, point?
It hit me last night: that the children — the test subjects — of Hawkins Lab looked familiar.
Extremely cropped hair, pyjama like outfits, numbers tattoos?
It struck me, last night, that the poor souls were vaguely reminiscent of the prisoners held in Belsen: seeing Creel having a number tattooed onto his arm brought the image to mind.
I suspect that’s deliberate: to tell us that the Lab is not necessarily nice.
If you could leave me a comment? I’d appreciate it.
For me, personally?
Those were unexpected details and plotpoints … but welcome ones that added a certain beauty to the story — and world — that’s been built over the last few years.
That aside?
I have to admit, The Massacre at Hawkins Lab is another long episode.
It’s one hour and thirty-eight minute run time is comparable to two episodes of earlier seasons of Stranger Things.
But, given what this episode gives us?
I’m actually prepared to forgive that!
And tell you The Massacre at Hawkins Lab is a superb episode.
We’ll have to see if Papa, the next episode, is just as good.
~≈🧟♀️≈~
That?
Is where I’m going to leave this post.
Except to leave you with a little information.
This Friday, Friday 12th August, is when I’ll be watching Mercy, the next episode of Star Trek Picard.
I’ll have my written and video review of the episode up on Saturday, 13th August: which is International Left Handers Day, if you, like me, will be marking it.
I’ll be watching Papa, the next episode of Stranger Things, on 16th August: and reviewing it on the 17th.
I’d love it if you joined me: I’ll see you then.
The Massacre at Hawkins Lab.★★★★
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