Apart from the Hawkins gang, the one character that has been constant with us in every season until Stranger Things 4, is Dr Brenner, aka ‘Papa’ (Matthew Modine). Although his character is filled with ambiguity and viewers hate him with a burning passion, we get to know his truly genuine intentions for Eleven only in the 8th episode of season 4. He’s drastically changed from a core antagonist to a real hero for taking Eleven’s bullets on himself and getting her powers back. People have distinctive inspirations who they look up to and follow their ideologies. ‘Papa’ had one too. Here’s what it was.

Matthew Modine derives Buddha’s principles to explain his character

In a recent interview with Vulture, Matthew talked about his part in the show and the underlying virtues that helped build up ‘Papa’. He takes references from Hermann Hesse’s ‘Siddhartha’ and speaks about Buddha. He believes that the powers that are vested within us are truly our own. We only need to explore it and channelise it to do good. To cause no harm but to help all mankind.

He says Buddha sought enlightenment only after resigning into his fate completely, independently, without the cost of another human being. That’s exactly how things work. The power, the force, the supreme might that we always tend to find in others often rests within us. And that’s the ideology that Papa believed in. That’s the lesson he was trying to teach to Eleven, all the while, till his last breath.

How Papa’s pursuit helped El to get back her powers

All the medications, agonizing treatments and scientific experiments that he was performing on Eleven since her childhood were only to bring out her own strength and abilities. What we thought was torment was actually training for El to accentuate her true potential and make her realize what she was capable of. He was imparting to her the lesson of how to conserve her energy and direct it all to fight the greater evil. To do justice to the lives of the residents of Hawkins’ township and be the game changer that she always was.

He taught her that her powers weren’t in the people she loved, but she had them within herself. He has played the role of an actual parent who was always on his daughter’s side since the beginning, even if we failed to figure it out. From being soft at times to being as strict as a sonnet, we really couldn’t realise that he always wanted her daughter’s well-being. Even after everything, evil doesn’t go unpunished. Although El becomes aware of her father’s love and affection, she pulls out a real hard Brenner move at last and leaves him unforgiven, to death.

ALSO READ: Matthew Modine Shares A Heartfelt Message With An Image Featuring Millie Bobby Brown And Himself.

Who is Dr Brenner in your eyes? A “monster” or a Messiah who got El’s powers back? Do let us know in the comments.