Stranger Things season 4 part 2: All 5 deaths ranked (by most heartbreaking)

3. Dr. Brenner

One of the biggest surprises in Stranger Things season 4 part 1 was the reveal that Dr. Brenner was still alive. His apparent death in season 1 at the hands of the Demogorgan had spawned countless fan theories about how he could return someday, and he indeed made that long-awaited comeback to seemingly help Eleven regain control of her powers.

While it momentarily seemed like Dr. Brenner may have learned from his dark and twisted ways, it soon became clear that he was every bit as controlling as he once was. No matter how much he was attempting to redeem himself by helping Eleven get her powers back, he still had to control her and force her to do things his way.

In the end, he did try to help her escape from the authorities and freed her from the restrictive collar he placed her in. It wasn’t enough to make up for the damage he had done, but as he lay dying (after being shot by the military) and shared a somewhat tender moment with Eleven, it only highlighted how things could have been so different if he hadn’t become the monster she feared so much.