Modine appeared as the major character Dr. Martin Brenner in seasons 1 and 4 of Stranger Things and made a small cameo as a hallucinatory vision brought on by Eight (Linnea Berthelsen) in season 2. He served as Eleven’s (Millie Bobby Brown) abuser and father figure. He often pushed her to her limits in order to study her abilities scientifically, even if it meant psychologically scarring Eleven. Brenner was finally done in during season 4’s penultimate episode when the military (seeking to kill Eleven) attacked the installation the two were hiding in. After being shot, he died asking for forgiveness (though some believe Brenner may still be alive), which Eleven understandably did not grant him.
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In an interview with Hollywood Life following his Stranger Things: The Experience appearance, Modine discussed the future of the show. Though he is no longer on it, his role as Brenner, who knew more about Eleven’s powers than anyone, granted him extra insight into her character and abilities. Firstly, he hinted at Brenner not being done, stating that there were still plenty of secrets that the character might hold. He then segued into what the character has taught Eleven and how she might defeat the monsters in Hawkins.
Furthermore, Modine clarified some of Brenner’s motivations. He stated that he believed Brenner actually felt some form of love for the experiments at Hawkins Lab. “You know, in the first episode of season 4, when I realized that [10’s] been killed — that was a very emotional moment, because I believe that Dr. Brenner loves each of those children in their own special way.” He also said that Brenner has a complicated relationship with Eleven in Stranger Things, but still believes he loved her anyway. “And this extends into my relationship with Millie and that complicated relationship [between Brenner and Eleven]. Millie and I, because we’ve been working since she was 11 years old, that relationship in the love that we have for each other is something that is palpable. It’s something that that goes beyond the words, but then you feel the emotional connection between those two people. And Millie and I worked very hard to bring that to the audience.”
Modine’s insights come from a place of knowing the character intimately. Brenner’s actions show him to be a deeply flawed man. While he did seem to be troubled and dismayed to see the children murdered by Vecna during Stranger Things season 4, he remorselessly tortured them, hurt their parents, and kept them locked away for training as assassins. The man’s capacity to love does not erase his abuse, and the show reflected that in Eleven’s refusal to give him what he wanted as he lay dying: forgiveness for hurting those he loved (or perhaps wanted to love).
His reflections on Eleven are supported by the show: during her rebellious escapade in season 2, Eight tells her that anger makes her stronger, and Eleven draws on this anger to great effect. One repeats this advice to her in season 4, and again Eleven uses it to great effect. But when seeing her greatest feats, it becomes clear that they’re all driven by acts of love - banishing One to the Upside Down involved remembering her own birth and hearing her mother tell Eleven that she loved her, and saving Max (Sadie Sink generated Emmy buzz in season 4) was a deep expression of their friendship. But now that Eleven has failed, will she have the confidence to reawaken that spark of love and defeat whatever’s coming her way? Has she already realized that the power of love is stronger than anger? And will Huey Lewis and the News’ “The Power of Love” be part of Stranger Things season 5’s soundtrack?
Stranger Things seasons 1-4 are available to stream on Netflix.
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Source: Hollywood Life
