Let the Right One In Season 1 Episode 8 Review: Or Stay and Die

Let the Right One In Season 1 Episode 8, “Or Stay and Die,” makes bold moves in preparation for the final episodes of the season.

Picking up right where we left off on “Stargazers,” Mark is struggling to deal with his emotions, Claire has a new test subject, and Eleanor is sucked further into the fantasy of having a real family.

Where there are times of happiness, pain and sorrow lie in wait in the shadows. Sadly, that’s the case for Eleanor and her dreams.

Tensions rise towards the back end of the episode, whereas the front half focuses on the good times, like Naomi and Mark going on a date. Plus, Eleanor and Naomi enjoy an excellent bonding session.

Heartbreak Awaits

One of the best and worst things about “Or Stay and Die” are the interactions between Mark and Naomi.

We’ve bared witness to Mark dropping his shield all season long and potentially opening up fully. It’s been one wild ride of ups and downs as he works to overcome his past, and it’s magical to watch unfold. Plus, it couldn’t happen with a better woman, either.

Does he being the murderer of her ex-husband, pose some disastrous challenges for their future? Yes. But there is undeniable chemistry between the two. The type of chemistry that does not deserve to be ignored or misplaced, but sadly, that’s what happens.

Mark: After you’re cured, we can never see them again.

Mark: She’s not your f****** mother. Your mother died so you could live.

In one swift motion, Mark simultaneously crushes the fabric of reality for Eleanor and re-opens a decade-long wound. It’s in a moment of rage after Eleanor admits to exposing her vampirism to Isaiah, but it doesn’t change the fact.

Eleanor lives every single day with the fact that she’s the one who killed her mother. Whether it was technically her fault or not, she still has to live with that mental image. So, throwing it in her face is a low blow and not something that should ever be held over her.

With Eleanor’s growing love for Naomi and Isaiah, it’s heartbreaking for her to find that Mark has been lying. Not only has he been deceiving Naomi, but he’s also been deceiving Eleanor and making her believe that he genuinely liked them as well.

After ten years of being on the run, he and Eleanor have both found something too good to toss the side. For Eleanor, it more than likely feels as if they’ll never find anyone else like Naomi and Isaiah.

Eleanor even goes as far as to give Mark her blessing to move on! Only for him to turn around and make her feel bad for even suggesting the thought.

While it’s wishful thinking, I hope we’ll see Mark have a change of heart by the end of the season.

Momentary Friend

Outside of Mark’s realization that Claire is behind the drug on the streets, nothing significant takes place with her. Besides Matthew tracking down Naomi’s apartment and finding Mark in the process, the most noteworthy interactions are between Peter and Chris.

In the beginning stages, Claire is adamant that her experimentations will not be pretty, and boy, is she telling the truth. Chris, aka the poor soul forcibly turned into a lab rat, is nothing but chopped liver to Claire, and she treats him as such.

In a way, it’s understandable why Claire approaches the situation in the manner she does. Had she revealed to Peter that she never intended on Chris living long enough to feed, there’s no way he would have gone along with her plan.

However, it feels more damaging for Peter to introduce a potential companion, only for him to be ripped away. It’s not surprising that once Peter figures out the truth, he attempts to save Chris’ life and let him loose.

For a decade, he’s been trapped in a space desolate of social interaction besides his father and his bodyguard. Now, for the first time, he has someone of his species, and he’s not allowed to get close to or care for him. It’s another form of heartbreak and not something Peter needs after a decade of loneliness.

It also feels lazy to introduce a baby vampire only for the character to be written off in the span of one episode.

–

With Mark’s capture, the stakes are at an all-time high for him and Eleanor.

Not only is it risky for Mark, but also Naomi and Isaiah. Now that Matthew knows Mark is connected to a detective, there’s no telling what he has in store for him.

And with Eleanor having no clue where Mark ran to after their fight, she’s in the dark and unaware he’s even in danger. We can only hope that Naomi’s detective skills come in handy and she saves the day next week.

Either way, Let the Right One In‘s penultimate episode is bound to be one for the books.

Stray Thoughts:

• Claire being chased around the mansion by Chris is highly amusing and entertaining. However, it’s incredibly upsetting that Peter is forced to put Chris down to save her.
• Logistically, I’m not sure how it would be feasible, but all I want is for Peter and Eleanor to link up. Whether it’s in the very last moments of the season or not, I need them to be able to communicate their journeys and frustrations. Neither of them chose to become a vampire, and both have been forced to endure lives of isolation.
• The lack of Zeke in this episode is not ideal. I hope that changes on the penultimate episode next week. I need the series to give us Hero Zeke and let him be the one to save Mark from Matthew.

What did you think of this episode of Let the Right One In? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Critic Rating:

User Rating:

 

Let the Right One In airs Sundays at 10/9c on Showtime.

 Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram!

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!

TV We’re Thankful for in 2022: House of the Dragon, Abbott Elementary, A League of Their Own, Ghosts, and More