Let the Right One In Season 1 Episode 9 Review: Monster

Let the Right One In Season 1 Episode 9, “Monster,” delivers a beautifully crafted penultimate episode that perfectly sets the scene for the season finale.

This season has been filled with perfectly devised episodes that conscientiously push the storyline and subplots each week. “Monster” is no different. Beginning to end, it’s a whirlwind of a ride, with daring and captivating moments that have been longed for all season.

We pick up where we left off on “Or Stay and Die,” with Mark’s ignorance.

Matthew takes Mark hostage after he goes to Claire’s and inflicts torture upon him to get answers for his constant snooping. It’s brutal and agonizing, and like other intense scenes throughout the season, it doesn’t shy away from displaying it.

Mark endures horrendous torture involving tasers, slicing, and the de-nailing of his fingernails. The intense nature of the situation leads to him hallucinating the priest, with whom he confided about Eleanor’s predicament.

And while the priest may be a hallucination, he says exactly what I’ve wanted to tell Mark all season long: Eleanor is twenty-two! She may be in a child’s body, but she is an adult woman mentally, and it’s time to treat her as such.

Thankfully, Eleanor is able to subdue and contain the henchman sent to her apartment via Matthew, saving her and Isaiah in the process.

However, it’s a tense situation that elevates her relationship with Isaiah and possibly puts it at risk. When taking the man down, she slips up. Instead of using her inherent vampire strength, she grabs Mark’s bag he uses to abduct and murder people, using his gas mask and revealing Mark’s setup.

In doing so, Eleanor reveals to Isaiah that Mark has been killing for Eleanor over the years. It’s hard to think that Isaiah hasn’t put two-and-two together since she’s mentioned that she has never killed anyone.

Granted, he’s still a young kid, and his thought process isn’t as advanced, but it won’t take long before he puts two and two together. Eventually, he will realize that his dad was murdered shortly after their arrival and begin to ask questions.

Eleanor then forces the henchman to take her to Mark’s holding area and saves the day. But only after Mark comments that Eleanor is just a child, sparking a fire in her and resulting in her vamping out on the two men holding them hostage.

In doing so, Eleanor also breaks her ten-year streak of no killing and keeping her soul pure, according to Mark. It’s an intense situation that results in Mark deciding it’s time for them to move again.

And what better time than when Interpol tags into Naomi’s investigation? It’s a fitting coincidence that also provides an underlying depressing factor. Mark informs Naomi via phone that he and Eleanor are leaving, and only because she calls first.

After just making a move on Naomi and getting her hopes up that she could possibly be open to a relationship again, he breaks her heart and doesn’t even give her a proper goodbye. It’s not an unknown fact that the two were never going to work, given Mark’s past, but unfortunately, it doesn’t soften the sting any less.

Thankfully, Grace makes her appearance at the last moment in a shocking move, right before Eleanor and Mark can leave for good.

The pacing for “Monster” is thoroughly enjoyable and doesn’t stall at any point, and I love it. Excluding two episodes, this season has been full of well-thought-out episodes that drive the story week after week, and it’s refreshing to see.

It feels lately that many series have focused on trying to cram so much into their series to make it enticing to a larger audience that it becomes watered down and leaves consistent plot holes.

Let the Right One In has found a way to break out of that mold and focus on the essential plot and storyline without straying from the central premise with outrageous storylines that don’t add any value.

“Monster” is enticing and captivating in all its glory, and with the lengths it pushes the series. With Matthew’s death, it’ll be interesting to see how things change for Claire and how it will affect her moving forward, especially now that she’s attempting to work with Mark and Eleanor.

The same can be said for Isaiah finding out about Mark and Naomi working with Interpol. Both characters are on the cusp of figuring out that Mark killed Frank, and it’s all downhill from there.

This episode also provides one of my absolute favorite moments of the season while simultaneously breaking my heart, with Eleanor and Isaiah’s confessing their love for one another.

Ian Foreman and Madison Taylor Beatz continue to provide outstanding, emotional performances. And this is only a taste of the talent the two will be able to tap into as they grow older. I can’t wait to see how their acting careers and skills progress over the years.

“Monster” is, without a doubt, the best episode of the season so far, and it only makes the anticipation for the finale much more fun. I can’t wait to see how the story is wrapped and what cliffhanger we’ll be left with.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the series is renewed for a season 2 soon after the season 1 finale.

Stray Thoughts:

• Zeke has been missing for two episodes now, and I do not like it one bit! I get that he’s a little traumatized and doesn’t want to be mixed in the drama, but come on. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that he’ll play a more prominent role in the season finale.
• Matthew was such a lackluster character that he didn’t bring forth much emotion or connection for the audience, so his death isn’t too upsetting. Besides Claire’s lack of contacts on the military front, his death doesn’t affect the overall plot much.

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

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

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