TW Reviews Stranger Things S05E03 The Turnbow Trap

By Owen Quinn author Photos copyright Owen Quinn and Netflix

WARNING – SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!

I’ve said already, there’s very much a Nightmare on Elm Street / IT feel to this season continuing from last season and the opening moments only reinforce that notion. I’ve also said that this is not the kids and Hawkins we know. They are hardened, fighting for survival. That is demonstrated beautifully when Will turns on his mother and tells her what he really thinks of her plan and clinginess. He says they don’t have time for safe because he now knows Vecna’s plan. I have to add, the inclusion of Robin in this scene makes it fun. The humour is much needed in this tense moment. It is a mother realising her child is now a man and she has to find a way to cut the apron strings or at least, loosen them a bit.

Jamie Campbell Bower continues to be as haunting and evil as Pennywise or Freddy ever were, appearing to his chosen victims. That first scene as he smiles at the spoiled, foul mouthed, Derek, in the classroom is pure run like hell fear. As with Holly, the kids don’t fear Vecna, now looking like his old self and using his real name, Henry. He is their friend and that opens up so many parental horrors like Vecna is grooming them for his own devices. Jamie is just so serpentine and demonic in his performance when he stands still and smiles from behind those glasses. His manipulation of Holly is horrifying as he nests her in an Elm Street house in the middle of nowhere with the warning not to go near the woodds or the monsters will get her. The greatest threat is the one you can’t see standing in front of you, wearing the face of a friend.

If you recall the Reverend Henry Kane from Poltergeist 2, then that is the air I’m getting watching Jamie Campbell Bower’s performance here. Vecna and Kane are literal sharks as is Pennywise but evil works best when it uses the familiar to trap us.

I have to say though that from a personal point of view, having met Jamie in Dublin this year, every time I see him, I just think “Ach, there’s our Jamie!” He is the nicest celebrity I’ve ever met and truly genuine when meeting and talking to fans. So, Vecna is alright with me.

Each episode is peeling a layer off an onion as more questions form. We are getting the jigsaw pieces but no box to see what picture it is meant to show.

We were told that the gang would be actively hunting Vecna and bringing the fight to him from the get go. Well, here it is in full flow and Will is right. There is no more safe. They have to fight and a daring plan is hatched. The excitement I feel watching them work together is exhilarting because these characters are engrained into our psyches, our buddies. Add to that, with the return of Erica, we are on to a winner. This plan is very Home Alone times ten. But then, Kevin never drugged a family before to monster proof their house and nobody could do it better than Erica.

They need to track the demogorgon to follow it back to Vecna’s hiding place. Where that is, the kids are. They need to shoot it with a bullet containing a tracking device that Dustin, Steve and company can follow in the car. But it goes dangerously wrong leaving us on a cliffhanger. The build up to the trap being sprung in the Turnbull house is funny and the demogorgons seem more terrifying this year for some reason.

But Hopper and Elle are fighting their own war as we discover the army has a weapon to paralyse Elle leaving Hopper to fight for his daughter in a do or die scenario. Hopper has always known she is a target and their bond grew even closer last episode when he opened up to her about his daughter that died from cancer. Harbour gives a beautiful performance here. They continue to butt heads but from a place of love rather than conflict.

Murray and Erica bring some much needed humour especially as Murray is aghast that Jonathan has not had sex with Nancy yet. It seems sex guru Murray has a failed student. The humour is much needed given the dire straits everyone is in, between Hopper and Elle battling the military, each other and the mysterious wall in the Upside Down to the plan to save Derek from the demogorgon hound ready to snatch the kid.

But more layers of the onion are peeled as Hopper and Elle interrogate a high ranking soldier under Dr Kay in their own unique ways. We see the hardened edge I spoke of earlier as Hopper knows no bounds in finding out what he wants to know. There are no limits to the lengths he will go to where his daughter is concerned. Elle discovers that there is something as powerful as her locked in the military base. Is it Vecna? And how is he reaching out to steal the children?

Holly finds a note from Henry telling to meet him in a specific place even though Henry’s instructions were to stay out of the woods in case she gets eaten by monsters. Away she goes with shades of Red Riding Hood and Litttle Miss Muffett. These are subtle clues as to where she really is. She finds a monster in a cave that chases her into the woods. Trapped, she hides but the monster finds her and is revealed as….

Tune in next episode but the ending of this is going make you scream.

TW Reviews Stranger Things S05E02 The Vanishing of Holly Wheeler

WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW!!

By Owen Quinn author Photos copyright Netflix

Well, your face is well and truly slammed into the mud as we pick up from the terrifying events at the climax of the first episode. I meant to say that there are portions of the soundtrack here that remind me of John Carpenter’s The Fog (the good original version.)

This is pure horror and terror and our kids are growing up fast, faced with these dangers. I loved how Robin and Lucas are the centres of calm and reason here. Will’s seeming possession becomes something they can use because Robin figures out why Will is experiencing visions. While Lucas points out that they are also on the edge of the anniversary of Will first disappearing and if Vecna has not come back, then who attacked the Wheelers? Things are grim. Elle is now in the Upside Down in pursuit of Holly but like Max, she cannot find her. She does find an annoyed Hopper, leading to some heart to hearts.

I’m not liking these heart to hearts because they always come before somebody dies. The Duffer brothers are playing with our heart strings and expectation of death in the final season. Similarly, Dustin is found, battered and bloody, leading to some lovely moments between him and Steve like a lover’s quarrel. You can see they can read each other like books and are as close as brothers. I think there may be a part of Steve that is angry that Dustin won’t open up to him about Eddie’s death. He feels left out because they are so close, the most unlikely friendship of them all.

The bonds between these guys is very much on show for us all to see. Plus it’s never too late for team ups not seen before. Will and Robin make a great mystery solving team as they figure out that Will is able to tap into Vecna’s mind.

The identity of Holly’s imaginary friend is thrilling and beautifully revealed as Will and Robin figure it out. At the same time, Mrs Wheeler, badly injured in hospital and unable to speak, is able to write down the name of the man only her daughter can see and hear and it’s…….

Well, you’ll have to see for yourself. All I could feel watching this season is very much a Welcome to Derry feel mixed with a Nightmare on Elm Street. Add that to the living wall Hopper and Elle find in the Upside Down and we realise there is something else going on here.

They thought they knew Vecna’s intentions but they have all been fooled. Aa they say, it’s always the quiet ones you watch. Hawkins is nothing more than all you can eat buffet now. The terror is only beginning. The strands all seem separate now but you can feel the tensions are coming from an unpredicted direction.

The attack on the Wheelers is devastating and shocking. The house is wrecked. Indeed, those scenes where Holly fights off the demogorgon in her room are brutal. There is blood everywhere and the parents are in emergency surgery. Nancy and Lucas clash with Nancy blaming herself as this was all shown to her by Vecna and she never took it seriously. But with every scare, we get a nervous laugh of relief. The Duffer brothers do this so well.

This episode kicks it all off compared to the more sombre opening. The terror was bad enough when you could leave Hawkins but now this is a contained world where whatever is plotting from the Upside Down, can take its time, secure that the military will shoot or imprison anyone breaking their rules. It also puts the pressure on to find Vecna and as we saw earlier, after 37 scouting crawls, it is something that is exhausting them. Now the gang are spit up again, will this make them easier targets or a force to be reckoned with? And now, Elle is on the military’s radar thanks to traffic cameras but regardless, they have to stop what happened to Will, from happening to Holly.

TW Reviews Stranger Things S05E01 The Crawl

SPOILERS BELOW!!

By Owen Quinn author. Photos copyright Netflix.

So here it is. The most hyped and eagerly awaited television event in years, the final season of Stranger Things. There have been rumours of death and bloodshed, trailers that have been dissected more than the Roswell alien and theories flying all over the place. Who is going to die or is it a double bluff? Is Vecna the real villain or have we been misdirected? What is Linda Hamilton’s role? Who is going to die? Yep, I’ve said it twice because that’s all people want to know. Bets are high that it is Steve’s last days on Earth but we will have that answered in the New Year. So here we go. And yes, I stayed up to watch it at one o’clock in the morning with my snacks and Coke Zero and yes, tomorrow in work is going to be fun.

As you saw from the release of the first five minutes recently, season one Will is dodging demogorgons in the Upside Down. But he is captured and out of the shadows appears Vecna. Tendrils appear and pin Will to the wall as something is pumped down his throat. After the devastating cliffhanger where Vecna has managed to partially combine the Upside Down and Hawkins, life is very different. We were promised that the show would hit the ground running and it really does. Our own imaginations and anticipation adds to this. We love these characters deeply so we care what happens to them. That’s the mark of good writing.

Photo copyright Owen Quinn 2025

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Hawkins is now a sealed quarantine zone with a heavy military presence. The cracks they thought were caused by the season four finale earthquake have been sealed with steel. Everyone is told to blend in and comply. Food is rationed. It’s been one year since the town was sealed off from the rest of the world and our heroes are not the gung ho kids we knew any more.

Will and his family live with the Wheelers now. Holly Wheeler, Mike’s sister is seeing a man whom no one else can, the mysterious Mr Whatsit but says he is there to protect them from the monsters. Will is having visions of spinning skies and demogorgons, Holly being taken yet they cannot find a single sign of Vecna. Steve and Jonathan are still in competition with each other but they are all trapped in this nightmare. Robin has a new girlfriend and runs the local radio station where she feeds coded information to the others that they got from contraband-laden Murray.

This tells them it is time for a crawl. They are a unit but relationships between them is strained. This is down to Dustin’s refusal to blend in. The Hellfire club have gotten the blame for everything and while Dustin cannot tell anyone what really happened to Eddie, he proudly wears the Hellfire shirt. He is grieving and it’s showing.

This only makes him a target for the brutal bullies and at Eddie’s vandalised grave, Dustin is left badly beaten. His absence puts the team’s plan in jeopardy for the crawl.

Thanks to Murray, they discover that Hopper will have to do a crawl when the soldiers burn a way through to the Upside Down. They have a base there run by Linda Hamilton’s Dr Kay which mirrors the one in Hawkins, the Big Mac. She just loves slicing open the creatures in the strange place but needs the girl. But is she talking about Elle or Holly?

Elle has been training hard for her battle with Vecna but Hopper has refused to let her come search the Upside Down because it is full of soldiers and she is most wanted number one.

What stands out here is the tremendous stress they are all under. Only they know Vecna is behind it all so they having been searching zones and clearing them over 37 times now. There is no sign of Vecna, so where is he hiding? But they are fighting with each other. Dustin refuses to back down and be compliant. Hopper and Elle are fighting over his decision not to let her join the crawl. The Wheelers are fighting over their over crowded house, causing a subtle alcohol problem for Mrs Wheeler. Robin has to cancel her date with her new nurse girlfriend beccause the fight comes first. There are so many secrets right now that it’s all going to implode.

But there are wonderful character moments like Murray popping up. Elle and Mike having a heart to heart on the rooftop. There conversation about what happens after the happily ever after just screams bad vibes to me given we know someone is not going to make it out alive. It’s classic horror when they say, “Let’s split up!” Speaking of which, am I the only one that thinks that is Vecna’s distorted face in the cloud above them? Similarly, Hopper and Joyce talk about his refusal to let Elle go on the crawl. It is a lovely glimpse into Hopper’s deep feelings as a father terrified about losing his daughter to Vecna and the military which is why he has kept them off the grid since the quarantine.

We are hit with multiple cliffhangers aat the episode climax which means you are most certainly coming back for more. Hopper, Holly, Dustin and the Wheelers are all in deadly danger and you are waiting for someone to die.

As Holly discovers, it is bad enough for a monster under the bed but when it comes out of the ceiling it’s another matter entirely.

Stranger Things Moments: Running Up That Hill

By Owen Quinn author. Photo copyright Netflix

Stranger Things season 4 is full of iconic moments. It is full of exciting, heart stopping sequences and who would have thought that a song and artist I have been a fan of from childhood would become an icon for a whole new generation of fans while us older ones sat smiling?

I get caught up in the emotions and excitement of certain things, usually to the point I swear, cry or speak out loud in a cinema. But never have I jumped up in my seat and yelled at the screen.

Max, as played by the brilliant, Sadie Sink knows that Vecna is gunning for her in order to unlock the walls that separate the Upside Down from our world. She goes to the grave of her late brother, Billy, possessed by the Mind Fayer in season three. Billy sacrificed himself to save his sister and the others. Dustin, Steve and Lucas take her there and wait in the car for her.

But as she reads a letter she has written to her brother, she is possessed by Vecna. As we have seen, he is brutal and every possession is the same. The victim’s eyes go white, they levitate in the air where all of their limbs are broken before Vecna takes their life.

The boys rush forward when they see Max is not right. The only thing that can save her is if she hears her favourite song. They scramble helplessly to find it in her cassette case. Max, in the meantime, finds herself stuck in Vecna’s realm. He traps her in tendrils and taunts her.

Jamie Campbell Bower is exquisite here as his long fingers expand to take Max’s life. His performance is so delicate and nuanced that he could be a shark coming through the water. He and Max are in a devastated landscape, drenched in red. Rubble floats in the air. Max fights to the end.

That is, until the sound of Kate Bush singing, Running Up That Hill, comes over her headphones. But is it too late? As she floats into the air, seconds away from being murdered, the boys call to her frantically.

As the song echoes around where she is trapped with Vecna, Max remembers what she has to live for. She recalls her friends, all the good times she has had, the bonds she has formed and her love for Lucas. She sees her friends still in the graveyard through a rip in this reality.

With the lyrics pumping through her mind, she breaks free through sheer force of will and runs for her life.

Vecan tries to stop her by bringing rubble down from the sky. It was at that point I jumped up and roared, “Run Max!!”

Would she make it? Would Vecna stop her ? Would her death trigger Armageddon?

The screen goes black leaving us uncertain for a moment if she made it.

Then we cut to her in the air and her eyes snap open. She falls from the air and on the ground, surrounded by the boys. For now, Max is safe.

It was interesting to note that she hurt Vecna during her escape. Maybe that gave her the edge allowing her to escape?

This is such a heart stopping sequence that just delivers on every level. You can feel their fear, shiver at the cold callousness of Vecna murdering a child without a second thought, make a mental note to download the song first chance you get and literally be sweating with dread at how close Max was to being the next victim.

Whomever thought of using the Kate Bush song for this sequence was a genius. From the writing to the directing to the performances, Max’s narrow escape is breathtaking.

And it never gets dull. I have watched this part countless times and it still maintains the excitement I felt upon first viewing.

If you want a lesson on how to cement your audience in place, then Running Up That Hill is the template to use.

Charmed Star for Dublin Comic Con Spring 2026

ROSE McGOWAN IS COMING TO DUBLIN COMIC CON 2026! 🔥

Get ready, Ireland — the iconic Rose McGowan is joining us for DCC: Spring Edition on March 7–8, 2026! She’ll be here both days at The Convention Centre Dublin, and we cannot WAIT to welcome her! ⚡️🇮🇪

You know her as Paige Matthews, the demon-vanquishing Charmed One… as Cherry Darling, the machine-gun-leg badass from Planet Terror… and as Tatum Riley in the legendary Scream! From cult classics to horror icons, Rose has done it ALL — and now she’s meeting fans right here at DCC! 🔥✨

📅 March 7–8, 2026

📍 The Convention Centre Dublin

🎟 Tickets via www.dublincomiccon.com

#ComicConIreland#DublinComicCon#RoseMcGowan#Charmed#Scream#PlanetTerror#DCC2026#MeetTheStars

We Talk Frankenstein 2025 Aka Talking Frogs and Pennywise

By Owen Quinn and Stephen Carey

Join us this time for a look at the brand new Frankenstein. Is it any good or was it built from the dead parts of other movies? As the only person at Stephen Carey stories to have a part of someone else in him and a leg that is fake, does Owen sympathise with the monster? or does he think that Peenywise the clown is coming for him or is his new career as a talking frog impersonator his future?

Join the craic. You won’t look back!

Stranger Things Moments: Rat Massacre

By Owen Quinn author Photo and clip copyright Netflix

Stranger Things up until that point, for me, was enjoyable but not unmissable. I liked the nostalgia and all the memories it brought back of my childhood. I liked the characters and the demigorgon monster. The concept of the Upside Down was wonderful but I wasn’t in love with it at all.

All that was about to change with the arrival of season three. It was also when I bought my first Stranger Things T shirt. Russians are trying to open a doorway to the Upside Down, Elle and Mike are in love and Hopper is enforcing his three inches rule.

Life is good with everyone flocking to the new mall , Stacourt and Will and Mike are watching Day of the Dead in the cinema. Will is having horrific visions but says nothing. Suddenly, there is a power surge. Some mysterious force begins to materialise. From nowhere hundreds of rats emerge, all heading in the same direction, the power source. It is of course, the Mind Flayer and it is beneath the ironworks where it can fuse a body together.

The camera stays low at the level of the rats as they begin to explode, turning literally inside out. It’s gross and unsettling. I am no fan of rats but their deaths here are the first indication that Stranger Things was heading into pure horror territory. The Mind Flayer was now able to take a semi solid form via the corpses of the rats. But it is not just the wild rats that are affected. Rats in cages in labs are also exploding. It is graphic and you wince at the bodies literally turn to gloop.

But the worst is yet to come when the rat in the cage explodes. The fleshy lump begins to move, slipping through the cage bars and heading to the Ironworks. There, all the dead rats merge, giving the Mind Flayer form in our world.

Rats are not popular by any means but this massacre is horrific especially when we realise what their remains are to be used for. Vecna’s plans are unfolding right before us but we don’t know it yet. Hawkins is sinking to the dark side already.

In Dungeons and Dragons, there is a fiendish creature called the Rat King, rumoured to be appearing the fifth and final season. Is this scene really a harbinger for an even greater monster than Vecna?

Can you imagine this scene if these were humans being summoned and exploding as seen in The Boys? This may be on one of the most pivotal scenes of the series. And it remains revolting and disgusting and a sure sign that whatever is in the Upside Down will do anything to destroy our world.

Stranger Things Moments: You Have to be Winston

By Owen Quinn author. Photo aand clip copyright Netflix

Stranger Things has always evoked the spirit of the 80s from the get go. There have been great reminders to those of us who grew up in that time of our childhoods.

One of those was the arrival of the movie Ghostbusters and when Ray Parker’s iconic theme song took the word by storm. Parents scrambled to get the toys. We hugged Slimer and wanted him as our buddy. We drooled over the Marshmallow Man. We wanted to be Ghostbusters and wear those overalls.

So when we get to see the kids of Hawkins do what we did, it made us smile. A lovely element to this is that my five year old nephew has discovered the original Ghostbusters and is hooked by it all just as we were at that age. He has his figures, his overalls and proton pack. It’s amazing to see phenomenon spill over to future generations. This really does show the magic of the time and Stranger Things successfully captured so effortlessly.

For trick or treating, Dustin, Mike, Lucas and Will are all dressed as Ghostbusters but there is a problem. Lucas has turned up and his badge says “Venkman” as played by Bill Murray. Mike takes unbrage at this as his name plate is also Venkman.

Lucas argues asking why he can’t be Venkman. Mike and he argue that Winston, played by Ernie Hudson, came into the movie too late so isn’t a real Ghostbuster. Mike insists that only Lucas can be Winston. Lucas challenges him as to why. It is clear that Mike thinks it has to be Lucas because he is black. It’s lovely to see the awkwardness in the exchange because in the kid’s minds it is already a given as to who plays Winston.

The nuance is not anything to do with an agenda or a drive to push equality and inclusiveness, just how a kid’s mind works. Everything is black and white, pun not intended. To succesfully translate the spirit of the Ghostbusters, Mike thinks Lucas being Venkman somehow upsets the balance of that world in their heads.

The run up is lovely as their parents take pictures of them in full costume and Lucas’ sister, Erica, calls her broither a nerd and no wonder he only hangs out with boys. They arrive on their bikes, singing the theme song and shouting out, “Who you gonna call?”

None of us can stand with a straight fce and say we haven’t done the same. This author might have dressed up last October for his nephew’s Ghostbuster themed party. Yep, at 57, busting still makes me feel good.

Despite what they have seen and gone through at this stage, this reminds us they are still kids, thinking like kids and loving Ghostbusters.

Just like every generation since.

Star Wars Legend for Dublin Comic Con Spring 2026

We are beyond thrilled to announce that a true cinematic legend is joining us for Dublin Comic Con – Spring Edition on March 7th & 8th, 2026! ✨ Please welcome…Anthony Daniels — the iconic C-3PO!

⭐ The ONLY actor to appear in all nine main Star Wars films, Anthony Daniels is the golden thread weaving together nearly five decades of galactic storytelling.

From A New Hope to The Rise of Skywalker, his unforgettable portrayal of the beloved protocol droid has cemented him as one of the most important figures in sci-fi history.

📚 He’s also the author of the acclaimed autobiography “I Am C-3PO: The Inside Story”, offering fans an intimate, behind-the-scenes journey through the making of Star Wars and his extraordinary life inside (and outside) the metal suit.

Anthony Daniels will be appearing both days and will be available for:

✅ Autographs ✅ Photoshoots

Pre order both online!

Whether you’re a lifelong Jedi, a Sith sympathiser, or a brand-new Padawan, this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to meet the man behind one of the most iconic characters ever put on film.

📬 Can’t Attend? We’ve Got You Covered!

Our official send-in partner Heroes & Villains ➡️https://www.heroesandvillains.ie/ will have slots available closer to the show.

Send in your items for signing — or order official autographs for delivery through our online store on the DCC website!

✨ Dublin Comic Con – Spring Edition tickets available now via DublinComicCon.com

📅 March 7–8, 2026

📍 The Convention Centre Dublin

#ComicConIreland#DublinComicCon#StarWars#AnthonyDaniels#C3PO#DCCSpringEdition2026

Magic TV: Deep Space 9: The Jem’hadar destroy the Odyssey

By Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriors and Zombie Blues

Photos copyright Paramount

With the discovery of the wormhole into the Gamma Quadrant it at first seemed a great opportunity for exploration and to expand the charter of the Federation. However in season three, it would become a gateway for a new and terrible threat that would change the landscape of Deep Space 9 forever.

Through season two of the show we heard rumour of the Dominion and it would be a simple camping trip that would introduce us to the lethal foot soldiers of the Dominion, the Jem’hadar.

When a quarrelling Ben Sisko and nature hating Quark accompany Jake and Nog to a planet for a school project, they meet a mysterious woman, Eris, being hunted by the Jem’Hadar. They are captured while Jake and Nog escape to the runabout and try unsuccessfully to get back to the Alpha Quadrant.

The Jem’hadar reveal the Dominion will no longer tolerate Federation intrusion into Dominion territory. They can walk through forcefields, move undetected and deliver the message directly to Kira and the rest of the crew. A rescue mission is launched, which includes the Odyssey; a galaxy class starship identical to the much beloved Enterprise.

The Odyssey along with the runabouts go through the wormhole. O’Brien rescues a frightened Nog and Jake in their damaged runabout before rescuing Quark, Sisko and Eris. The Jem’hadar attack and in the course of that battle they prove just how determined and ruthless that are in combat.

As the heavily damaged Odyssey turns to retreat back to the wormhole, a lone Jem’hadar ship commits a suicide run smashing into the ship. It explodes killing everyone on board. The shocked DS9 crew cannot believe the aliens just destroyed a reteating ship. This tells them about the new enemy; they are prepared to sacrifice themselves in order to take down the Federation. They have no compassion or regard for the rules of combat. Thankfully the Odyssey was empty of families or they would have persihed too. Such is their determination to keep the Federation on their side of the hole, the Jem’hadar are prepared to go to any lengths to ensure that happens. We would learn why in the season three premier The Search.

They would also find that Eris is in fact part of the Dominion and almost succeeded in becoming a part of the station residents who would be spying for the Dominion. Sisko vows to be ready for the impending attack.

What is most shocking about this scene is that the brutality of the Jem’hadar and how single minded they are. It sets the tone for literally the rest of the entire run as the war from season four begins. It will be long and bloody impacting our characters in ways they never thought and far from the optimistic Starfleet charters. This would be seen in The Valiant, Only a Paper Moon, The sound of her Voice and In the Pale Moonlight to name but a few. Those stories are as hard hitting as the scene of the Odyssey’s destruction.

It was a clever move to make her look exactly like the Enterprise so the moment we see her destroyed, we cannot help but think of our beloved Enterprise crew going up in flames. As Sisko says it is a message to them as to how far they are willing to go to keep the Federation where they are. Everything changes drastically from this moment forward as Deep Space 9 changes the face of Star Trek forever and endures today as the best of the spin offs.

The Dominion is here and nothing will ever be the same again.