#babygate

These are stunts. Harry and Louis are not with these women. They are forced to do this to hide their sexuality. Louis is not a father.

Rest easier and enjoy them both on tour.

https://x.com/larrytsjwaffle/status/2081178434508890584

That’s just insane 👀

(gif credit)

something just struck me. we’ve concluded the music video is (among other things) making commentary about stunts.

so — is this shot implying “the biggest stunt ever pulled in front of The Sun”?

because what truly awful night do we all remember, where a particular infamous sentence was yelled (at Louis)?

Part Twelve: Henry Creel, 'Eternal Shadow', and a Love Child (2/3)

PART 1 HERE | PART 2 HERE | PART 3 HERE | PART 4 HERE PART 5 HERE | PART 6 HERE | PART 7 HERE | PART 8 HERE PART 9 HERE | PART 10 HERE | PART 11 HERE | PART 13 HERE PART 14 HERE | PART 15 HERE | PART 16 HERE | PART 17 HERE PART 18 HERE | PART 19 HERE | PART 20 HERE | PART 21 HERE PART 22 HERE | PART 23 HERE | PART 24 HERE | PART 25 HERE PART 26 HERE | PART 27 HERE | PART 28 HERE | PART 29 HERE PART 30 HERE | PART 31 HERE

Directly picking up from PART ELEVEN --

"Well, well. Look who finally decided to join us."

When we first see Henry in S4, it's as Peter Ballard -- not yet knowing he's also Vecna and Henry Creel and One. We meet him in El's memories, before she even knows she's in the NINA Project, which Brenner explains was inspired by the opera by Nicolas Dalayrac:

Brenner: "It's the story about a young woman, whose lover was killed in a duel. Nina was so traumatized that she buried the memory. It was as if it never happened. Every day she would return to the train station, to await her lover's return. A return that would never be."

A story of a woman gone mad after their lover is killed. What other opera features a slain lover? And what play features a protagonist who "goes mad" and believes he killed his lover?

If Pagliacci (aka what I believe is the true plot of TFS) is the prequel, then Nina is the sequel.

The NINA Project is meant to help El restore her memories (and powers). But memories of who? Well, see the image and accompanying quote above.

From the very beginning, the NINA Project is an odyssey for El to recollect her memories of Henry.

A Henry who's dressed all in white, with an empty smile.

A blank slate. 

Back to the name origin of "Ballard", which we established means "bald head" in Part 10.... 

"Peter" has a full, glorious head of hair, but "bald head" implies a clear head. "Ballard" also "derives from Middle English 'ball,' meaning 'white spot.'"

Okay now -- what movie has been coming up quite often in ST discourse re: finale predictions???

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

Quick summary: After learning his ex-girlfriend Clementine has erased all her memories of him and their relationship, Joel has the same procedure. The procedure requires replaying all the memories of the time they shared together (and subsequently destroying them). By the time he reaches the end, Joel realizes he still loves Clementine (and perhaps didn't want to say goodbye after all). But feelings prove to be stronger than memories, and when Joel and Clementine (with no memories of the other) meet again, they are immediately drawn to each other and decide to start anew.

All that being said, based on what I believe to be Vecna's distorted memories in TFS, the Henry we meet at Hawkins Lab, Possessed!Will's reaction to Bob when he was hospitalized --

-- and the fact that Possessed!Will didn't recognize Hopper (and Hopper/Joyce don't remember Henry), I'm going to assume Henry had his own ESOTSM moment re: his lost love of youth, Bob Newby,* whether through the trauma of thinking he'd killed him, the pain of his rejection, or both.

*Likewise, it seems Bob (like Hopper, Joyce, and the other ST parents featured in TFS) has no memories of Henry either. [I wonder if that will play similarly for Mike and Will in Vol. 4.]

And because Henry doesn't remember Bob, he is also (supposedly) responsible for this:

Did Henry know he'd killed his last tether to his humanity -- the "last" tangible reminder that he was loved?

Or was this the Mind Flayer finally eliminating the one obstacle in her way? The one person who could turn Henry against her?

[Could history now be repeating itself with Mike? Is this why Vecna potentially has him under his curse? To cut Will off from his own tether?]

(Thank you @thebestofmyrmidons for bringing this point up re: tethers!!!)

Again, I turn to the opera Pagliacci (check Part Ten), which redressed the plot of TFS, at least for me:

The main villain of the opera, Canio (who plays Pagliacci in the play-within-the-play), is the one who slays his wife and her lover onstage.

But Canio couldn't have pulled it off without the assistance of Tonio (who in reality wants Canio's wife for himself).

Per the analysis in Part 10, who fills that role best?

"Patty" aka The Mind Flayer

See where I'm going? It would seem that Henry's evil doings are less his doing and more the MF's (not that that theory is new to anyone).

But, with Bobgate and S4 in mind, I want to now do a deep dive into the other half of Creelby to see where things went wrong for Henry and what it may say about his fate.

First, I'll touch on a thing "so small" that caused "so much trouble."

Soteria: The device Dr. Brenner implanted in Henry at some point between 1959 and 1979.

Soteria, or salvation. At least that's what Brenner dubbed it, per Henry.

Henry, however, views it as a tracker. Something that "weakens" him, inhibits his powers.

Here's another descriptor for "soteria":

"Saved from [...] the pleasure of sin."

So, in a way, you could consider Soteria a form of castration. Society's punishment for sexual transgression.

I want to thank @mymusingss yet again for inspiring me here. I came across their post featuring the poem the phrase "eternal sunshine of the spotless mind" came from [I recommend reading it for even greater appreciation of all the connections].

In that post, OP discusses the origins of the poem: a love affair between Hélöise d'Argenteuil and *Peter Abelard* (say it a few times, my jaw dropped) that ended with a love child, both being forced into monastic life, and Peter's castration.

OP continues by sharing that despite their separation, Abelard and Hélöise kept in touch through letters. Despite time, distance, and pain, their letters immortalized their deep love.

Keeping that in mind, I want to touch on Henry's metaphoric castration not just through Soteria, but through -- oxymoronically -- his fatherhood.

Both the show and TFS have stated several times that Henry's blood is what gave the children their abilities. Despite the fact that he did not impregnate these women (including Terry Ives), Henry is implied to have biologically fathered these children.

The texts make it explicitly clear that Henry did not consent to any of this, and that it was Brenner violating Henry's agency and body that resulted in these children (read: SA).

More than that, using Henry's blood to give the children his abilities rather than say, his sperm, not only reaffirms the idea of Henry's symbolic castration, but it also reads as a sharp metaphor for HIV transmission.

And to add insult to injury, Brenner assumes the role of "Papa" for himself and reduces Henry's role to, not even "brother" -- a nameless orderly to watch the children. His children.

Yet, despite the physical, emotional, and spiritual toll Soteria must have taken on Henry, I think in a way, it was Henry's salvation, neutralizing the MF's influence on him -- his Shadow.

Why? This passage re: Eurypylos and "the sanctuary of Soteria" caught my attention.

"Being cured of his madness." Hm. And the cause of said madness? Looking upon an idol of Dionysus, god of wine, revelry, fertility, and religious ecstasy. In many ways, a god known to overindulge. To consume.

Take a look at these two photos:

To the left is Henry before having Soteria removed. To the right is after (the photo above shows the immediate effects after removal).

Henry (via JCB’s incredible acting) completely changes from the gentle, sweet-voiced person he was before El removes Soteria. As if he’s an entirely different person now. Not only that, his face looks different. Sharper, more gaunt. All deliberate choices to show something is off.

Now, you could say that Henry was just playing a part for El and Brenner, making himself seem docile to trick the latter and manipulate the former.

But there are so many moments where we see tenderness and sympathy from Henry -- especially toward the children. Even when Two is being punished for attacking El, you can see that it pains Henry to watch, knowing he's helpless to stop it (esp because it's a punishment he's experienced himself).

This Henry is nothing like the ruthless killer he becomes after Soteria is removed. Like Saturn, Henry goes on a rampage, devouring his children one by one.

Brenner speaks on it when he warns El to delay her fight with One (S4Ep8):

“When One kills, he doesn’t simply kill. He consumes. He takes everything from his victims. Everything they are and everything they ever will be. Their memories, their abilities.”

He makes a similar observation in TFS:

But tell me, who does that sound like?

The ultimate consumer of ST, our IT: The Mind Flayer

The Mind Flayer who finally has what she wants: A devoted disciple to worship her and provide her with more, more, more.

Is that a leap?

Well, there's one more opera ST has not only used on the show, but that also links back to Henry directly: Akhnaten by Phillip Glass.

(Btw, I need to know who in that writers room is such an opera aficionado. I'm seeing actually seeing Akhnaten at LAO this spring and now I'm that much more excited about it!!)

Glass' opera is about the "life and religious convictions of the Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten," who was the first known individual to found a monotheistic religion, but whose legacy was erased from history by his successors, referred to only as "that enemy" and "that criminal." Already the parallels are evident.

*Three* songs by Philip Glass (two from Akhnaten) play back-to-back, all through Henry's origin story, which he recounts to El during "The Massacre at Hawkins Lab", and shows to Nancy within the wreckage of his mind space (red like the MF, fyi).

On a pure writing level, this monologue is excellent storytelling, with a clear three-act structure:

The sequence starts with the Creel family's move to their new home in Hawkins after Henry's "accident", which we learn via TFS and ST5 is when he first was possessed by the MF and gained his powers. We learn the move was because his parents believed Henry was "broken" and "needed to be cured".

We see Henry explore house, where he finds the nest of black widow spiders, with whom he felt a kinship:

"Like me, they are solitary creatures. And deeply misunderstood."

In the background, plays Phillip Glass' "Prophecies". This song is not from Akhnaten, but it is featured in the 2009 "dark, dystopian" superhero film Watchmen, known for the line,"We're all puppets, Laurie. I'm just a puppet who can see the strings."

As Henry explains his motives, he maligns humanity and its "deeply unnatural structure," society's rules and constructs a "straitjacket" on young Henry.

Adult Henry practically spits out: "Wake up, eat, work, sleep, reproduce, and die!"

Two things to note: 1) Reproduction is once again emphasized in relation to Henry, and 2) when Henry says that particular line, his voice warps a bit -- sounding almost doubled, as if he wasn't the only one speaking.

Where have we seen/heard that before?

In this same section of the scene (where "Prophecies" plays), we see young Henry in the attic, sat before a shrine he's created to the spiders, while he says, "They are gods of our world."

A lonely, outcast child who finds religion, but who is really his god?

Henry continues:

"Everyone is just waiting [...] Waiting for it all to be over. All while performing in a silly, terrible play, day after day. [...] I could not pretend. And I realized, I didn't have to."

(How meta re: TFS)

Henry, feeling rejected by the world for his differences, struck by "divine inspiration", found an out through his new "god".

If we follow the hero's journey structure, this is when Henry answers the call.

"Act Two" begins with the grandfather clock winding backward and the music shifts from "Prophecies" to the tintinnabulation of Akhnaten Act 1, Scene 3: "The Window of Appearances."

In the opera, this is when Akhenaten, just-crowned pharaoh, praises the one 'Creator' and declares his intentions to create a monotheistic religion in a time where everyone was polytheistic.

For Young Henry, this is when he sets off on his journey to "restore balance to a broken world." In a vacuum, that seems like a noble goal. 

However, he tests his powers (and abuses them) by torturing small animals.* He discovers that he can not only control their bodies, but he can also "reach into their minds, their memories".

He uses the tactics of a bully.

*We know through TFS that despite Henry saying he chose to use his powers this way, he was really under the MF's influence.

Henry criticizes his parents for how they hypocritically presented themselves to the world as "normal": "But like everything else in this world, it was all a lie." Again --

But Henry's solution of "holding up the mirror" to them is haunting them with perverse distortions of their own memories. He brutally forces them to face the ugly truth -- with more lies.

Again, Henry's mother hopes to "fix" her son by contacting Dr. Brenner. It's at this point, "Henry" feels he's left with no choice but to "break free", by killing his entire family, save his father (who we know is saved through music). 

Again, Henry says that each life he takes makes him, "stronger, more powerful."

But, when Henry is placed under Brenner's "care" after murdering his family, he mentions "Papa" realizing he "could not control [Henry]."

We the audience don't see what he meant by that in that moment, but we can now assume it has to do with the events of TFS: Henry's love affair, his desire to run away with that lover, and succumbing to the MF's influence when he lost that love.

After this, we can also assume that Brenner chipped Henry with Soteria, effectively stripping Henry of his powers, but keeping the "Shadow" at bay.

What to do? Brenner couldn't use Henry's powers without awakening the MF, but he could use Henry's blood, which led to...

The creation of Eleven.

When Henry tells El why *she* is special, different from the other children, the music shifts again -- this time to Akhnaten's "Act Two, Scene Two: Aknaten and Nefertiti". The scene goes like this:

A "love theme".

I once again recommend reading this Substack post by TVmicroscope. As that article, and many other theories here have implied, Eleven can be seen as a representation of Mike and Will's (unacknowledged) romantic love.

But, if it was technically Henry who created her -- then whose love could have made Eleven so special to Henry?

From the TFS Broadway Transcript:

Bob tracks down Henry's radio signal using his Directional Antenna Device AKA D.A.D. Later, when Bob replaces Henry in the play (more on this in Part Sixteen), he's holding the prop baby (fathered by his/Henry's character), and tells Joyce (who would go on to adopt another little girl), "She has your eyes."

And in the West End version:

Hopper (to Joyce): "Tell him he's a son of a -- Bob!"

Bob Newby --

"The Monster" AND "The Superhero"

Henry and Bob *subtextually* created Eleven. In a way, she is their love child.

Their "Wonder Woman made of clay".

This scene is definitely Henry and Eleven's ESB, "Luke, I am your father" moment. Henry is Darth Vader, El is Luke. (Does that mean Will is Princess Leia and Mike is Han Solo???)

@o11yradio saw the vision first with #BabyGate!

While Akhnaten and Nefertiti sing to each other in Egyptian, a scribe sings the following in English:

"I breathe the sweet breath Which comes forth from thy mouth. I behold thy beauty every day. It is my desire that I may be rejuvenated With life through love of thee. Give me thy hands, holding thy spirit. That I may receive it And may live by it. Call thou upon my name unto eternity And it shall never fail."

Again, I think of Abelard and Hélöise's letters, and Nedda's declaration of love to Silvio in Pagliacci when they're separated: "I will always be yours!"

The words imply a sacred vow of a love that lives eternally -- that restores life to the other.

And, whether Henry knows it or not, Eleven is that vow come to life.

She is the tangible reminder that he once loved and was loved -- even if he can't remember.

Maybe that's why Henry's so desperate to take Eleven with him: "If you come with me, for the first time in your life, you will be free."

Unfortunately, with Henry back under the influence of the Mind Flayer, he only wishes to use his powerful love as a weapon of destruction.

But fortunately, El is able to fight back against Henry -- with a memory.

Not one that made her "sad, but also angry" like Henry had suggested to her prior to this scene, but one more powerful:

El is brought back to the moment of her birth, first seeing the faces of her two "fathers" (Brenner and I believe a masked Henry), then her mother, Terry. Her arms are open, and the first words ever told to El are revealed to be: "Jane. I love you."

It is a memory of love that gives El the strength to defeat Henry.

Hold onto that.

Like I believe Bob did back in 1959, Eleven rejects Henry in 1979. Rejects the chance to "break free" with him (though note that when she actually does escape the lab a few years later, she finds none other than Mike Wheeler, who is desperately searching for Will).

This rejection -- though deserved -- only further drives Henry toward the Mind Flayer (literally, as El banishes him to Dimension X), crystallizing his transformation into Vecna. Losing every last shred of humanity he has left.

A "lowly animal". A puppet. An *evil* clown.

Another tragic fate for someone who had his life stolen from him.

I want to wrap this post up by mentioning one last song from Akhnaten that isn't played in "Massacre at Hawkins Lab" but is worth noting: Act 2, Scene 4 "Hymn to the Sun", which is the central theme of the opera.

The "hymn" references Psalm 104 from the Bible: "Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great".

A similar "Psalm" can also be found in --

A LOVE SUPREME

A different song, but in a way it "rhymes." And although Aknaten's story ends in tragedy and oblivion, A Love Supreme is a celebration of a power stronger than ourselves.

A power that could save everyone.

~~~

Song's not over yet. Here's Part Thirteen.

December 2025

01.12.2025 Harry is in Rome / Louis is MIA [LTHQ via Insta story]

02.12.2025 Harry is in Italy / Louis is MIA [LTHQ via Twitter]

03.12.2025 Harry is MIA / Louis is MIA

04.12.2025 Harry is MIA / Louis is MIA

05.12.2025 Harry is MIA / Louis is MIA [L via Twitter, LTHQ via Insta]

06.12.2025 Harry is MIA / Louis is MIA [L likes Sam Fender's Insta post]

07.12.2025 Harry is MIA / Louis' show in London at Jingle Bell Ball [Zara and her family are there too, L posts and answers fans on Twitter, Insta: L via story follows Myles Smith, likes Lando Norris’ post, LTHQ via story]

08.12.2025 Harry is MIA / Louis is MIA

09.12.2025 Harry is MIA / Louis is MIA [L via Insta]

10.12.2025 Harry is MIA / Louis is MIA [L via TikTok]

11.12.2025 Harry is MIA / Louis is MIA

12.12.2025 Harry is in Italy / Louis is MIA [Harry records a massage for a fan, L via Insta]

13.12.2025 Harry is MIA / Louis is MIA

14.12.2025 Harry is MIA / Louis is in England [LTHQ Christmas Countdown announcement, Zara posts about her Birthday getaway including a selfie with L, Lottie's Birthday wishes to Zara]

15.12.2025 Harry is MIA / Louis is MIA [L follows and unfollows Courtyard.io on Insta, LTHQ Christmas Countdown 10 days to go]

16.12.2025 Harry is in Berlin / Louis is MIA [Lemonade BTS Video, LTHQ Christmas Countdown 9 days tg]

17.12.2025 Harry is MIA / Louis is MIA [L via TikTok, LTHQ via Insta and via Discord, LTHQ Christmas Countdown 8 days tg]

18.12.2025 Harry is MIA / Louis is MIA [Palaces Lyric Video, LTHQ Christmas Countdown 7 days tg]

19.12.2025 Harry is MIA / Louis is MIA [L via his Socials, LTHQ Christmas Countdown 6 days tg]

20.12.2025 Harry is MIA / Louis is MIA [LTHQ Christmas Countdown 5 days tg]

21.12.2025 Harry is MIA / Louis is MIA [L via Youtube, LTHQ Christmas Countdown 4 days tg, Countdown on the 28Clothing website, Zara posts a vlog that shows content in Louis home and her in Louis' clothing]

22.12.2025 Harry is MIA / Louis is MIA [LTHQ Christmas Countdown 3 days tg]

23.12.2025 Harry is MIA / Louis is MIA [LTHQ via Twitter, LTHQ Christmas Countdown 2 days tg]

24.12.2025 Harry is MIA / Louis is MIA [L via Twitter, LTHQ via Insta, LTHQ Christmas Countdown 1 days tg]

25.12.2025 Harry is MIA / Louis is in Doncaster [Zara posts a picture of the Tomlinson's Christmas Tree]

26.12.2025 Harry is MIA / Louis is MIA [L likes Perrie Edwards Insta post, Zara posts from the Tomlinson household again implying that she cooked the Christmas meal]

27.12.2025 Harry is MIA / Louis is MIA [28Clothing Archive Sale announcement for the 28th]

28.12.2025 Harry is MIA / Louis is MIA [28Clothing Archive Sale]

29.12.2025 Harry is MIA / Louis is MIA [Daisy tags Zara in her story and implies that Freddie is there too, and Zara posts a picture from the same dish, tagging Daisy]

30.12.2025 Harry is MIA / Louis is MIA [LTHQ via Insta, Zara posts a vlog that shows a present from her mom to L]

It has been ZERO (0) days.

Or even the more chill people. Like, why are there no posts going "omg I saw Louis today in Walmart and I didn't approach him or take a photo because he was with his kid but it was so cute to see him with Freddie!!" That person would most likely be praised for their kindness or whatever if they did post that so why not?

OR THE SCHOOL??? You can't convince me the other parents wouldn't eventually recognize him waiting for Freddie after school. Or see a photo of him and go "is that my kid's friend's dad??" And post something. I get that parents would probably understand or empathize with Louis not wanting the publicity but I have met some shitty parents.

People are attention seeking assholes at heart I just cannot believe NO ONE has milked a Freddie sighting for views yet.

Look, im going to give you an answer from PR because that's my life so why not lmfao. And since i've worked with one influencer recently, i have no doubts regarding what is happening at this point with louis' sisters.