The first four episodes of Stranger Things Season 5 have changed the game. Volume 1, which covered the final season’s first half, saw Vecna claim a new victim, Holly Wheeler, under the guise of Mr. Whatsit, Max returning and explaining her disappearance, and Will Byers overcoming his insecurity and revealing powers that rival Eleven’s.
But all of these twists were dwarfed by Eleven’s discovery that Dr. Kay and the military occupying Hawkins were keeping a secret weapon in the Upside Down — Kali, Eleven’s “sister,” also known as Eight. This appearance did more than just tie up a loose end: it set up a big change for the show’s final chapters.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Stranger Things showrunners Matt and Ross Duffer defended the decision to bring Kali back after not using her since Season 2. Kali’s introduction in “The Lost Sister” has always been seen as a misstep, and the episode is currently the lowest-rated on IMDb. But to the Duffers, this was always part of the plan.
“We’ve talked about bringing her back before, but there was not a narrative or thematic reason to bring her back. She’d served her purpose in season 2, but it still felt like this loose end where Eleven just left her there. What happened to her?” Matt Duffer said. “To really tell this story completely, we needed to bring her back. As you’ll see in Volume 2, she’s really there. Her reason for being there is very important in terms of Eleven’s journey and also the journey for this story to end.”
So this last-minute cameo wasn’t just a way to fix the show’s biggest mistake; it really is part of the endgame. The only question remaining is how Kali will feature in the final episodes. As a military asset, her powers will likely be weaponized against Eleven. But with Will now coming into his powers too, maybe there’s the possibility of Kali being rescued and truly becoming the sister Eleven wanted her to be.
