Stranger Things Season 5 Tries To Fix Netflix Show’s Worst Character

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The fifth and final season of the popular Netflix show Stranger Things began streaming over Thanksgiving, with the first four episodes now available. Creators the Duffer Brothers surprised fans by bringing back a familiar character and appear to be addressing a previously criticized storyline.

What character returns in Stranger Things Season 5?

In the fourth episode of Stranger Things Season 5, titled “Chapter Four: Sorcerer,” Hopper and Eleven are traveling to a military base located within the Upside Down. They entered this alternate dimension in the episodes leading up to this one.

In the fifth season so far, Eleven discovered a hidden room within the compound, and she thinks it once held Vecna, who was captured by Dr. Kay (Linda Hamilton). The fourth episode shows Eleven and Hopper forcing their way inside and finally uncovering the person who was imprisoned there.

Fans were stunned to discover that the person inside wasn’t Vecna, but Kali (Linnea Berthelsen)—another survivor of the Hawkins Lab experiments who appeared briefly in Season 2. Although it’s unclear why Kali was captured, how long she’s been held, or what role she’ll play in the final season, her unexpected return has surprised everyone.

Kali, also known as “Eight” because of a tattoo she has, was introduced in the second season of Stranger Things during what many fans consider the show’s most debated episode. This episode, titled “The Lost Sister,” moves the story away from Hawkins and to Chicago. It focuses on Eleven searching for and meeting Kali, and discovering a shared history of trauma with her and her group of friends.

When the episode first aired, it received a lot of criticism because it felt very different from the rest of the series. Some viewers thought it might be a disguised attempt to launch a spin-off show. However, bringing the character back now suggests that wasn’t the intention, and finally provides a satisfying conclusion to both that particular episode and Eleven’s complete history.

It’s unclear exactly what will happen with Kali in the future, but she’s returned and will likely be important in the remainder of Season 5. Matt Duffer explained to Entertainment Weekly that Kali’s story felt unfinished, and while they’d considered bringing her back before, they hadn’t found a good reason that fit with the overall story or themes until now.

Duffer hinted that Kali will play a crucial role in Eleven’s actions during Season 5, and will be key to the group’s overall fight against Vecna. Since Kali has been used to try and locate Vecna for a while now, she’ll be a valuable asset to the team, and might even win back fans who previously doubted her.

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2025-12-01 20:57