Linnea Berthelsen has returned as Kali in the final season of Stranger Things. Her reappearance prompts a look back at the character’s initial, controversial introduction.
The first part of the final season premiered on Wednesday, November 26. In these episodes, Hopper (David Harbour) and Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) prepared for a climactic battle against Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower).
They found themselves trapped in the Upside Down by the newly introduced Dr. Kay (Linda Hamilton). Hopper had initially planned a fatal mission, but changed course upon discovering who Dr. Kay held captive.
While Kali’s specific role in Season 5 remains undisclosed, she was first introduced in a highly debated Season 2 episode. This episode, released in 2017, was widely seen as a potential backdoor pilot for a spin-off.
In that episode, Eleven traveled to Chicago to find Kali, another individual from her mother Terry’s memories. Kali demonstrated the power to create elaborate and realistic illusions.
She led a street gang committed to seeking revenge on Brenner (Matthew Modine), who was presumed dead. Eleven briefly joined them, with Kali helping her to refine her own powers.
Their quest led them to Ray, whom they planned to kill. Eleven, however, ultimately decided against it. The gang then fled home after Kali urged Eleven to choose between them and returning to Hawkins.
Eleven eventually returned to Hawkins, shifting the narrative back to the series’ main characters. The Season 2 episode featuring Kali received a lukewarm response from viewers and critics alike.
Despite the criticism, Stranger Things creators Ross Duffer and Matt Duffer defended their creative decision. Matt Duffer stated the episode allowed them to "experiment a bit."
He emphasized the importance of trying new things and avoiding repetition. Duffer described the episode as "almost like doing a whole little pilot episode in the middle of the season."
Matt Duffer also revealed that attempts to remove the episode from the season’s narrative proved impossible. He explained that "Eleven’s journey fell apart" and "the ending didn’t work without it."
He concluded that the episode served as a necessary "pillar" for the entire show’s structure. Without it, he warned, "the Mind Flayer is going to take over Hawkins."
Ross Duffer added that Eleven’s overall storyline was "the biggest risk we took." He affirmed a commitment to "keep taking risks" to maintain creativity.
He likened Eleven’s need to leave on her own and learn about herself to Luke Skywalker’s journey. Duffer did not want Eleven to simply "magically save the day."
Stranger Things will release Volume 2 on December 25. The series finale is scheduled to premiere on December 31 on Netflix.