Stranger Things season 4 spoilers follow.
We know what you're thinking. "Stranger Things season four is missing a key character?"
The cast list is already packed stupid. It would be impossible to squeeze in yet another memorable addition who would serves as more than just a plot device, moving the story forward. But it's true.
Yes, we have definitely been treated to a whole host of fresh faces who have made stellar additions to the existing cast – Eddie (Joseph Quinn) and Argyle (Eduardo Franco), but not so much Jason (Mason Dye), we hate him. Boo. However it doesn't negate the fact that there is someone glaringly obvious who should be here that isn't.
Anyone remember Kali (Linnea Berthelsen) aka 008?
Kali made her first appearance in season two of Stranger Things.
She is the 'sister' a younger Eleven can be seen playing with in the Rainbow room of Brenner's 'powered children' institution during a flashback. Like El, she too was experimented on.
The two reconnected when they were older during Eleven's emo phase. This alternative look came about after Eleven's fight with Hopper (David Harbour).
Eleven, who had been living with Hopper at the time, ran away when she discovered he had been lying about her mother, Terry Ives, being dead. She then defied his instructions to remain concealed for her own safety and went in search of Terry (Aimee Mullins).
What she learned was utterly tragic. Terry's failed attempt to rescue Eleven from the institution had led to her being subjected to a series of electric shocks at the hands of Brenner.
These shocks rendered her mentally incompetent, left muttering only a few words incoherently.
Though the reunion with her mother didn't quite go as planned, El was able to glean some information from her visit which led her to rediscover Eight's existence. Eventually, El went to find Eight, who had reclaimed the name Kali, her birth name before her abduction.
We come to find that Kali is pretty badass, sharing telepathic abilities with El. Instead of being able to communicate with others through them, she casts illusions to make people see what she wants.
Kali has a bit of a rough edge to her personality and uses her gifts to hunt the people who have wronged her, including those who were responsible for her mistreatment in the institution.
She convinces El that her home is with her and that she should join her and her merry band of outcasts, which El does for a bit. The life of a criminal, however, proved too much for Eleven when she was pressured into killing the man who hurt her mother.
She decided to spare his life and she and Kali went their separate ways much to Kali's heartfelt disappointment. (Though not to many viewers, who *really* didn't like the episode.)
Kali and Eleven's journey always seemed short and the end very abrupt with Kali pleading with Eleven not to go. This was quite a jarring narrative for avid fans who no doubt wanted to learn more about Eight and Eleven's shared experiences.
Also hands up if you wanted to see just how powerful Kali really is when put to the test.
Knowing now that the Duffer brothers have been laying the groundwork for an intricate conclusion to the Stranger Things story, it's possible we may not have seen the last of Kali.
Kali's ties with Vecna make season four the ideal time for her to make a reappearance. Much like Eleven we know that Kali gets her powers from Henry Creel, aka Vecna (because Creel was patient 001 whom Brenner used to create other powered people from – keep up).
Vecna and Kali also have similar gifts. Both are able to manipulate people into seeing visions of their own making.
It's likely the Duffer brothers have been hinting towards this since season two with older Kali's first appearance.
It's curious that the first illusion we see Kali cast is one of spiders to frighten her friend Axel when Henry Creel had an affinity with arachnids.
Her reintroduction into the franchise could go either way. We already know that Kali has a taste for vengeance. It's possible that once she learns the truth about the origin of her powers she could see Henry as the root of her pain, the reason she was taken from her home at the age of five.
But it is also not unthinkable that she might find a kinship with Vecna. She could align herself with him, seeing him as her ally against the people who have harmed her.
Will it as we might, it's unlikely that Kali will resurface in the remaining two episodes of the season but don't give up hope of her ever returning just yet.
Season four does make the briefest mention of her during a flashback scene between Eleven and Peter (Jamie Campbell Bower) who we now know to be Henry, who we now know to be Vecna (talk about Russian Doll identities).
Peter makes a small note of Eight when reminding Eleven of Terry's attempt to rescue her, saying:
"Do you remember the day a strange woman came to see you? This would have been when Eight was still here."
Though the reference is slight it seems like a purposeful hint given that mention of Eight could have been omitted altogether. Why leave that trail of breadcrumbs if you don't want us to follow them?
Well we've followed Duffers and we're expecting an Eight-shaped baguette at the end of the road.
Stranger Things season 4 vol 1 is available to stream now on Netflix.
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TV writer, Digital Spy Janet completed her Masters degree in Magazine Journalism in 2013 and has continued to grow professionally within the industry ever since. For six years she honed her analytical reviewing skills at the Good Housekeeping institute eventually becoming Acting Head of Food testing. She also freelanced in the field of film and TV journalism from 2013-2020, when she interviewed A-List stars such as Samuel L Jackson, Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson. In 2021 she joined Digital Spy as TV writer where she gets to delve into more of what she loves, watching copious amounts of telly all in the name of work. Since taking on the role she has conducted red carpet interviews with the cast of Bridgerton, covered the BAFTAs and been interviewed by BBC Radio and London Live. In her spare time she also moonlights as a published author, the book Gothic Angel.
