Is Kali considered a threat in ‘Stranger Things’?
Stranger Things completely hit it out of the park with surprises in season five since the first volume debuted on Netflix on November 26th. One of the most-talked-about ones was undoubtedly the unprecedented comeback of Kali, Eleven’s sister, who once added “bitchin’” to her vocabulary.
Kali is undeniably playing a far bigger role in Stranger Things now, especially in the second volume of season five. However, her presence is no longer a source of excitement, which is clear as daylight from the temperament of the show’s fandom following her recent stint.
As of now, let’s just say that Kali feels like a fish bone stuck in fans’ throats that they can neither gulp nor puke it out. To be fair, though, Kali has suffered a lot before El and Hopper came to her rescue, which explains why she might come across as a bit of a downer in this Stranger Things instalment.
From what we’ve learned so far regarding Kali being held captive in the Hawkins lab, well, it has a lot to do with the government’s plan to harvest her blood in an attempt to create a new generation of kids with superpowers. Although her rescue should be the sliver of light amid these dark times, she somehow doesn’t believe in a happy ending. Thus, Kali can often be seen giving El a cutthroat reality check.
But then the second volume concludes with Kali persuading El that the only way to break the “cycle” of scientists and doctors using their blood sample to create more kids with superpowers is for them to die, as the rest of the Hawkins gang finds a way to stop Vecna from drawing the Abyss into Hawkins via the Upside Down. And by the looks of it, El too looks sold on the plan.
While it’s definitely possible that Kali is doing things out of ingenuity, fans are somehow convinced that things aren’t as straightforward as they seem. They believe that Kali is secretly evil, and we, as fans, are actually strapping in for a plot twist we can barely imagine.
Several fans on Reddit have backed up this theory, with one in particular sharing their fears, saying, “I’m concerned that Kali will cross El last minute or kill her and try to save herself.” Meanwhile, another wrote, “I do not trust her at all. I’m halfway through [chapter] seven, and I don’t like her one bit.”
But then again, it’s just not the fans who have their doubts about Kali; Hopper does too. Although the Duffer brothers have not really revealed much regarding the character’s intention, Matt Duffer did tell SFX Magazine, “Kali shifts things a lot for Eleven, and I think it’ll be surprising for people to see how she ultimately fits into the story. We’re excited about that because it immediately changes the tone. And obviously, the way things ended with Hopper leaves a lot of tension between them.”
While it’s probably a little early to say for sure what’s actually in Kali’s heart, only time will reveal when Netflix drops the Stranger Things series finale on New Year’s Eve. So, until then, get your nailbats and flamethrowers ready.