Stranger Things Season 5: How Duffer Brothers Are Reviving Old Spinoff Idea And Bringing Back THIS Divisive Character

Stranger Things finally returned after over three years with some epic moments in Season 5 Vol. 1 as characters like Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) and Holly Wheeler (Nell Fisher) had some life-changing events

happen to them. Co-creators Matt and Ross Duffer also brought back a character fans thought would never come back, taking the story in a whole new direction. Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

Duffer Brothers bring back this divisive character to Stranger Things universe

In the second season of Stranger Things, Millie Bobby Brown's Eleven was given a whole new arc. Not only did she go off on her own to find her mother, Terry Ives, but she also reunited with someone she has a deep connection with. Episode 7 of Season 2 is an oft-maligned instalment that fans dislike. Titled The Lost Sister, it introduced Kali (Linnea Berthelsen), who grew up with Eleven and has powers of her own. Like Eleven, she has a tattoo that says Eight.

The backstory for Kali was that she was kidnapped from her family in London and taken to the Hawkins Lab to be experimented on by Dr Brenner (Matthew Modine). She and Eleven grew up as sisters. Eleven, who has escaped from the lab, is seeking her identity and some answers to her past when she comes to Kali. Kali's story was one spinoff possibility that never materialised. The show could have had a separate show on other test subjects from the Hawkins lab that got away and used their powers to make their way in the world. However, the majority of the fans and even some cast members didn't like the narrative, and it was never heard of again. Until now. ALSO READ: Stranger Things Season 5 Vol 1 Review: Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown Starrer Has Slow Start Yet Ups Emotion And Action

Lost Sister returns in Stranger Things Season 5

A major reveal in the final episode of Vol. 1 is that Dr Kay (Linda Hamilton) has been keeping Kali, aka Eight, hostage in her lab. Hopper (David Harbour) and Eleven make this momentous discovery in the Upside Down. The Duffers kept Berthelsen's return to the show a secret, making sure she was never spotted in the whole year of shooting. Berthelsen did attend the world premiere of the series on November 6, which did lead some fans to suspect something was up.

With the "sisters" reunited, there's double the power to fight Vecna. Not only that, Will has also tapped into untold superpowers, giving the Hawkins gang an extra boost. They are definitely ready to face him for round two. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Matt discussed the old storyline, "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?"To complete the series, they need to bring back Kali one more time. Matt added, "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." Fan theories have been flying wild online on how the former test subjects could take the fight with Vecna to the next level.

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At the end of Vol. 1, Kali is much changed with a shorn head and is tied up to a contraption for testing. Viewers have yet to learn why Kay brought her back and kept her in the Upside Down as well. Berthelsen was also keen to wrap up her character's story properly, as she told EW, "I care about her so deeply, and making sure she'd be in great hands was important to me."Vol. 2 of Stranger Things returns on December 25 at 5 pm PT in the US. In India, the show will release on December 26 at 6:30 am.