‘Stranger Things’ Season 5 Redeems Worst-Rated 6/10 Episode With Major Reveal

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Warning: Includes MASSIVE SPOILERS for Stranger Things, Season 5, Part 1!

Stranger Things is remarkably consistent in its quality. From the chilling start of the very first episode to the dramatic conclusion of Volume 1 of Season 5, the show hasn’t had a single truly weak episode—except for one. Season 2, Episode 7, “The Lost Sister,” felt like a confusing detour for viewers at the time, and it remains the lowest-rated episode of the series with a 6/10 on IMDb. However, after eight years, the show has finally revealed that episode’s importance, showing it was actually a crucial part of the larger story – something fans didn’t realize at the time.

“The Lost Sister” Shows Eleven She’s Not Alone


Image via Netflix

In the latter part of Season 2, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) starts exploring her origins, causing friction with Hopper (David Harbour), her adoptive father. He’s distracted by Mike (Finn Wolfhard) seemingly showing interest in Max (Sadie Sink), which leaves Eleven feeling isolated. While investigating Hopper’s files, she discovers information about her birth mother and connects with her telepathically. Through these visions, she learns that Terry (Aimee Mullins) attempted to save Eleven from the lab but suffered severe brain damage from intense shock therapy. She also discovers that another girl was trained alongside her mother.

Eleven pieces together Terry’s hazy recollections of a girl, recognizes her as Kali Prasad (Linnea Berthelsen) from a picture, and uses her abilities to track her down. She discovers Kali living in Chicago, but she’s changed – a tough, independent young woman who lives with a group of other outsiders. They’ve chosen to live apart from mainstream society because they don’t fit in, and they’re united by a single goal: to find and eliminate everyone who worked at Hawkins Lab and caused Kali so much suffering.

Spending time with Kali and her group starts to affect Eleven. She begins to dress differently, experiments with makeup, and adopts a bolder, more self-assured personality, mirroring Kali’s behavior. It’s like she’s trying on a new identity to fit in, almost as if she’s gone to high school and fallen in with a new, influential group of friends. Eleven is longing for a sense of belonging, and when she notices Kali has a tattoo marking her as ‘008’, she immediately feels a strong connection, seeing Kali as a sister.

Kali Helps Eleven Harness Her Powers In ‘Stranger Things’ Season 2


Image via Netflix

Honestly, when that episode came on, it just felt…off. They tried to explain it by saying Kali was supposed to help Eleven unlock her full potential, like a mentor figure. But a lot of us fans didn’t really see it. The training felt forced and cheesy, and it was unsettling to watch someone seemingly manipulate Eleven like that. It just didn’t feel right for her character.

Kali can create illusions, making people believe things that aren’t real – like seeing something that isn’t there, or even making herself disappear. She essentially projects hallucinations, creating mental obstacles. For example, she could make someone think a solid wall is blocking their path when it’s actually empty, preventing them from attacking.

She teaches Eleven to control her anger and use it to amplify her abilities. They train by having Eleven lift an entire railroad car, which she eventually manages to do. Later, Eleven uses her powers to overpower Ray, a man who worked at Hawkins Lab. But as she’s holding him, Ray reveals that Dr. Brenner is still alive, which surprises Eleven. Seeing a picture of Brenner’s daughters makes Eleven realize she can’t go through with killing him; she’s different from those who would. Despite wanting revenge for everything she endured at the lab, she knows this isn’t the right way to get it.

Kali pressures Eleven to run away with her and get revenge for her mother’s death, but Eleven can also return to Hawkins. With the police closing in, time is running out. Despite being hurt by both Hopper and Mike, Eleven chooses to go back to the people she now considers family. We haven’t seen Kali since, until now.

Kali’s Return is Confusing, But Also Makes a Lot of Sense


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During the first part of Season 5, Eleven and Hopper find a mysterious door that Eleven feels is connected to Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower). She senses his familiar, debilitating power emanating from behind it and suspects the military has captured him. After overcoming several obstacles, they manage to open the door, but a piercing ringing prevents Eleven from using her abilities. Determined to stop Vecna, Hopper prepares for a dangerous, likely fatal, mission, having equipped himself with explosives. Eleven is powerless to intervene.

Fortunately, in the highly-rated fourth episode, titled “Chapter Four: Sorcerer,” the power cuts out soon after the ringing stops. Eleven immediately tries to burst through the door to prevent Hopper from making a bad decision, but he emerges looking defeated before she can reach him – it’s clear Vecna isn’t inside. Eleven follows him in and is horrified to discover Kali, shaved-headed and wearing a white suit, connected to machines.

Wow, it’s hitting me now – Eleven and Vecna weren’t the only ones who made it out of Hawkins Lab! Kali survived too, and she’s been out there all this time. Apparently, the military tracked her down and they’ve been using her… as bait! I’m not sure exactly how, but seeing what they’ve done to her is absolutely heartbreaking for Eleven. It’s just awful to see her friend in that situation.

‘Stranger Things’ Fans Have Mixed Feelings


Image via Netflix

Viewers are feeling uncertain about Kali’s return. While it fits the story’s current focus on wrapping things up, some are worried it will mirror the issues of Season 2, Episode 7. However, if Eleven succeeds in bringing Kali back, the change of location to Hawkins could be a positive thing, and Eleven is now powerful enough that she doesn’t need Kali’s training anymore – she’s fully realized her abilities.

Fans have developed a theory, called the ‘d20 Theory,’ based on numbers from the show. It suggests that Eleven and her sister, Kali, working together (11 + 8 = 19), plus the addition of Henry Creel/Vecna (represented as ‘001’), equals 20. This number is significant because a twenty-sided die is commonly used in Dungeons & Dragons. If this theory is correct, Eleven will need Kali’s help to defeat Vecna.

People had mixed feelings about Kali in the past, but things are different now, and she deserves another look. Previously, she was disliked partly because she seemed to lead Eleven down a dark path. Kali believed that the only way to cope with her trauma was to seek revenge on those connected to Hawkins Lab, and this fueled her anger and bitterness, shaping her into a cynical person.

The episode felt disruptive because it aired at a really intense moment in the story. It slowed down the action and felt like an unnecessary detour. Just when viewers were on the edge of their seats watching Demogorgons attack Hawkins Lab with characters trapped inside, the show paused to focus on Eleven learning to control her powers with a strange new mentor and a group of other unusual teens in a different location.

It’s a mystery what happened to Kali and Eleven after they separated. We don’t know how long the military has held Kali, or what they’ve done to her. However, we do know she still has her powers. Eleven can sense this connection, and still sees Kali as her sister – a bond that’s uniquely strong and unbreakable.

Season 5 of Stranger Things is promising to resolve all lingering questions, including those surrounding the character Kali. It seems likely she’ll play a role in the final showdown, potentially joining the other surviving lab subjects to fight against a former friend turned enemy.

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2025-11-30 19:23