Stranger Things Creators Reveal the Real Reason a Long-Lost Season 2 Character Vanished — and Why They’re Finally Coming Back
Stranger Things drops a deep-cut comeback in its final season: Season 5 Episode 4 brings back Kali Prasad, aka Eight. The creators reveal why her return took years—and what it sets in motion.
Stranger Things 5 just pulled a card a lot of us figured the show had lost in the couch cushions: Kali Prasad, aka Eight, is back. Yes, that character from the Season 2 detour episode. Vol. 1 brings her in quietly, then makes it matter.
Why bring Eight back now?
Ross Duffer (the Emmy-nominated co-creator) says he and Matt always wanted to revisit Kali, but kept punting until they could make it count for Eleven’s arc. Speaking with Deadline, Ross said they didn’t want to drop her in as a nod for fans and call it a day — the return had to shift the story and actually do something to Eleven, not just stand next to her.
"It would have felt like, 'Oh, there was just this loose end or a mistake episode,' and we didn’t want that."
According to Ross, once they hit the endgame, leaving Kali out felt wrong. And if you’re wondering whether she’s just here for fan service, he teased that the second batch of episodes makes clear how she plugs into Eleven’s journey and that she’s key to what happens next.
How Kali resurfaces in Season 5
Episode 4, 'Sorcerer,' reveals that Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and Jim Hopper (David Harbour) stumble onto Dr. Kay’s latest science project. Dr. Kay — played by Linda Hamilton — has Kali in custody and is using her to counter Eleven’s telekinesis. It’s a nasty, very behind-the-scenes kind of twist that turns Kali into both a weapon and a mirror.
Quick refresher on Kali
- First appeared: Season 2, Episode 7, played by Linnea Berthelsen
- Absent for Seasons 3 and 4
- Returns in Season 5, Episode 4, with major implications for Eleven
What the Duffers are hinting at
They’ve been circling this for years and held it until it could land. The plan, per Ross, is that Kali’s presence isn’t a cameo — she’s part of the engine driving Eleven’s final-season choices. How that plays out is the big question Vol. 2 will answer.
When do we get answers?
Stranger Things Season 5, Vol. 2 drops on Netflix December 25, 2025. Long wait, big promises.