The first third of Stranger Things’ end has come, and there’s a lot to talk about—including the return of a character fans never really expected to see again…
And that’d be one Kali Prasad, aka Eight. Played by Linnea Berthelsen and introduced in season two in a standalone (and divisive) episode, Kali was another test subject with the power to create mental hallucinations and turn invisible. While seen in flashbacks throughout later seasons, she hadn’t made an appearance since her debut until the Volume One episode “Sorcerer,” which ended with Eleven and Hopper finding her in Dr. Kay’s clutches.
In a discussion with Entertainment Weekly, co-creator Matt Duffer said “none of [this season] would play out the way it would if she wasn’t involved again.” Instead of bringing back supporting characters like Eddie or Barb that fans have speculated could return, Duffer called Kali “this loose end that we had never really resolved. We’ve talked about bringing her back before, but there was not a narrative or thematic reason to bring her back.”
Keeping Berthelsen’s return quiet all this time was tough, added co-creator Ross Duffer, but he’s proud they pulled it off. “Kudos to security and production and Linnea herself. She’s outside, she’s filming. It was a lot of work to keep this under wraps.”
For her part, Berthelsen told EW she was “so intrigued to see where they wanted to take Kali” after the Duffers contacted her again. It was important to “make sure she was in great hands.” For those who weren’t too hot on her initial appearance, she teased viewers will get “an insight into who I personally believe Kali has always been” this time around.
And Kali will be around for the rest of Stranger Things, or at least its second volume. Matt Duffer said she’d be all over the next set of episodes and be “very important” to both Eleven’s story and the larger plot of defeating Vecna. We’ll see what she adds to the cast when Stranger Things returns with Volume Two on December 25.
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