Stranger Things Is Officially Fixing the Show’s Biggest Ever Mistake (but Is It Already Too Late?)

Stranger Things Season 5 is finally here, and the Netflix series is officially fixing its biggest mistake — but it might already be too late. The ending of Stranger Things Season 5, Volume 1 features a number of surprises, all of which make the wait for Volume 2’s December 25 release that much more agonizing. Viewers now have a clearer picture of how Will’s (Noah Schnapp) time in the Upside Down will factor into the finale. His big moment isn’t the only twist delivered in “Sorcerer,” though, and one seeks to set an abandoned storyline straight.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Stranger Things Season 5, Volume 1.

Although Stranger Things‘ writers are usually good about bringing their many narratives together at the end of each season, there’s one subplot that has haunted the show for years. Ahead of Season 5, fans theorized that it would come back into play, if only to make sense of its initial inclusion. And this is precisely the route the creators are taking, fixing their biggest mistake by tying it into the ending. Whether this will succeed remains to be seen, but it could be too late to make this connection feel seamless.

Stranger Things Is Finally Utilizing the Season 2 Story It Ignored for Years

Stranger Things Season 2, Episode 7, “The Lost Sister,” is widely regarded as the show’s weakest chapter, and it’s not just because it takes Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) out of Hawkins and away from the main story. Eleven’s trip to Chicago does feel like it belongs in an entirely different show, but it also lacks a proper connection to the main plot, making it feel more out of place in hindsight. Eleven choosing her life in Hawkins over the shared history and pursuit of vengeance that Kali (Linnea Berthelsen) offers is a pivotal point in her journey. However, it doesn’t do much to drive the larger narrative forward. In a show that expertly weaves its running threads together, this is jarring.

And as Stranger Things continues, introducing an even larger backstory centered on the Rainbow Room and Henry (Jamie Campbell Bower), it never brings Kali back into the fold. By the time Season 5 begins, “The Lost Sister” feels like an odd divergence better left forgotten. But its existence risks leaving a black mark on the series’ otherwise seamless storytelling. That’s probably why the final outing returns to this subplot after all these years.

As Stranger Things Season 5, Episode 4 draws to a close, Hopper opens the mysterious door in the Upside Down’s version of Hawkins Lab, finally revealing who’s behind it. Given the power emanating from the door, Eleven initially assumes the military has captured Henry. However, it turns out that Kali is the one that Dr. Kay (Linda Hamilton) and her cronies are using against her. Kali and Eleven only have a brief reunion before “Sorcerer” concludes — but with El and Hopper (David Harbour) coming to Kali’s rescue, it’s likely she’ll play an important part in Stranger Things’ finale.

Is Kali’s Stranger Things Season 5 Return Too Little, Too Late?

Kali’s return in Stranger Things Season 5 seeks to improve the reputation of “The Lost Sister” and the series overall by connecting 008 to the larger conflict. If handled well, Kali’s comeback could change the way fans view her Season 2 episode, giving off the notion that everything is unfolding according to plan (and perhaps it is). However, with the silence surrounding Eleven’s adventure in Chicago and her other sibling, this could be a hard sell.

Even if bringing Kali back is part of a long-term plan, it’s strange that the series doesn’t lay the groundwork for it in Seasons 3 and 4. If this was always the Duffers’ intent, they could have at least mentioned the character again before now. The show gives us enough information to know that she’s gone before Season 4’s Hawkins Lab massacre. However, it’s otherwise content to forget about her. This makes shoehorning Kali in at the last moment feel like an obvious attempt to address criticisms rather than a natural development. If Stranger Things really wants to fix its worst episode, Volume 2 must find a way to change that perception.

What do you think of Kali’s return in Stranger Things Season 5? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

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