Dr. Kay’s Plan For Kali In Stranger Things S5 Explained & Why She Needs Eleven

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Be warned, this contains spoilers for the second part of Stranger Things season 5! Kali makes a return in the latest season, and the second volume reveals important details about Dr. Kay and her interest in the former test subjects of Martin Brenner. Throughout the first part of the season, Dr. Kay was focused on locating Eleven, and she almost succeeded when Eleven and Hopper infiltrated the military base in the Upside Down.

The first part of Stranger Things season 5 had a lot of unexpected moments, but a major surprise was the reunion of Kali and Eleven. Fans had long speculated about Kali returning to the show, but no one could have guessed what her story would be or what Dr. Kay was up to at the facility.

Vecna is still the main villain in Stranger Things, but Linda Hamilton’s addition to the cast in season 5 introduces another key antagonist. Although Dr. Kay will appear in the final episode, the show has revealed her importance and her underlying motives.

Why Kali Was Being Held At The Military’s Upside Down Base

Image via Netflix

After Kali, Eleven, and Hopper escaped the military base, Kali explained to Eleven what had happened when she was captured by Dr. Kay’s team. They had forcibly shaved her head, kept her tied up to draw her blood repeatedly, and even killed her friends before sending her to the Upside Down. Even though she was very weak, Kali almost managed to escape.

Kali faked illness to trick the doctors into releasing her from her restraints. Once free, she attacked everyone around her, including both medical staff and soldiers. While trying to escape, she learned the truth about Dr. Kay’s experiments involving her and her blood. But before she could act on this discovery, she was caught again and held captive until Hopper and El located her behind a heavy, secure door.

Okay, so we still don’t know exactly how long Dr. Kay and the military had Kali locked up, but it finally makes sense why she was so happy to see El again. She actually thought Henry – One – was gone! It’s a little bittersweet, because having another person with powers should be a huge help against Vecna. But Kali was really worried about what the future held for El once she figured out what Dr. Kay was really up to. It’s like she knew Kay wasn’t looking out for El’s best interests, and that freaked her out.

What Dr. Kay Is Doing With The Pregnant Women – Is She Restarting Dr. Brenner’s Program?

Image via Netflix

During her escape, Kali discovered a large number of pregnant women being held captive. They were all very far along in their pregnancies and receiving blood transfusions – but the blood being used was Kali’s own. It seemed Dr. Kay’s plan wasn’t working, as Kali told El the women were barely conscious and “dying.”

Dr. Kay is now continuing the work originally done by Dr. Brenner on Project Indigo – an effort to create others with powers like Henry’s. As revealed in Henry’s history on Stranger Things, Dr. Brenner experimented by giving pregnant women transfusions of Henry’s blood, hoping their children would develop similar abilities. The results with Eleven and Henry after the events at the Rainbow Room proved to Dr. Brenner that his program was working.

Dr. Kay couldn’t reach Eleven, so she turned to Kali, also known as Eight, the only other surviving test subject besides Henry. Like Brenner before her, Dr. Kay needed blood from a former test subject to use on pregnant women, hoping to create more individuals with special abilities. Kali explained that the only way to create someone as powerful as Henry was through Eleven.

Why Dr. Kay Needs Eleven’s Blood For Her Plan To Work

Eleven was the only test subject in Project Indigo who showed the potential to develop powers as strong as Henry’s. This meant Dr. Kay needed Eleven’s blood to give to the pregnant women if he wanted to restart the project. Kali told Eleven this after they escaped, explaining why the military had continued to search for her relentlessly.

Eleven’s ability to move things with her mind came from a blood transfusion given to her mother, Terry Ives, from Henry. Because of this connection, Dr. Kay saw Eleven as essentially a version of Henry himself. The military knew confronting Henry meant facing Vecna again – something that didn’t end well in the first part of Stranger Things season 5. This is why Dr. Kay was so determined to protect Eleven from any harm at the hands of the military, even if they found her.

Why Kali Doesn’t Think Eleven Can Live A Normal Life (Even If They Kill Henry)

Image via Netflix

Besides detailing her experiences being controlled by the military, Kali expressed her fear that the cycle of exploitation would never stop. Eleven argued they could end it by killing Henry and Dr. Kay, but Kali worried that others like Dr. Brenner and Dr. Kay would always emerge, eager to take advantage of Eleven’s abilities.

Even after they defeated Vecna, El hoped she and her friends could move on and build normal lives, maybe even starting over with Mike somewhere new. However, Kali shattered that hope, pointing out that Eleven would never be safe with her powers in the outside world. Just before the end of Stranger Things season 5, Kali even suggested that she and Eleven stay in the Upside Down and sacrifice themselves.

It’s likely Kali is correct – Eleven will probably never have a truly normal life. Even if she defeats Vecna, Dr. Kay, and the Hawkins military, there’s no telling how many people are aware of her abilities and would try to find her. The dangerous cycle from Dr. Brenner’s experiments might continue until all of his test subjects are gone, as seen in Stranger Things.

Okay, so I just have to share – Stranger Things is back! Volumes 1 and 2 of the fifth and final season just dropped on Netflix. It’s a bit of a wait, but mark your calendars because the very last episode is coming out on December 31st, 2025. Seriously, I’m already counting down the days!

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2025-12-26 04:49