Note: This story contains spoilers from “Stranger Things” Season 5, Volume 2.
Eight is back — and so is actress Linnea Berthelsen.
Exactly eight (ha) years after appearing in “Stranger Things 2,” Berthelsen returns to the hit Netflix sci-fi series as Kali Prasad. The newly-released “Stranger Things 5” Volume 2 teases a big role for Eight in the show’s finale.
But who is the actress behind this character, and what is Eight’s overall role in “Stranger Things’” past and future? Read on to find out.
Who is Linnea Berthelsen?
Linnea Berthelsen is a relatively unknown actor who has gained recognition for her role in “Stranger Things.” Born in India and raised in in Denmark, Berthelsen started her career by appearing in a number of short films including “Mirrors,” “Teenland” and “Natskygge.”
In 2017, Berthelsen gained recognition for her role in “Stranger Things” as Eleven’s sister, Kali Prasad (also known as Eight). Berthelsen appeared in three episodes of “Stranger Things’” second season, including the infamous episode “The Lost Sister.”
Outside of “Stranger Things,” Berthelsen hasn’t appeared in much. The actress, did, however, star in four episodes of the sci-fi series “Devs.” “Devs” was created, written and directed by Alex Garland, whose cinematic credits include “28 Days Later,” “Ex Machina,” “Annihilation,” “Civil War” and, soon, “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.” Berthelsen appeared in the acclaimed series, about a software engineer investigating the mysterious death of her boyfriend, as Jen, the coworker and companion of the show’s main character, Lily.
Who is Eight?
Kali Prasad is a “sister” of Eleven’s, with both having been essentially raised by Dr. Martin Brenner as test subjects at Hawkins Lab. While Eleven developed telekinetic and telepathic abilities, Eight’s powers give her the ability to cause hallucinations and psychic manipulations.
Before being taken to Hawkins Lab, the Rainbow Room and a life of experimentation, Kali grew up in London, where she was abducted at the age of 5. Eventually, Kali escaped the lab, joining up with a gang to kill the people who ruined her life.
Kali’s past became the center of the “Stranger Things 2” episode “The Lost Sister,” where Eleven joins up with the gang and (as Hopper points out in “Stranger Things 5” Volume 2) learns the word “bitchin’.” The episode was controversial for being a massive diversion from the main storyline of the show’s second season.
What is Eight’s role in “Stranger Things 5”?
Throughout the first volume of “Stranger Things 5,” Hopper and Eleven attempted to break into a room in the Upside Down where they thought Vecna was being held by the military. In the military base, they discover that who they thought would be Vecna is actually Eight, held captive by Dr. Kay (Linda Hamilton) and her team. It’s the first time that Kali (and Linnea Berthelsen) has appeared in the show since “Stranger Things 2.”
Eleven and Hopper bring Kali with them out of the Upside Down, with Hopper and Kali butting heads over Eleven’s role in the world to come. After being abducted by the military for a second time, Kali remains aggressive and vindictive, attempting to enlist Eleven to help her stop their activities for good.
In the penultimate episode of “Stranger Things” (and the final episode of the fifth season’s second volume), Kali makes a plan with Eleven that involves the two of them sacrificing themselves when they destroy the Upside Down. This, Kali surmises, would keep the military and government from ever being able to create more superpowered children, as losing both Henry Creel and Eleven would destroy their two most powerful entities.
It’s unclear what role Kali will play in the final episode, though it seems clear that she has no intention of allowing Eleven to live if it means putting more children in danger. This will likely lead to a confrontation between Kali and Hopper, whose sole goal this season has been keeping Eleven safe and alive.
Fans will have to wait until New Year’s Eve to see if Hopper is on a fool’s errand in the final episode of “Stranger Things.”
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