This Stranger Things Forgotten Storyline Deserved More Recognition
Life comes with lots of unspoken, unwritten "rules," topics that, for the sake of keeping the peace, we intentionally avoid discussing.
Traditionally, politics and religion are two polarizing, incendiary topics to avoid. Perhaps favorite fictional characters should be included in this category.
You know a television show is successful when it has great writers, actors, and rabid fans. Usually, their focus is on the main characters and storylines, but sometimes fans suddenly remember those they haven't seen in years, such as Kali (AKA 008) and the gang of misfits and outcasts she'd collected.
Kali made her first appearance in Season 2 of Stranger Things in a handful of episodes. Then, as far as we know, she was not mentioned again. In fact, Kali was conspicuously absent from a flashback-memory sequence experienced by her spiritual sister Eleven. (Although we later learned the reason for this.) While some fans were content to pretend Kali's storyline never happened, others were of the opinion that Kali's storyline offered interesting and almost endless additions to the show.
Some fans are inspired by Kali's depiction of a strong, independent young woman. She was never going to be content remaining at the laboratory and being essentially nothing more than a lab rat to wicked and misogynistic men. Kali was by no means a Stepford Wife.
It's encouraging to see characters refuse to sit back and accept the life others force upon them. The weapon she used to escape the facility was ironically the very same one her captors assisted her in refining. She was willing to take a chance and risk everything because whatever happened to her on the outside would at least occur on her terms. She took the risk and was willing to deal with the consequences of her choice.
Though the first thing one might notice about Kali is her tough-looking exterior and swagger, a person who has nothing but coldness and contempt for the human race as a whole, that doesn't mean that's all she has to offer. The small band of misfits she gathers to her once outside certainly realizes this. She is a beacon of hope to others who have endured years of abuse in a world without warmth.
We hope we've not seen the last of Kali. She can be wrathful like her namesake and unafraid of confrontation. However, there's also a protective, maternal nature to her as well. She's a protector, avenger, warrior. She is WOMAN.