When ‘Stranger Things‘ premiered in 2016, it instantly captured audiences with its unique sci-fi nostalgia. The show’s charm came from its small-town mystery, the strength of the core group of kids, and the emotional weight of Eleven’s journey from a frightened lab experiment to a beloved member of the Hawkins gang.
However, as the show expanded its universe in Season 2, one particular storyline became a sore spot for many fans. The infamous bottle episode The Lost Sister, temporarily derailed the emotional momentum of the series and left viewers more confused than intrigued.
“The Lost Sister” Made Eleven Look Like Something She Was Not
In Episode 7 of Season 2, titled The Lost Sister, the show suddenly breaks away from the central Hawkins plotline to follow Eleven as she travels to Chicago in search of her “sister,” Kali (a.k.a. Eight), another former test subject from the Hawkins Lab. Kali is introduced as the leader of a small gang of punk rock misfits.
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They each have their own vendetta against those who have wronged them. The idea of Eleven meeting someone from her mysterious past initially seems promising. It had the opportunity to open up emotional layers to her character and help her understand more about her powers. However, instead, what unfolds feels more like a misguided spin-off pilot than a meaningful detour.
The shift in tone was jarring. While ‘Stranger Things‘ had never shied away from genre-blending, this particular leap felt like a misfire. Fans were left confused. They wonder how this plotline served the overarching narrative. To make matters worse, the characters introduced in the episode lacked depth.
Kali, played by Linnea Berthelsen, has the power of illusion, a potentially fascinating ability. But, her development was rushed, and her motivations were vague at best. Instead of forming a meaningful bond with Eleven, Kali encourages her to embrace rage and revenge. This leads to a moment where Eleven nearly commits murder. This abrupt shift in Eleven’s moral compass felt out of character and forced.
What Made Eleven Special In ‘Stranger Things’
Part of what made Eleven such a compelling character in the first two seasons was her loneliness and isolation. She wasn’t just another superhero, she was a scared, quiet girl trying to understand the world. Her powers were cool, yes, but they were always in the background of her growth. However, suddenly, Eleven wasn’t the only one with powers; there was a whole gang of edgy mutants with tragic backstories.
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Of course, the idea of other test subjects isn’t inherently bad. In fact, it makes sense from a world-building perspective. If the Hawkins Lab had experimented on one child, why not others? But the execution felt off. They removed Eleven from the main storyline at a critical moment in the season. As a result, “The Lost Sister” felt more like filler than revelation.
Fans responded accordingly. The episode remains the lowest-rated of the entire series on both IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes. More importantly, viewers felt that the episode didn’t earn its place in the story. It interrupted the pacing, sidelined key characters, and ultimately had little impact on Eleven’s development or the plot moving forward. Unsurprisingly, in the following seasons, Kali and her gang are never mentioned again.
