For years, Stranger Issues followers have debated whether or not Kali was meant to be a villain. In response to the actress who performed her, that was by no means a part of the plan.
In an unique interview, Linnea Berthelsen explains that she by no means approached Kali as an antagonist and says she at all times felt protecting of the character.
“I’m employed to guard the character,” Berthelsen says. “So in my world, she might by no means be a villain.”
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Whereas she acknowledges that the sequence has very clear villains, Berthelsen doesn’t see Kali becoming into that class. From her perspective, Kali’s actions have been extra about survival versus hurting folks or in search of energy.
She explains that Kali’s motivations have been at all times tied again to Eleven and a want for connection.
“It was at all times about Eleven,” Berthelsen says. “It was about discovering a strategy to be worthy of unconditional love.”
That doesn’t imply Kali at all times made the proper decisions. Berthelsen admits that a few of the character’s strategies have been flawed, however says the intention behind them mattered.
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“Generally it was the mistaken means to get there,” she explains, “however on the finish of the day, she was at all times attempting to guard Eleven.”
Berthelsen additionally talks about how Kali’s arc match into the bigger story. She says the transitions Matt and Ross Duffer deliberate for the character occurred precisely as they have been meant to and have been essential to arrange what got here subsequent. With out that turning level, she doesn’t assume the later chapters of the sequence would have landed the identical approach.
As for the lengthy working fan theories about Kali turning darkish and even aligning with Vecna, Berthelsen retains her reply easy. She’s by no means seen the character that approach and nonetheless doesn’t.
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“I’ve by no means seen her as a villain,” she says. “I see her extra as a burned baby.”
It’s not how followers at all times see her, however for Berthelsen, Kali was by no means a villain. She was simply attempting to guard Eleven and make it via.
All episodes of Stranger Issues at the moment are streaming.
