Warning: Spoilers ahead for Stranger Things Season 5
Netflix has officially kicked off the highly anticipated Stranger Things Season 5, and fans were in for a wild ride right from the first episode, Chapter One: The Crawl.
The episode wastes no time dropping a major bombshell that could change everything for the series as it heads toward its epic conclusion.
But as the series progresses, fans have noticed that Will keeps touching his neck - but why is that?
Why does Will keep touching his neck?
Ever since Will was first hunted in Season 1, he’s had a lingering psychic link to the hive mind and the Mind Flayer.
Whenever that presence is close, he senses it — sometimes by glimpsing a dark shape, but most often through the familiar prickling sensation on the back of his neck.
That neck tingle is basically his built-in warning signal, alerting him that the hive mind is near or exerting influence.
A bit like Harry Potter's scar when Voldemort is around - which for some reason is the only reference that is coming to mind.
A Long-Lost Character Makes a Surprising Return
In a jaw-dropping twist, a character thought to have been lost to the shadows of past seasons makes a surprising return.
Deep within a highly classified government facility, Eleven uncovers an unexpected discovery that could reshape the entire final season of Stranger Things.
Early in the first episode, Eleven stumbles upon a secure research compound run by Dr. Owens, and inside, she uncovers a heavily guarded vault.
Inside that vault is none other than Kali Prasad, aka Test Subject 008, who first appeared in Season 2.
But this isn’t the confident, rebellious Kali fans remember. Instead, she’s a pale, weakened version of herself, seemingly imprisoned for an extended period.
Kali Survived Hawkins Lab and Went Into Hiding
Kali’s return confirms a couple of key pieces of lore that fans may have forgotten. First, it reveals that Kali survived the deadly massacre at Hawkins Lab.
Secondly, it shows that she had been living on the run ever since – until Dr. Owens’ team finally tracked her down.
Her imprisonment raises an interesting possibility: Kali’s illusion-based powers, which fans saw briefly in Season 2, have likely been suppressed, studied, or manipulated while she’s been in captivity.
For years, fans speculated that her storyline had been abandoned, but Season 5 brings her back into the fold at a crucial moment, hinting that the Duffer Brothers plan to tie up every loose end in the show’s final chapter.