If Stranger Things has a true main character, it’s Eleven. Her escape sparked Hopper’s journey all the way back in Season 1, and more recently, she delved into her past to reveal the true nature of her upbringing. As Netflix gears up for the show’s fifth and final season, we’re starting to learn about the final threats she’ll have to face, and some new details explain the presence of one of the series’ biggest guest stars.
In a cover story for Time, showrunners Matt and Ross Duffer discuss the many influences for Stranger Things Season 5, from Home Alone’s booby traps to Terminator 2’s action scenes. In fact, Terminator 2 star Linda Hamilton will appear in Stranger Things as Dr. Kay, a character so mysterious that we knew nothing about her beyond her name.
But a quote from costume designer Amy Parris finally reveals more. “There’s this sort of mercenary regime, they’re called the Wolf Pack,” she said. “They’re Dr. Kay’s men who are meant to be finding Eleven.”
So while the threat of Vecna and the inevitable explanation of the Upside Down are definitely the biggest problems here, terrestrial threats are still an issue, too. “Sinister scientists, Soviet spies, and... cover-ups all loom large,” according to Time.
It sounds like Stranger Things Season 5 is jam-packed: The article describes a reappearance by Barb (or, rather, her body), long tracking shots, stunts involving flying bodies, and lots of tears. But the show hasn’t lost the dual threats that made it great in the first place: the supernatural elements of the Upside Down combined with the human threat of the powers that be.
There are only eight episodes left in the entire series, so there’s going to be a lot to keep up with. It’s coming in chunks, so mark your calendar for Thanksgiving Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve. And even though Linda Hamilton has saved humanity before, don’t trust her when she appears onscreen.
