Stranger Things 5 episode 5 reveals why Dr. Kay kidnapped Kali—and it's more disturbing than we thought

It's been a month since the first batch of Stranger Things 5 episodes was released on Netflix, and now the second set is finally available to stream. Unsurprisingly, fans everywhere have abandoned their plans to dive into the new episodes, desperate for answers after that jaw-dropping part 1 cliffhanger.

If you recall from Stranger Things 5 part 1, Eleven and Hopper spend a lot of time in the Upside Down trying to figure out what's behind that huge metal door in the military base. Initially, they thought it was Vecna. But once Hopper finds a way in and then shows Eleven, it turns out that Dr. Kay and the rest of the military have been keeping Kali/Eight captive.

Eleven walks into the room and sees Kali restrained to a chair, surrounded by sonic devices and wired with electrodes. It's clear that she's sedated and being experimented on. However, the first four episodes of the final season do not explain how she ended up there. That lingering mystery is finally answered in Stranger Things 5 episode 5, which reveals the true reason behind Kali’s kidnapping.

Major spoilers are ahead from Stranger Things 5 part 2!

Dr. Kay is using Kali's blood for a new secret government program

In Stranger Things 5 episode 5, Eleven and Hopper rescue Kali from the military base in the Upside Down and head to the church, where they were supposed to meet the others. While there, Kali speaks with Eleven in the building. Through flashbacks, we discover how Dr. Kay kidnapped her in the first place and for what reason.

One day, the military arrived in London and killed Kali's friends before taking her back to the military base in the Upside Down. They shaved her head and then experimented on her by constantly drawing her blood. Kali didn't understand why Dr. Kay was doing this to her at first. Initially, she thought she just wanted to torture her. But then it clicked that she needed her blood. Why? Kali explains to Eleven that when she tried to escape the military lab, she came across several rooms where pregnant women and their unborn children were being infused with her blood.

But the blood was taking a horrifying toll. The transfusions were making the women sick and killing them and their unborn children. Eleven tells Kali that she still doesn't understand, and Kali basically explains to her that Dr. Kay is trying to recreate Dr. Brenner's old secret government program.

Remember Project MKUltra? The covert secret government program that Eleven's mother, Terry Ives, was a participant in? It was originally believed that due to the psychedelic drugs that Terry was given, it ultimately led to Eleven being born with special psychokinetic abilities.

The same goes for the other children whose mothers were part of the program. But after Kali saw all of the sick pregnant women in the military lab, she realized that it was never the drugs that gave them their powers. It was Henry/One/Vecna. Dr. Brenner was using Henry's blood and infusing it into Terry and the other test subjects.

Now, Dr. Kay is trying to resurrect Dr. Brenner's program by using Kali's blood, but it isn't working. According to Kali, none of them is as powerful as Henry. Well, other than Eleven. She tells Eleven that's why Dr. Kay is after her. She wants her blood to make more special kids with extraordinary abilities.

Eleven doesn't want to believe her at first, but she eventually realizes that there might be some truth to what she's saying. Later in the season, the two decide to come up with a plan to end everything once and for all. However, we'll have to wait until the series finale to see how everything turns out.

Stranger Things 5 part 2 is now streaming on Netflix. Also, get ready for the Stranger Things series finale, which is set to be released on Dec. 31!