diff --git a/examples/python/client_example.py b/examples/python/client_example.py
index 7620348a5b..9e907447d7 100755
--- a/examples/python/client_example.py
+++ b/examples/python/client_example.py
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@
     RedisClusterClient,
 )
 
-
 def set_console_logger(level: LogLevel = LogLevel.WARN):
     Logger.set_logger_config(level)
 
@@ -42,7 +41,7 @@ async def test_standalone_client(host: str = "localhost", port: int = 6379):
     # Check `RedisClientConfiguration/ClusterClientConfiguration` for additional options.
     config = BaseClientConfiguration(
         addresses=addresses,
-        client_name="test_standalone_client"
+        client_name="test_standalone_client",
         # if the server use TLS, you'll need to enable it. Otherwise the connection attempt will time out silently.
         # use_tls=True
     )
@@ -52,16 +51,17 @@ async def test_standalone_client(host: str = "localhost", port: int = 6379):
     await send_set_and_get(client)
     # Send PING to the primary node
     pong = await client.custom_command(["PING"])
-    print(f"PONG response is = {pong}")
+    assert isinstance(pong, bytes)
+    print(f"PONG response is = {pong.decode()}")
 
 
-async def test_cluster_client(host: str = "localhost", port: int = 6379):
+async def test_cluster_client(host: str = "localhost", port: int = 45027):
     # When in Redis is cluster mode, add address of any nodes, and the client will find all nodes in the cluster.
     addresses = [NodeAddress(host, port)]
     # Check `RedisClientConfiguration/ClusterClientConfiguration` for additional options.
     config = BaseClientConfiguration(
         addresses=addresses,
-        client_name="test_cluster_client"
+        client_name="test_cluster_client",
         # if the cluster nodes use TLS, you'll need to enable it. Otherwise the connection attempt will time out silently.
         # use_tls=True
     )
@@ -71,10 +71,11 @@ async def test_cluster_client(host: str = "localhost", port: int = 6379):
     await send_set_and_get(client)
     # Send PING to all primaries (according to Redis's PING request_policy)
     pong = await client.custom_command(["PING"])
-    print(f"PONG response is = {pong}")
+    assert isinstance(pong, bytes)
+    print(f"PONG response is = {pong.decode()}")
     # Send INFO REPLICATION with routing option to all nodes
     info_repl_resps = await client.custom_command(["INFO", "REPLICATION"], AllNodes())
-    print(f"INFO REPLICATION responses to all nodes are = {info_repl_resps}")
+    print(f"INFO REPLICATION responses to all nodes are = {info_repl_resps!r}")
 
 
 async def main():
diff --git a/python/src/lib.rs b/python/src/lib.rs
index f77624d168..fd2a25aa79 100644
--- a/python/src/lib.rs
+++ b/python/src/lib.rs
@@ -114,13 +114,6 @@ fn glide(_py: Python, m: &PyModule) -> PyResult<()> {
             Value::Okay => Ok("OK".into_py(py)),
             Value::Int(num) => Ok(num.into_py(py)),
             Value::BulkString(data) => {
-                // TODO: for now, and in order to keep the current tests to work,
-                // we still return a UTF-8 encoded string instead of `&[u8]`. This needs
-                // to be changed
-
-                // let value_str = String::from_utf8_lossy(&data);
-                // Ok(value_str.into_py(py))
-
                 let data_bytes = PyBytes::new(py, &data);
                 Ok(data_bytes.into_py(py))
             }