- Cara Buono says Karen Wheeler finally gets heroic moments in Stranger Things season 5, including two major rescue scenes.
- Buono reflects on Ted Wheeler’s fate, Karen’s emotional growth and the possibility of her leaving Hawkins.
- The actor describes filming the Demogorgon kitchen fight and the hospital oxygen-tank rescue as powerful, adrenaline-fueled scenes.
- Off screen, Buono is launching Cara Vita Wines and plans to celebrate the show’s finale with the cast.
Cara Buono on Karen Wheeler’s turning point
In the final season of Stranger Things, Cara Buono says Karen Wheeler’s role shifts from sitcom-style suburban mom to a surprising on-screen hero. Buono told Glamour that Karen finally “gets her due” — first by attacking a Demogorgon with a broken wine bottle and then by saving Lucas, Robin, Max and Vickie by distracting Demodogs with oxygen tanks in a hospital laundry room.
From denial to action
Buono, who’s played Karen since season 1, describes the arc as a cathartic awakening. Karen’s earlier denial about Hawkins’ dangers gives way to clear, fierce protective instincts. Buono says the show doesn’t shy away from Karen’s physical scars and emotional fallout, and that those marks help explain why the character might rethink her marriage to Ted and consider a fresh start away from Hawkins.
What happened to Ted Wheeler?
On Ted Wheeler’s condition, Buono stresses that Ted didn’t run from danger — he fought the Demogorgon and paid a price. The actor notes the show treats Ted’s injuries with dark humor — the family’s life keeps moving even as he lies in a hospital — and that the series hasn’t fully resolved his fate on screen.
Filming the big moments
Buono recalls the Demogorgon fight and hospital rescue as intense but exhilarating. The kitchen scene with a broken wine bottle became a standout, she says, because it tapped into “mom power” and adrenaline. The read-through even included the line in the script: “Emerges Karen. Fucking. Wheeler.” Buono pushed for Karen to stay and fight on, arguing the character’s momentum deserved continuation.
Reversals and relationships
Season 5 gives Karen a role reversal with Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard), where the son comforts and protects the mother. Buono called that scene emotional — a reflection of how characters and actors have grown together over a decade of filming.
Beyond Stranger Things
As the series nears its New Year’s Eve finale, Buono says she and the cast plan to watch and celebrate together. Off camera she’s launching Cara Vita Wines, a project she connects to family history and the show’s recurring wine jokes. Follow Cara Vita Wines on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caravitawines/
Buono’s reflections make clear that Karen Wheeler’s late-stage heroism and wounds give the character new depth — and that the actress who has quietly anchored the Wheeler family across five seasons gets a fitting send-off.
Image Referance: https://www.glamour.com/story/stranger-thingss-karen-wheeler-was-the-hero-we-needed-all-along