When Cara Buono first got the scripts for Season 5 of Stranger Things, she never expected that her character, the lovably oblivious mother Karen Wheeler, would attack a Demogorgon with a broken wine bottle. But indeed, in Volume 1 of Season 5, Wheeler went “full mama bear,” as Buono puts it.
“It was so satisfying to finally see Karen get her big hero moment,” Buono says. “I was laughing reading it, but also kind of emotional, because it felt like everything had been building up to this.”
In Volume 2 — now streaming on Netflix — Wheeler again goes full mama bear when a trio of Demodogs comes for Max (Sadie Sink). Bravely fending off the monsters while still injured, “Karen has already seen the cost of stepping into the fight, and she chooses to do it again anyway,” Buono notes.
Demogorgon butt-kicking aside, returning to the world of Hawkins one last time was a “deeply emotional experience” for Buono. “It’s like coming home to a place where these incredible memories have been made for almost a decade,” she shares. Below, the actor unpacks the show’s farewell, her wildly triumphant (and very bloody) beatdown, and Karen’s second hero moment, in Volume 2.
What was it like having your daughter on set, and what was her experience this season?
Buono: My daughter has been coming to the set with me since she was 2, and she’s gotten to know the Duffers well. I remember them telling her some of the plot of the show! And then they said that she could be on the show since she was now the right age. So she’s in the background in the barracks scene with the kids. She went through the whole thing — hair, makeup — and got to work. She came away with a real respect for how much work goes into making a show like this.
How has Karen’s look evolved, and what’s it been like working with the hair, makeup, and costume teams?
Buono: Karen Wheeler’s hair, makeup, and wardrobe have always preceded her. In Season 1, I remember getting the part and talking about wanting her to have mousy brown hair, like she’s still kind of tied to the ’70s. In Season 2, she starts emerging a little bit, gets a little lighter, and then she meets Billy. She gets a little more excited, then she goes more blond. The hair gets bigger for the ’80s, and we really leaned into that big, classic ’80s mom hair. This season, she gets darker again. We joked that she hasn’t been able to get her hair done because of quarantine, so it’s a little more grown out, less polished. For Karen, hair and makeup have always been a big part of telling her story. The teams have always been amazing. They just get the era and the character so right. For Karen, the way she looks is never just surface — it always tells you where she is emotionally.
What excites you most about Karen’s journey this season?
Buono: I always loved that Karen was the clueless mom. Finally, the storyline comes to her. The Demogorgon comes to the Wheeler house, and she’s had no idea what’s been going on. She just goes into warrior mama mode immediately to protect her child. Despite being out of the loop, she gets into a literal fistfight with a Demogorgon — she instantly channels her fierce maternal instincts, battling it head-on with a wine bottle as her weapon. All that drinking has a really good payoff.
What was it like reading about Karen’s fight with the Demogorgon?
Buono: I was so surprised when I read the script and saw that Karen takes her wine bottle and cracks it against the counter. I thought, “This is a beautiful full-circle moment.” I always joked about Karen and her wine, and now it actually comes in handy. I remember thinking, “Wow, she just goes into full mama-bear mode.” She’s never really known what’s going on, but the moment danger comes to her house, she doesn’t hesitate. She just fights back.
What happens to Karen after her attack?
Buono: Yeah, Karen endures a severe beating. She gets seriously injured to the point where it looks like, “Will she survive this?” When we were shooting the aftermath, where we see Nancy and Eleven find Karen on the floor, I remember Millie [Bobby Brown] looked around and saw all the blood because Karen drags herself to try to call for help. Filming the aftermath was intense — Millie even marveled at the resilience, asking how Karen survives. How does Karen live? And I thought, “I’m not ready to die. Don’t kill me off, Millie.”
What did it mean to you that Karen got a second hero moment, this time at the hospital? And what do you remember feeling when you read about that moment in the script?
Buono: The hospital scene isn’t about adrenaline; it’s about resolve. Karen has already seen the cost of stepping into the fight, and she chooses to do it again anyway. And then I read the stage direction describing her entrance — Karen. Fucking. Wheeler — I actually laughed out loud. I remember thinking, “Oh. This is her crossing a line she can’t uncross.” She’s no longer adjacent to the danger. She’s in it.
Karen enters the laundry room almost like a superhero. How did you psych yourself up for that scene?
Buono: I wanted her to feel like someone fighting through her own body to get where she needs to go. She’s injured, she’s exhausted, she’s still tethered to this hospital reality, but her instincts are louder than all of that. So it was about details: ripping off the oxygen, scanning the room, clocking where the danger might be, pushing past pain instead of pretending it isn’t there. I actually did a bunch of push-ups right before the scene; those always give me energy and focus.
What discussions do you remember having about how Karen should walk given that she’s still recovering from the Demogorgon attack?
Buono: We talked a lot about restraint. She’s injured, but she’s also fueled by purpose, and those two things are constantly negotiating with each other. The walk needed to carry the pain, but also momentum. Almost like her body hasn’t fully caught up with her decision yet. Fueled by adrenaline and a mission.
Karen is determined to join the fight against Vecna and save her daughter, but Mike urges her to trust that he and his friends can handle it while she recovers. What was it like filming that scene with Finn Wolfhard?
Buono: I’ve always loved all my scenes with Finn, going back to Season 1. There’s this beautiful role reversal happening. Mike is still her child, but he’s asking her to let go in a very adult way. What stood out to me was how much love there was underneath the conflict. Karen isn’t being dismissed, and Mike isn’t being reckless. They’re both trying to protect each other, just from different angles. It felt like a real moment of parenting when you realize your child has crossed into a kind of bravery you can’t control anymore. Though, full disclosure, as a mom myself, I kept thinking Karen should’ve ignored everyone and bolted out to find Holly. That’s what I would have done! No one and nothing would have stopped this mama bear. Sorry, Mike!
How does it feel knowing that Karen is finally aware of what’s been happening in Hawkins?
Buono: It’s probably heartbreaking in a very specific way, realizing how much her children have been carrying without her. There’s guilt in that, but also a deep tenderness. And then, almost immediately, there’s the other thought: So I wasn’t losing my mind. Once Hawkins reveals itself as an interdimensional hot mess, denial’s off the table. Karen processes trauma very efficiently. She clocks the danger, protects her kids, and then starts to strategize, like plotting an escape route, or maybe a killer campaign slogan: “Elect a Mom Who’s Fought Monsters.” That’s her coping superpower: protect, adapt, and maybe pour a well-deserved glass [of wine] after.
How does Season 5 connect back to the heart of the show?
Buono: Season 5 is a throwback to the heart of Season 1 and really focuses on the original characters. It feels like we’re coming full circle. We’re back in Hawkins, back with the families, and you really feel that sense of community and nostalgia. There’s a darkness and heaviness to this season, but it’s also about friendship and family, just like it was at the start. The Duffers have kept that core feeling. You see those original relationships and dynamics come back into play, and it reminds you why people fell in love with Stranger Things in the first place.
Stream the first seven episodes of Stranger Things 5 now. Then tune in for The Finale on New Year’s Eve at 5 p.m. PT. Find out when the last episode arrives in your part of the world here. And don’t forget to unpack that explosive Volume 2 ending here — and test your knowledge of Stranger Things with our superfan quiz.
