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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, during the first batch of episodes that dropped on Nov. 26, Wheeler went “full mama bear,” as Buono puts it. (We’ll have to wait until Christmas for the next three episodes to see what happens next for Wheeler — but suffice to say, she’s a newly minted hero.)
“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.”
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 final goodbye, embracing the nostalgia of Season 5, and her wildly triumphant (and very bloody) beatdown.
How has it felt to be back on set for the final season?
Cara Buono: Everything feels poignant and precious. This is the last time we’ll be doing this, and we all recognize it. It’s been an extraordinary phenomenon — a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I’m immensely grateful for. I doubt I’ll ever encounter anything quite like it again.
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.
Where do we find your character, Karen Wheeler, at the start of this season?
Buono: The town is locked down, and she’s in a quarantine mindset and isolated for a while. We see her drinking, fighting with Ted, kind of lost in her own space. Then we get right to it. She’s called to school because [her daughter] Holly [Nell Fisher] has been talking to an imaginary person.
What is it like for Karen to have two families in the house?
Buono: At the Wheeler house, the Byers have moved in, so we’ve got a lot of house guests. Ted can’t take it anymore. I think Karen’s happy to have people around, new people to talk to. She loves taking care of people, and she loves to cook, so I don’t think she minds it at all.
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.”
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.
What makes this final season stand out in terms of tone and stakes?
Buono: It is darker, heavier, bigger, and more epic. Every episode is bigger than the previous one. The Duffers are planning to deliver the most exhilarating season ever, yet they’re keeping the heart of the characters and relationships.
The first four episodes of Stranger Things 5 are streaming now on Netflix, followed by three more episodes on Christmas Day, and the finale on New Year’s Eve. Find out when new episodes arrive in your part of the world here. And test your knowledge of Stranger Things with our superfan quiz.
