Stranger Things Season 5 is finally here, and one character emerges as a surprisingly heroic figure in the first four episodes. The show has no shortage of characters whom viewers would expect to fit that bill in the war against Vecna, with Eleven top of the list, as she’s essentially the superhero who consistently saves the day. However, things are a bit different in Season 5, Volume 1. Warning: SPOILERS ahead.
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While we see Eleven training and infiltrating the military’s base with Hopper, and Will Byers gets powers of his own, one of the more unexpected moments of heroism comes from Karen Wheeler in Episode 2, “The Vanishing of Holly Wheeler” (the full title of which wasn’t confirmed until release). The installment sees a Demogorgon brutally attack Karen and her husband, Ted, before taking Holly into the Upside Down, but it’s the mother’s stand against the monster that’s really caught the attention and acclaim of viewers. Despite having never encountered anything like it before, having no powers, and being drunk, she makes a valiant effort to protect her daughter, and audiences appreciate it.
Stranger Things Fans Love Karen’s Demogorgon Scene (& Rightly So)
On X, @tamifleita99 wrote: “she has no powers, she was drunk as fvck, she’d never seen a demogorgon up close, she only had a wine bottle and yet she defended her daughter tooth and nail, HERO IN MY BOOKS #StrangerThings5”
Another X user, @theonewitheone, had a similar take, posting: “NO WONDER NANCY IS THE BAD BITCH SHE IS HAVING KAREN AS A MOTHER #StrangerThings5”
Karen was celebrated as Mother by @dustinddh, who wrote: “Karen Wheeler experienced a life-shattering realization that monsters were real, drunk out of her skull, and took on a Demogorgan single-handedly with nothing but a wine bottle and hell of a lot of BadBitchTM energy. M o t h e r. #StrangerThings5 #StrangerThings5Spoilers”
Finally, @willestzz said: “this scene is incredible, you can feel the tension and the fear, god, they did an amazing job the way Karen fights for her daughter, what a way to give the character a new twist for the better”
The moment clearly resonates with audiences, and with good reason. Karen has no superpowers, but she nonetheless bravely stands in front of a monster that, up until that moment, she couldn’t have even comprehended existing, let alone fighting. It’s the kind of brave, selfless act that will not only be understandable to any parent, but exemplifies the humanity that is so important to making Stranger Things work. For all the complicated mythology and D&D-esque monsters, it’s the people and the emotional responses they evoke that make the series so great, and help keep it grounded.
Cara Buono, who plays Karen, is fantastic, if a little underused in the series, so this really gives her the chance to shine, and it’s truly epic. It’s also nice to see her hapless husband, Ted (Joe Chrest) finally do something as well, giving him a bit of a redemptive moment after years of being oblivious to everything (although it’s a little unfortunate that no one really seems to care he’s been hospitalized).
Stranger Things Season 5 gives Holly Wheeler a much bigger role, connecting her to Vecna/Henry Creel (or Mr. Whatsit). Having Karen step in to defend her daughter from the Demogorgon makes the stakes of that feel even bigger and more realistic, and allows audiences to care even more, which is important when elevating someone who hasn’t even been a supporting character before now, much less a main one. With more battles to come, the show will need to find room to give other characters their own hero moments when it returns.
Stranger Things Season 5, Vol. 2 will be released on Christmas Day, followed by Volume 3 on New Year’s Eve.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
Read more of ComicBook‘s essential Stranger Things Season 5 coverage:
- Stranger Things Season 5, Vol. 1 Ending Explained: Will & Vecna, All Twists & What’s Next?
- Stranger Things Season 5: All the Confirmed New & Returning Cast & Characters
- Max’s Fate in Stranger Things Season 5 Explained: How She’s Alive & What It Means
- Stranger Things Season 5’s Surprising Returning Character After 8 Years Away, Explained
- Stranger Things Season 5 Timeline: How Much Time Has Passed Since Season 4
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