Author Summary
Cara Buono shares her surprise and excitement over Karen Wheeler's epic Demogorgon battle in Stranger Things 5, highlighting the character's transformation into a fierce mama bear and the emotional farewell to Hawkins. (148 characters)
Karen's Heroic Moment
When Cara Buono first received the scripts for Stranger Things Season 5, she never imagined her character, the lovably oblivious mother Karen Wheeler, would face off against a Demogorgon with a broken wine bottle. In the initial episodes released on November 26, Wheeler channels "full mama bear" mode, as Buono puts it. Viewers await the next three episodes at Christmas to see her fate, but she clearly rises as a hero.
"It was incredibly gratifying to finally witness Karen having her significant hero moment," Buono expresses. "I found it amusing while reading, yet also somewhat emotional, as it felt like everything had been leading up to this point."
Emotional Return to Hawkins
Returning to Hawkins for the last time was a deeply moving experience for Buono after nearly a decade of memories. Karen, long out of the loop on the chaos, snaps into warrior mode when the Demogorgon invades her home, protecting her child with a wine bottle as her weapon. This taps into her powerful maternal instincts, making it a payoff for her arc.
Filming the Intense Fight
Buono was stunned reading the script where Karen smashes the wine bottle on the counter. > "This is a beautiful full-circle moment," she thought, noting how Karen's wine habit finally proves useful as she shifts to mama bear protectiveness. Despite being clueless before, she fights back fiercely when danger hits her family.
Karen endures heavy injuries post-battle, her survival in doubt as Nancy and Eleven find her bloodied on the floor. During filming, Millie Bobby Brown marveled at the blood and Karen's grit, dragging herself to call for help. Buono pleaded internally, "I’m not ready to die."
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