Stranger Things Season 5 Finally Utilizes The Least Useful Characters In The Series

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While Stranger Things primarily follows the adventures of the kids in Hawkins, several adults are also important to the story. Hopper and Joyce have been there for the kids since the beginning, and Murray gets involved thanks to them.

Throughout the story, every character, both major and minor, has contributed something important at some point. However, Ted and Karen Wheeler, Mike and Nancy’s parents, who have been present since the beginning, stand out as being surprisingly unaware of the strange events unfolding around them, especially compared to the other characters in Stranger Things.

Stranger Things Has Ignored Ted and Karen Wheeler For Way Too Long

But They Finally Get To Have Some Fun In Season 5

We first meet Ted and Karen Wheeler in the very first episode of Stranger Things. Karen is a caring mom, and while Ted often seems unaware, he does love his family. However, despite being part of the show since the beginning, they haven’t played a significant role in the story. Everyone around them – even their kids – has been battling monsters from another dimension, but Ted and Karen remain completely clueless about what’s happening, even though they live with Mike and Nancy.

Season 3 had a brief moment where Karen nearly cheated on Ted with Billy Hargrove, but ultimately she chose her family and didn’t go through with it. This was a surprisingly relatable moment that gave both Karen and even Ted – who usually just sits and reads the paper – some much-needed depth. However, the show quickly forgot about them afterward, which explains why fans aren’t very invested in their storyline. It’s actually quite interesting that characters like Alexei and Bob, who were only around for one season, made a bigger impression than Ted and Karen have.

Despite their limited role in previous seasons, Season 5 of Stranger Things finally gave Ted and Karen Wheeler a chance to be more involved in the central conflict. They were unexpectedly thrust into the dangers of the Upside Down when a Demogorgon targeted their daughter, Holly. While it was a welcome change to see them fighting monsters, their involvement was short-lived. They were seriously injured and remain hospitalized for the remainder of the season, suggesting they won’t play a significant role in the story going forward, despite this brief appearance.

Joe Chrest and Cara Buono, who play Ted and Karen Wheeler, are fantastic actors and always deliver strong performances. It’s a shame their characters weren’t explored more fully throughout the show. While Season 5, Volume 1, includes a touching scene of Nancy finding an injured Karen, it didn’t have the same emotional impact for many viewers as the deaths of characters like Alexei and Bob.

We realize these characters aren’t central to the plot, but they still could have made a bigger impression. The show missed opportunities to explore their relationships – Ted and Karen’s connection with each other, and with the kids. There were so many interesting possibilities that were never developed. While it was nice to see them briefly join the fight against Vecna, it felt like a way to write them out of the story permanently.

Honestly, I’m still holding out hope we haven’t seen the last of Karen and Ted! There’s a small chance they might pop up in the final part of Stranger Things Season 5. But, like everyone else, I guess I’ll have to wait until Christmas to find out for sure.

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2025-11-29 23:35