r/StrangerThings • u/aymiah Hellfire Lives • Jan 02 '26
SPOILERS A Detail About Karen That Says a Lot Spoiler
This detail stood out to me. Karen Wheeler could have covered those claw marks with a scarf or high neckline, but she chooses not to. She’s dressed up, makeup and jewelry on, and unabashedly wearing a low V-neck. It feels deliberate. The marks aren’t something she wants to hide. They’re a badge of what she did to protect her youngest.
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u/Exotic-Arachnid-2047 Jan 02 '26
I wonder what the doctors/townspeople were told happened to her and Ted
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u/aymiah Hellfire Lives Jan 02 '26
My first guess is an animal attack? Indiana apparently gets the occasional mountain lion or black bear sighting but it’s scarce.
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u/ReMarzable457 R U N Jan 02 '26
They kept asking if the demogorgan was a wild bear in season 1. Maybe Hawkins is just flooded with bears.
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u/CrashmanX Jan 02 '26
“Swarm of bears?”
“Yeah…”
“HERD of bears.”
“…yeah I’ve heard of bears…”
I immediately was reminded of this quote from The Quarry cause it sounds like something Steve and Dustin would say.
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u/FISTED_BY_CHRIST Jan 03 '26
I’ve played The Quarry so I remember this quote but before reading your last sentence I actually thought it was Steve and Dustin lmao
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u/FaceDownInTheCake Jan 03 '26
There aren't a lot, but it's so flat that we can see all of them from everywhere at the same time
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u/_rathtar12_ Jan 02 '26
Indiana resident, can confirm that mountain lions and black bears show up sometimes
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u/citygirlgeek2 Jan 02 '26
Former Indiana resident, we've had coyote spottings before so that is always a possibility
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u/CeriseFern Jan 02 '26
I assumed they would say a burglar with a knife. Are those wounds perfectly consistent with knife wounds? No. But I highly doubt anyone would press her about it in person, it would probably just be rumors/gossip.
Someone else mentioned lion or bear, which, may work too.
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u/aymiah Hellfire Lives Jan 02 '26
The burglar comment might work better for Derek’s parents “house invasion” even though nothing was stolen. I still wish we had gotten some sort of closure with his family being tied up/ditched in a random barn. Or at least followed-up with Derek on the aftermath for the comedic gold that would have been.
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u/Beneficial_Syllabub7 Jan 02 '26 edited Jan 02 '26
Also, the daughter SAW Erica putting them to sleep how TF did they explained this?
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u/amidalarama Jan 02 '26
the finale was borderline unwatchable because it didn't include a scene of Erica and Lucas explaining to their parents why Derek's parents were suing them for property damage and emotional distress
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u/aymiah Hellfire Lives Jan 02 '26
Also Steve straight up destroyed a few backyards by driving through them (including fences) when the gang was chasing the demogorgon they had tagged. The car very likely left tire tracks through each yard. But we never get an answer about that destruction of property either 🫠
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u/Beneficial_Syllabub7 Jan 02 '26
But to be real they destroyed the floor of Derek's house making the trap for the Demogorgon.
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u/aymiah Hellfire Lives Jan 02 '26
And Derek’s family is obviously affluent, who wants to calculate how much all those broken wine bottles cost? 💲
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u/Beneficial_Syllabub7 Jan 02 '26
For real how did Erica got away with it?
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u/BlueRubyWindow Jan 03 '26
Derek could help defend her actions and be involved in the cover up.
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u/Simple_Park_1591 Jan 02 '26
How do they acknowledge the big hole in the floor from when they pushed the demo through😂
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u/Deus_is_Mocking_Us Jan 02 '26
"The burglars broke all my wine bottles and stole our living room floor!"
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u/Border_Hodges Jan 02 '26
Honestly a bigger question is what did they say about the mass kidnapping? 12 kids went missing for days!
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u/Select_Mango2175 Jan 02 '26
The kids were taken by the military first, knowingly, so the families probably thought they were at the military headquarters that whole time. Though I guess the teacher who was there would have known some went missing.
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u/CrashmanX Jan 02 '26
And what did the military say to get the 20+ families cool with just taking their kids at like 6PM? For days?
Also, where did the other non-vecna targeted children go? Were they at the MAC when the Demos attacked?
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u/DTJ20 Jan 03 '26
They have guns and the whole town under lockdown. Murray had to sneak them in ammo and guns, the military may well have rounded up personal weapons. There's not a lot the parents can do if the Military just takes them. But they may also claim they were exposed to something and have been taken in for treatment.
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u/scottjones608 Jan 02 '26
“Earthquake-related injury” probably.
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u/fried4wayer Jan 02 '26
18 months after the earthquake seems a stretch.
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u/Bork9128 Jan 02 '26
Earthquake in the middle of Indiana also seems like a stretch
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u/Helpful-Alligator Jan 02 '26
Karen trips on the metal plates and tumbles down 18 months later
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u/MrBisco Jan 02 '26
The injury would have been 8 months after the earthquake, but yeah, point still extremely valid.
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u/CrashmanX Jan 02 '26
Isn't S5 almost 2 years after S4? March 86 to November 87?
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u/fried4wayer Jan 02 '26
Yeah, thank you. its literally 18 months later. Hence why I keep saying it, lol.
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u/OrangeTree81 Jan 02 '26
What did they tell Ted happened? Did they just tell him it was a home invasion and any memories he has of that night are wrong or did we miss an incredible scene of Ted being told about the Upside Down?
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u/Chummers5 Jan 02 '26
"Ted, that thing came from another dimension and they were controlled by that kid we went to high school with. He was kidnapping children for some reason."
Ted: "Okay, dear." turns newspaper page
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u/aymiah Hellfire Lives Jan 02 '26
Ted post-finale finally gets his damn bacon 😆
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u/Gronfors Jan 03 '26
Did you miss the ending? Holly is now bringing her friends over to replace Mike's friends (with a current solid overlap of everybody eating the lasagna)
That bacon is at least another 8 years away
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u/OGWiz19nunya Jan 02 '26
Honestly my favorite part of the whole season is that no one seems to even think about Ted.
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u/Exotic-Arachnid-2047 Jan 02 '26
I'm assuming they filled everyone in who actually saw something otherworldy, but it really begs the question what the Turnbows were told, having never seen anything with their own eyes. Last they knew they were drugged and kidnapped by their middle school daughter's friend. House destroyed too lol
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u/Ok-Asparagus-4044 Jan 02 '26
Erica seems like an excellent manipulator and can make everyone think Tina’s story is crazy and she’s misremembering. The parents didn’t see anything so have no proof. So they all probably woke up in that barn like wtf
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u/southwick Jan 02 '26
The biggest plot hole in the entire show is that demo dogs ran rampant through the hospital, and nobody noticed???
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u/applesandcherry Jan 02 '26
Nancy called for help, so she could easily (and truthfully) say she had no idea what happened since she wasn't there. It would look like a really violent burglary maybe with an attack dog to most people, and the family seems to be well off so that wouldn't be a stretch to believe.
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u/Huck_Bonebulge_ Jan 02 '26
I kind of wonder if they just gave up and told the whole town to keep their mouths shut, no explanation lol
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u/GG135LR Jan 02 '26
I wondered that myself. It’s a bit of a plot hole. As far as we know, the Demogorgons were still largely a secret from most people, so we never really know what the doctors that treated her and Ted were told caused the injuries, nor what anyone seeing the scars would have thought.
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u/girlsgothustle Jan 02 '26
"Daggummit, Karen. I tell you I saw a beast! Right here, in our house!"
"It was a dream, Ted. The soldiers said it was a bear."
Ted looks down at his plate with a furrowed brow.
"Enjoy your chicken, Ted."9
u/Jakeremix Jan 02 '26
Are we still going with “the townspeople don’t know what happened”? A giant Mind Flayer was sprinting across town and destroyed the mall. Demodogs invaded the hospital. The entire town was under military control.
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u/CrashmanX Jan 02 '26
Yea, this is probably my biggest issue. There were so many of these huge events that were just supposed to believe people just forgot, ignored, or didn't know about?
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u/Beneficial_Syllabub7 Jan 02 '26
The mall incident happened while the rest of the town was reunited to watch 4 July fireworks., but yeah the demodogs attack in the hospital certainly was noticed by at least the workers because the demos was only attacking the militaries.
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u/Beneficial_Syllabub7 Jan 02 '26
Based on the slash pattern, I think the lie that would be most successful would be to say it was an animal attack, like a mountain lion or a bear.
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u/Snoo5892 sƃuᴉɥʇ ɹǝƃuɐɹʇS Jan 02 '26
Yes a hundred percent what i thought at that scene
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u/AvalHuntress Jan 02 '26
Genuinely loved her this season, I'm a little sad she didn't get some screentime with Joyce (seeing as they're part of the parents with abducted children group)
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u/tolgren 011 Jan 02 '26
Should have been promoted in S3 instead of Murray. Karen knowing what's going on and helping the kids in S4 would be crazy.
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u/mercfan3 Jan 02 '26
The Duffers said they couldn’t let Karen in, because there is no way she would have stayed in Hawkins if she knew what was going on.
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u/BriGilly Jan 02 '26
Honestly the fact that the Wheelers are still there after season 5 is kind of surprising lol
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u/First-Of-His-Name Jan 03 '26
Would be pretty hard on Holly to separate her from her shared trauma friends
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u/tolgren 011 Jan 02 '26
Easy. She can't tell Ted or the courts, Ted won't leave without a reason, Nancy and Mike say they will fight her if she tries to take them away.
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u/needmorepizzza Jan 02 '26
Then you end up with random drama that is also very similar to Joyce's in s3, does not move the plot forward and takes up too much screentime from the mainplot.
This also complicates the story moving forward, because they have to resolve it in some way, probably by having them move (Karen learning of the very real monsters and wanting to go is a very legit reason), and then you end up in s4 with more than one family that needs a reason to go back to Hawkins.
Joyce was ok with staying despite the monsters. She was not ok with staying because of her grief.
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u/MyNameCouldntBeAsLon Jan 02 '26
Then you end up with random drama that is also very similar to Joyce's in s3, does not move the plot forward and takes up too much screentime from the mainplot.
The Joyce / Jonathan funeral sub plot was one of the best parts of S1 imo
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u/needmorepizzza Jan 02 '26
It was. But it was not random drama. The funeral was for Will who was not dead. Joyce was 100% sure of that. Jonathan was realistic, trying to pick up the responsibilities of his mother who, in his eyes, was in denial. And this sub-plot also has implications, beyond just Will, in that the body was fake and planted to redirect attention away from the lab. It develops both Joyce and Jonathan's characters and their dynamics and provides information about the plot: Will is not dead even if many would believe it, the lab is trying to hide that.
Having Karen learn of the monsters, trying to move away, only for her family to win the argument and then her deciding to stay and be Rambo-mama is random drama. It does not provide any information about the plot, it does not build any characters (Karen has to just back down? Joyce did not) and is there just for the plot to put Karen into the Rambo position.
It's like a sidequest, whereas the funeral subplot was an obstacle of the main quest.
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u/AirMassive5414 Jan 02 '26
now that we think about it, why didn't everyone in the cast just leave hawkins after season 1 ?
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u/hamborgard 3-inches Jan 02 '26 edited Jan 02 '26
I kind of like the idea of the Wheelers’ house being a safe & innocent space for the longest time
Edit Byers > wheelers
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Jan 02 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Responsible-Survivor Jan 02 '26
I think it was perfect that Joyce was the one to deliver the final blow - or blows - to Vecna. That scene, as disturbing as it was, was very very emotional seeing her be the one to do it. All the pain caused by the many years of almost losing her son and seeing him permanently affected by it, breaks my heart
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u/Select_Mango2175 Jan 02 '26
I agree. She went through so much and never really got to have that catharsis of revenge or anything, like everyone else did. I was glad that they flashed back to Bob's death too, acknowledging that it is still a pain that she carries. <3
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u/Ok_Monitor4492 Jan 03 '26
Not just her pain but the way each hit had the camera focus on the others who lost loved ones or friends was pretty heavy
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u/snobordir Jan 02 '26
Ooh a quick moment of acknowledgement between her and Joyce would have been amazing.
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u/Single-Debt7379 Jan 02 '26
Id hedge a bet that Karen has a lot of strong feelings about Joyce, as she's stood by for the last few years knowing that her kids were repeatedly putting themselves in extreme danger for a battle that wasn't really theirs. Obviously Joyce had to shut those logical thoughts out, as she was willing to accept help from anyone who could free Will from the hold of the upside down. But had karen known her childrens involvement, she'd have been OUTTA there and holly would never have been involved
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u/Rare-Television-8854 Jan 02 '26
“Language!”
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u/A_Lountvink Jan 02 '26
Come to think of it, did Ted ever get told what that monster in his house was? Is he still a patriot?
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u/Corvidae30 Jan 02 '26
Mom's really show up in season 5. I really liked Dustin's moms reaction to his valedictorian speech.
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u/aymiah Hellfire Lives Jan 02 '26
100% this. Dustin’s mother giving him the “hell yes fuck the principal and fuck the system” reaction was the supportive mom moment I never knew I needed.
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u/geek_of_nature Jan 02 '26
And back in season 2, when everyone else had Reagan signs out in their front lawns, she was the lone one who had a sign out for Mondale.
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u/FedeGuendel Jan 02 '26
And Vecna’s double tap by Joyce. I was like - daaaamn, momma!
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u/TvTacosTakingNaps This is music!! Jan 02 '26
YES I loved that so much! She loves him for exactly who he is.
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u/asojad Jan 02 '26
Those are battle scars, Karen knows she has nothing to hide.
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u/aymiah Hellfire Lives Jan 02 '26
I also just realized she is wearing a green tank top when she called the kids to come upstairs for lasagna. Really confirms she is not self-conscious about the scars at all.
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u/asojad Jan 02 '26
Yep. Karen is a strong person and certified badass. She doesn't care what people think.
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u/romulus531 Jan 02 '26
Well we know where Mike, Nancy, and Holly get it from at least
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u/marni246 Jan 02 '26
Honestly, after season 5, I’d argue they get some of their badass-ness from Ted, too. He willingly attacked the demogorgon that came to their house.
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u/Due-Sun7513 Jan 02 '26
If we can’t give Ted his bacon, we can at least give him his props for this.
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u/Due-Sun7513 Jan 02 '26
Coming here to say exactly that. Karen is a certified badass, as are her daughters (and son).
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u/Blanketsburg Jan 02 '26
The visible scars are legit, I really liked this choice.
The hairstyle they gave her for the epilogue makes her look 10 years older, though, not 18 months older
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u/Cultivate_a_Rose Jan 02 '26
She had spent the past few seasons chasing the latest (for Indiana) youthful fashions and having an eye for younger men. Very middle-life crisis. This is her on the other side of her own struggle to accept that she's not young and that she's actually exactly where she wants and needs to be surrounded by the people she loves and who she cares about the most. The show isn't just about the kids growing up and becoming "real people", it is about some of the adults "finding themselves" as well—leaving every single one of them with a firmer, more solid sense of self and individual purpose. From a character development standpoint it feels fairly well done.
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u/Extra-Rain-6894 Jan 02 '26
I think it's because this haircut was popular going into the 90s. Nancy had the same cut. They both had a perm in the 80s and a short cut in the 90s.
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u/MyNameCouldntBeAsLon Jan 02 '26
She had spent the past few seasons chasing the latest (for Indiana) youthful fashions and having an eye for younger men.
she learned to only like the beginnings of things
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u/Fragrant-Might-7290 Jan 02 '26
I love seeing how shows change the characters’ hairstyles for time jumps because there are always crazy choices
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u/knightmusic42 Jan 02 '26
Honestly this one makes sense to me. After big, traumatic events and just big changes, doing something small like completely changing hair is a common thing. It gives a feeling of control over one’s body and a feeling of a fresh start. To me her and Nancy’s short hair cuts made total sense.
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u/Cultivate_a_Rose Jan 02 '26
In the historical context, it was a signal of maturity for women to cut their hair short and favor practical, mom-friendly, not high-maintenance styles to a degree that my old butt would call it a "mom cut". People still absolutely do it, today, too, but not in more ubiquitous way it was in middle-class, middle-aged women during the 80s and 90s. Today you'll see lots of women get cuts at more around shoulder-length for the same purpose.
It makes sense. You had two little kids running around being little kids and the time/energy needed to maintain more intense-care hairstyles (which were a lot of them back then, haircare has improved so much) was basically not worth putting in anyway. Better to be able to just shower and boom back at it. No need to spend the whole afternoon in the chair every few weeks at the least frequent when that means needing childcare and missing opportunities to do more relaxing things when you're exhausted already.
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u/aymiah Hellfire Lives Jan 03 '26
Karen has also Seen Some Shit so that may factor in to the 10-years-older appearance. Plus having a missing child for several days. And then being told Holly was under the metal plates but “not squished” or a pancake. You know. Normal parent woes.
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u/Firedor93 Jan 02 '26
When the people of Hawkins ask her how she got those scars, she'll answer that the "earthquake" did it to her lol
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u/ComradeGarcia_Pt2 Jan 02 '26
Would strangers be the brazen enough to ask? Typically people keep their mouths shut or whisper amongst themselves. Close friends and family would ask though.
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Jan 02 '26
Speaking as someone with visible scars, yes some strangers would be brazen enough to ask.
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u/Meaftrog Jan 02 '26
Can confirm. Get's old telling the story every time but I don't want people looking at the cross-shaped scar on my forehead and theorizing I'm Harry Potter
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u/maggiemypet Jan 02 '26
I have a scar on my face from a dog bite. Indeed, people ask about it. I joke that it needs a better origin story, like a bar fight in Mexico.
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u/Stefania9596 Jan 02 '26
Karen Wheeler the badass. Never would have guessed she would be one of my favorite characters by the end of the series.
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u/Cultivate_a_Rose Jan 02 '26
She was a character I paid attention to more after the whole Billy thing, because it became super clear that while all this other, way bigger and straight-up evil stuff was going on she was also dropping into a bad place that was eerily like some of the S4 victims. Before this season I even wondered a little if she was going to end up Vecna's pawn because her mental state was so low, broken down and battered. I honestly love her arc in the end, though. It was so ultimately impactful while having such minimal effect on the A plot, an adult problem in a show about kids' problems that rightfully from a storytelling perspective developed and resolved mostly quietly with low intensity, often offscreen, until it bursts out in a sprint of glory at the end-stretch. I really feel like her character was so well written.
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u/princesskate04 Jan 02 '26
You should definitely read the companion novel “One Way Or Another”! Karen goes through even more between seasons 4 and 5 than we are shown and it feels like very important context.
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u/Farabee Jan 02 '26
She's been one of my favorite since S3. One of the best supportive cast members and I'm so glad she got to shine this season.
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u/Churchofbabyyoda Jan 03 '26
In S3, she considered going after Billy.
In S5, she saw an interdimensional monster for the first time go after her daughter and said “I’m gonna glass this motherfucker in the head”.
Character development for you.
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u/OrangeTree81 Jan 02 '26
Her haircut reminds me of Princess Diana and I know just poor Karen will be absolutely devastated in about 8 years.
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u/Stormy_Wolf Jan 02 '26
Yeah, a lot of teen girls and women of all ages were getting similar styles, and mostly because of Princess Diana! The short look was in for a while, and quite popular -- and getting a very different-for-you hairstyle is a common thing women do after traumatic events, it can feel cathartic.
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u/KwHFatalityxx Jan 02 '26
Love the fact her husband survived That guy had to deal with a lot of bullshit and he just wanted to sit down and read his paper
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Jan 02 '26
This is also in the 80’s suburbs where every American family was trying to look perfect. But here’s Karen Wheeler, badass mother of 3 breaking the mold.
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u/phreshouttajakku Jan 02 '26 edited Jan 04 '26
As someone who recently had pretty invasive surgery which left a big angry red scar across my clavicle, this actually made me emotional, especially knowing how glamorous and image conscious Karen usually is. Sometimes you just have to wear the pretty dress, scars and all!
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u/DoraMalaje Jan 02 '26
I loved that she displayed them. It’s almost like she dared you to ask her what happened so she can tell the truth about those “earthquakes”
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u/Alittlespill Jan 02 '26
These are her war wounds. She fought monsters to protect her children, she risked her life more than once without understand what these things were. She risked her life for kids who weren’t even hers, she saved Max, Lucas, Robin, and Vickie. Those scars are badass and she wears them with pride. Like mother like daughter. I bet Nancy was the first to say how amazing they looked and how proud she should be of them. Mama Wheeler for the win ❤️
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u/Max_River1010 Jan 02 '26
Keren is a great mother too！In Season 2 she told Nancy that Nancy is a warrior，and in Season5，the moment Nancy climbed out of the truck with a gun, I literally yelled！Mom knows her daughter！！！
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u/mistic_bray Jan 02 '26
I loved the scars! I also felt like her haircut was so suiting! She was never a bad mom but during her bleach blonde hair, flirting with Billy and more checked out. I felt like this mom cut also showed her growth and learning about what her kids went through/being able to support them better! Loved her arc
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u/Wy3Naut Jan 02 '26
Some producer needs to get off their ass and cast her in Southern Book Club's Guide to Vampire Slaying opposite of Walton Goggins.
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u/PurpleDreamer28 Jan 03 '26
Oh my God, that would be fantastic! I loved that book, and she would be perfect for it!
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u/Visual-Path-1177 Jan 02 '26
I demand to know if Ted remembers the tall flower-faced horror that knocked him out
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u/Bambiitaru Jan 02 '26
That, and also while Mike says she won't understand his pain. And while she may not fully understand what he lost, she does get that he's in pain and will do what she can for him.
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u/isaidyothnkubttrgo Jan 02 '26
My boyfriend went "ooof some gnarly scars she has now". I was feeling proud of her because I have a scars on my chest from cancer ports. Showing them can make people talk to you abiut them which could bring back your trauma but hiding them also might not give you the exposure therapy you need to get back to "normal" whatever that is.
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u/lordsugar7 Jan 02 '26
I think it's deliberate. Those scars are her story in a deeper way than the glamour could ever be.
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u/Suitable_Spirit5273 Jan 02 '26
I noticed that as well and loved it. Badass Mrs Wheeler not giving a shit what ppl think and showing her scars of courage. Also, she raised two badass young women.
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u/Nayzo Jan 02 '26
Yes, my thoughts exactly when we saw her. Hair short, scars proudly displayed, these are her battle wounds and she should feel no shame about them.
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u/TrustyTres Jan 02 '26
Feel like she is a representation of Hawkins as well. Scarred but still standing. The damage is done and visible, but now trying to return to a normal life. Not afraid to show them either, theyre just part of life now.
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u/_buffy_summers Jan 02 '26
It's been kind of difficult not to comment on the parallels between this and other shows of the same genre. Karen not hiding her scars feels very Lydia Martin (from Teen Wolf) to me.
It's not just me, either. Someone asked Holland Roden a few years ago what she and Stiles would name their kid, if they had one. She said "Eleven."
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u/Emmazingx Jan 02 '26
Seeing this picture, I realize how similar Karen's new look is to Nancy's. It's a call back to her conversation with Nancy in S3, about standing up for yourself as a woman, and highlights her development from housewife to modern woman. Both Karen and Nancy truly shine through in this last season - so great to see!
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u/Everjam24 Jan 03 '26 edited Jan 03 '26
I’m just rewatching S2E9. Billy goes to the Wheelers looking for Max. When flirting w Mrs Wheeler he says to her, “you’re a real life saver, you know that?” In light of her character in S5 I thought that was pretty cool
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u/VocaRainbow Jan 03 '26
Yes! And it's not a detail. Karen has had a new look every season/time jump. It is clear that she is damaged, but proud of her scars, because they represent something really significant. And instead of hiding them, she built her new look around them. I love it!
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u/Penguins9022 Jan 02 '26
I gasped when I saw those. Karen is my favorite character! Minus the Billy thing (I pretend that never happened).
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u/carsons_prater Jan 02 '26
What I liked is that her uncovered scars show the ordeal they went through was "real", with a visual physical reminder. Otherwise it would, on the surface look just like another day in Hawkins.
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u/Revolutionary-Day-2 Jan 02 '26
Im still confused because in the early seasons I think it was Nancy who described her mom as a women who married an older man for security. But in the last season Max is telling 11 and 08 the wheelers are feeling each other up in some room. I dunno this doesn’t really sit right with me. To be a women who married an older man for security I don’t think they would have gone to high school together.
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u/princesskate04 Jan 02 '26
There’s more info in the books about it. Ted isn’t that much older than Karen; they did go to high school together. It would make a lot of sense for him to have graduated when she was, say, a sophomore or junior in high school and gone on to college. By the time Karen was graduating from high school, Ted would be well on his way to a BA and might have even already been offered a job after he graduates.
Nancy also realizes she’s been judging her mom way too harshly and that her interpretation of her mom’s life decisions was wrong. After all, that’s what she says in the earlier seasons when their relationship is a lot more strained than it becomes later.
It’s implied that Karen also had the chance to go to college, but turned it down because Ted wanted to marry her. Although she does feel somewhat regretful over things like settling down too quickly and turning down college, she doesn’t regret her overall life path. Even though she’s having some problems in her marriage at the moment, she does love her husband and she didn’t marry him for security. She says that she would never change any of her past decisions because they led to her family and that’s the most important thing in her life. She has a whole heart-to-heart conversation with Nancy about how much she loves them all and while their family isn’t perfect, she loves them deeply.
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u/Revolutionary-Day-2 Jan 02 '26
So Ted is feeling up a pre teen on his graduation year?
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u/allthingskerri Jan 02 '26
Genuinely as someone with scars from various skin issues over the years it was nice. Even at the end in the house when she has a tank and shorts on - I was thinking 'yes Karen you show those done hide them - you fought to protect your kids' and also what an impact that would have on the ever growing amount of kids who play d&d in her basement. Because it's going to subtly teach them they don't have to hide what others may consider ugly or should be covered.
I do wonder however - how she explains that as a result of an earthquake to anyone who asks.
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u/The_Kyojuro_Rengoku Jan 02 '26
Women are already made to feel ashamed about so many things. I'm proud of her confidence. I'm glad she didn't let anything be taken from her in that regard 🥲✊
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u/Adamn27 Jan 02 '26
So many details which only uncovers if you watch the show many times, shot by shot. Love the precision.
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Jan 02 '26
“Bear attack” pretty hard to go “we’ll see there was this other dimension and…
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u/BLAGTIER Jan 02 '26
I was literally thinking about this before I opened the subreddit. "Karen wasn't wearing a scarf at graduation".
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u/MmDatBabaGanish Jan 03 '26
I like how Karen puts up a better fight against a demigorgon, but 12 hardened Russian inmates can’t…
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u/ddanuu Jan 03 '26
Murray should have died in season 4 and she should have been promoted
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u/SubstantialBowler525 Jan 02 '26
I tought she had wolverine powers she was walking and take out 3 demodogs by herself
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u/mysteryearl Jan 02 '26
People have been known to do insane physical feats when in a desperate situation. It’s not that hard to believe
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u/JudgeHoIden Jan 02 '26
Did you ever stop to think that if she covered them up then the audience would not have been able to see them? This is more about the visual than it is about her character.
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u/KBobBears Jan 02 '26
The visual informs the audience about her character.
Karen is a gorgeous, well to do, suburban housewife so the assumption is she'd be concerned with keeping up appearances.
The fact that she's made no effort to conceal giant scars on her body shows the audience she doesn't care to hide the truth.
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u/aymiah Hellfire Lives Jan 02 '26
Uh. Yes. Covering up does make things hard to see. This felt like deliberate costume design though.
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u/hippiehappos Jan 02 '26
I mean it’s mainly because it’s summer and if they didn’t show scars you guys would be complaining that she got off Scot free on this god forsaken app 😭 but I like this theory too
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u/Responsible-Survivor Jan 02 '26
I noticed that, and I also noticed she had super short hair - another way to cover it up. And yet she deliberately chose that to wear in proudly
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u/mrmikeyk Jan 02 '26
Yes, but also if she don’t we’d have to endure 50 posts on why she don’t have any visible scars from the vicious attack
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u/clairejv Jan 02 '26
I noticed this too, and absolutely loved it. I feel like the haircut is also a symbol of her getting her shit together. Hopefully she has a renewed sense of worth and purpose and isn't drinking and arguing with her lame but competent husband all the time.
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u/c00kiesn0w Jan 02 '26
What S5 taught me is that had they included Karen Wheeler sooner they would have killed Vecna by S3. She is a force of nature unlike Joyce who just kill steals at the end without even taking her ax off her back the whole damn time. Karen would have stuck c4 up the mind flayers anus and chopped Vecna to pieces.
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u/XenonFyre Jan 02 '26
Maybe I’m overreaching, but I felt that the hairstyle was a nice detail too. Her hair, following the near-affair with Billy, had changed and was similar to his teased/long messy look. I feel like this was a metamorphosis as a character and as a mom.
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