Cara Buono, the actress behind Karen Wheeler, has shared a surprising wish from her near-decade on Stranger Things. As the final season unfolds, she revealed she always wanted to have more meaningful scenes with Winona Ryder’s character, Joyce Byers. Buono said their rare interactions left room for a richer story between the two Hawkins mothers, a potential that was never fully explored in the show.
The actress pointed to one brief early moment as a starting point for what could have been. She believes deeper conversations between Karen and Joyce could have added a powerful layer to the series.
In a recent interview, Cara Buono was clear about the cast member she wished to work with more. “I wouldโve loved more screen time with Joyce,” she stated. She traced this desire back to Season 1, when Karen brought a casserole to Joyce’s home after Will Byers first disappeared. For Buono, that small act of neighborly comfort was a door that never fully opened.
“In season 1, when Karen brings the casserole over, and we’re talking, I would’ve loved to have had some [more] scenes with Winona,” Buono said. “First, I think she’s a phenomenal actress. And I think for the characters, there could have been some really, really interesting scenes and conversations between them”.
She noted that in the world of Stranger Things, both Karen and Joyce rarely have substantial conversations with other women. Joyce’s primary connections are with Chief Hopper and Murray Bauman, while Karen is often isolated in her suburban home. Buono suggested this dynamic was authentic to the era but still represented a missed opportunity.
Buono didn’t just wish for more screen time; she had specific ideas for what Karen and Joyce could have shared. Their on-screen talks are typically practical and brief, usually just checking if the other has seen their children. With Mike Wheeler and Will Byers being best friends, the foundation for a deeper bond was always there.
The actress imagined scenes grounded in normal life, a contrast to the supernatural chaos constantly surrounding their families. She pictured the two mothers connecting during both good and bad times.
“But I would’ve liked to have imagined them, both in the good times and the bad times, just like in a normal day in Hawkins,” Buono shared. “Maybe some catch-up of, ‘Hey, have you known what’s been going on this whole time?’ A heart-to-heart would be a really interesting conversation”.
This desire highlights a character-driven side of Stranger Things that fans often enjoy. While the show is famous for its monsters and mysteries, its emotional core lies in the relationships between characters like these two mothers.
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Even without the expanded storyline with Joyce, Buono is extremely pleased with Karen Wheeler’s journey in the show’s final season. In Season 5, Karen steps out of her “clueless mom” role in a major way. When a Demogorgon invades the Wheeler home to take her youngest daughter, Holly, Karen fights back with everything she has.
In a intense sequence, she uses a broken wine bottle to attack the creature, fiercely protecting her child. The moment transforms a character long defined by her obliviousness into an instant hero.
“It was so satisfying to finally see Karen get her big hero moment,” Buono said of the scene. “She didn’t hesitate. There wasn’t a flicker of doubt or worry. It was just โ instantaneous hero, and she took what she had available, and tried to save her daughter”.
The scene was grueling to film but deeply rewarding for the actress, who saw it as the payoff for Karen’s years of quiet, emotional vigilance. Fans and fellow cast members reacted strongly to the sequence, with co-star Natalia Dyer (Nancy Wheeler) even joking with the show’s creators, “Do not kill off Karen Wheeler!” after seeing the aftermath of the fight.
Across five seasons, Karen Wheeler’s look has told a story of its own. Buono worked closely with hair, makeup, and costume teams to use style as a way to show Karen’s emotional state. In Season 1, she had “mousy brown” hair, described as being stuck in the 1970s. As the series progressed, her hair became lighter, bigger, and more quintessentially ’80s.
For Buono, these choices were never just about fashion. “For Karen, hair and makeup have always been a big part of telling her story,” she explained. In Season 5, with Hawkins under a form of quarantine, Karen’s look is intentionally “a little more grown out, less polished,” reflecting the town’s crisis.
The actress also created a detailed private backstory for Karen to explain her character’s often-noticed wine drinking. She viewed Karen as a high-functioning person struggling with alcohol, using it to numb her unspoken anxieties and dissatisfaction. This personal character work made Karen’s use of a wine bottle as a weapon against the Demogorgon feel like a fitting, “full-circle moment”.
The story of Stranger Things is nearing its end. The first four episodes of Season 5 (Volume 1) began streaming on November 26, 2025. Volume 2, consisting of three new episodes, will be released on Christmas Day, December 25. The series will then conclude with a feature-length finale episode on New Year’s Eve, December 31.
In a special event, Netflix will partner with over 500 movie theaters globally to screen the finale on both New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. The company has set up a website where fans can find participating theaters. Buono has encouraged fans to experience the finale on the big screen if they can, noting that the show’s creators, the Duffer Brothers, designed it to feel like a movie.
For Cara Buono, saying goodbye to Stranger Things is deeply emotional. The show has been a significant part of her life and career, and she has watched her young co-stars grow up over the years. While she might wish for more scenes with Winona Ryder, she is proud of Karen Wheeler’s arc and the show’s final chapter.
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Sources: tudum
