Stranger Things 5 part 1 is now streaming on Netflix, and it's what everyone's currently watching and talking about. This season is all about the big bad Vecna and the Hawkins gang working together to put a stop to his reign of terror once and for all.
But of course, when dealing with such a terrifying villain, danger is never far away. In one heart-stopping sequence this season, Karen Wheeler (Cara Buono) comes frighteningly close to losing her life.
Major spoilers are ahead from Stranger Things 5.
How does Karen Wheeler almost die in Stranger Things 5?
It all happens in the second episode of the season. In the first episode, we learn that Holly has an imaginary friend named Mr. Whatsit who claims to want to protect her from monsters. However, we eventually find out that this “friend” is not imaginary at all. It's Vecna pretending to be friendly, but in reality, he has a sinister plan that includes bringing her to the Upside Down.
Of course, he’s not going to put himself in harm’s way to go fetch her. So what does he do? He sends a Demogorgon to kidnap her from her house. At the beginning of episode 2, a Demogorgon bursts through a portal on the ceiling of Holly's room and tries to grab her. However, Holly escapes to the bathroom where Karen is. After informing Karen of what's going on, they hide underwater in the bathtub.
Just as the Demogorgon is about to find their hiding place, Ted makes noise from the other room, drawing the creature’s attention away from them. The Demogorgon then attacks Ted and sends him flying across the house. Karen and Holly run to the kitchen, but the Demogorgon quickly catches up to them.
Karen, being the mama bear that she is, throws herself in front of Holly, trying to protect her daughter at all costs. She grabs a wine bottle, breaks it, and then repeatedly stabs the Demogorgon in its face. While she does badly injure the creature, it ends up getting the upper hand and injures her even more.
A bloody Karen is then shown lying on the floor of the kitchen with a really bad-looking wound on her chest and neck. Nancy and Eleven arrive at the house and find her struggling to breathe, and no Holly in sight. We're left wondering if Karen will survive the attack, as the severity of her injuries makes the situation feel truly life-threatening.
But we find out closer to the end of episode 2 that she's made it through surgery and is recovering. While this is great news for fans, it does make us wonder why the show doesn’t put more of its main characters in real danger more often.
Moments like Karen’s near-death are intense, shocking, and emotionally gripping, yet they’re all too rare in Stranger Things. The series thrives on suspense and tension, and when beloved characters are genuinely at risk, it keeps viewers on the edge of their seats.
By showing that even a parent like Karen can be almost killed, the show hints at the potential for higher stakes. But it also reminds us that these moments need to happen more often to maintain real danger and urgency.
We still have four more episodes left of the final season, so there's plenty of room for Stranger Things to up the tension even further. If the show truly wants to leave fans breathless and emotionally invested, it needs to continue putting characters we care about in real jeopardy.
Stranger Things 5 part 2 will be released on Netflix on Dec. 25.