Mike Wheeler might have been facing monsters over the past four seasons as one of the protagonists of Stranger Things, but his parents, Karen and Ted, have remained oblivious thus far. All that changes with a very rude awakening in Season 5 Volume 1.
(Spoilers ahead for Season 5)
Not only does a nightmarish creature from the Upside Down enter their lives, but it also kidnaps Holly, their youngest child, and Mike's younger sister.
A Demogorgon kidnaps Holly from the Wheeler household, and it starts off as one would expect. We see Ted hitting golf balls in the yard, oblivious to the danger in his daughter's room. However, as Holly fights for her life, the battle spills over into the rest of the house.
The Demogorgon soon makes its way to the kitchen, at which point it becomes tough for the grownups to ignore the elephant – or in this case – the monster in the room. Ted and Karen attempt to fight back, but cannot prevent Holly from being abducted. They are also badly wounded, and have to be hospitalized. Elder siblings Nancy and Mike begin to panic about their condition.
Are Ted and Karen Wheeler alive?
Yes, Ted and Karen Wheeler are battered and bruised but alive in Season 5 Volume 1. They are in the hospital. However, it is not clear if a worse fate will befall them in Season 5 Volume 2.
Joe Chrest, who plays Ted, told New York Post about the change in his role, “When I read the first script [for Season 5] I was like, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe this is going on!’ And then it just kept going and going and going. It was like a feeling of an upside-down roller coaster, just reading the script.”