Warning: This article contains spoilers for Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 2
As viewers start making their way through the new Stranger Things episodes, some have realised that there’s a character who just seems to be completely missing.
It’s something other fans might have missed themselves as they’re busy slamming the apparently ‘underwhelming’ Volume 2.
After we were left on the revelation that Will (Noah Schnapp) actually has powers, yesterday morning’s (26 December) release on Netflix featured some major turning points.
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From the end of Jancy (whether that was clear or not) to the realisation that the Upside Down is a wormhole, the gang in Hawkins are once again truly going through it.
But there’s one long-standing Stranger Things character who we haven’t even had a whisper of an update on ahead of the finale.
The missing character
This poor guy, you might still not even have clocked who I’m on about yet – the one and only Ted Wheeler (Joe Chrest), of course.
In the Volume 1 release back in November, we saw him out hitting golf balls on the lawn when a Demogorgon showed up and wreaked havoc on the Wheeler house.
Often regarded as the ‘forgotten man’ of Stranger Things, the father of the Wheeler household was attacked along with wife Karen (Cara Buono) who, armed with a wine bottle, tried to put up a fight to protect daughter Holly (Nell Fisher).
We later saw Nancy (Natalia Dyer) and Will (Finn Wolfhard) pay their mum a visit in hospital to speak with her, but it was made pretty clear Ted wouldn’t have much info to offer them.
The dad is often referred to as lazy, and fans have even joked he should be the only one who survives. But in all of the recently released episodes five, six and seven, we don’t see him at all.
Karen even manages to haul herself from her bed to deliver yet another iconic moment as she saves Max (Sadie Sink), Robin (Maya Hawke), Vickie (Amybeth McNulty), and Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) from the Demodogs with her nifty laundry trick. But while we're following them around the hospital, poor old Ted is totally missing.
“What happened to Ted Wheeler? Why didn’t Mike, Nancy, or Karen even bring him up?” one fan asked on X.
“Man needs his peace, he has suffered enough,” another joked as a third echoed: “My man is finally having a moment of peace, his family crazy… let him be.”
Others however said they’re ‘not shocked if we never hear from him again’ while one asked: “He’s in coma… what exactly are you expecting from him?”
Well, guess we’ll have to wait until the Stranger Things finale to find out if he’s simply just an ‘NPC’ or if we get some kind of ending for Ted Wheeler.
“I’m not going to lie I completely forgot about Ted,” Ouch.
Stranger Things fans slam show
Well, while others were wondering just what is going on with Ted or if we'll ever even see him again, other fans were complaining over their disappointment in Volume 2.
“What I miss the most about Stranger Things is the simplicity of the show, the mystery and atmosphere, they really didn’t have to have enormous budgets, tons of CGI to make it so special to the viewers, we just felt connection to these characters and their struggles,” one wrote.
Some simply ranted that the show has ‘become so f**king stupid’ and ‘too big for its own good’ as another claimed it is 'genuinely boring' now.
Although, it’s not the same for all as one celebrated the latest drop saying: “Genuinely cannot stress how much this means to me."
Another wrote: “I will stand up for this f**king show cause it’s a great show. It changed my life, probably changed your's too in ways.”
Stranger Things Season 5 Volumes 1 and 2 are now streaming on Netflix. The finale lands at 1am on 1 January 2026.
Topics: Netflix, Stranger Things, TV and Film, TV
Jess Battison