WARNING! This article contains SPOILERS for Stranger Things season 4!
Nancy and Mike’s dad Ted Wheeler is notable for being hilariously unlikable in Stranger Things, with Vecna even seeming to hop on board with this sentiment. While the entire family is rarely seen together, the Wheelers have always played a significant role in Stranger Things’ 1980s-era story. However, the most insignificant of the Wheelers is without a doubt Ted, whose children and wife, Karen, don’t seem to foster too much love for him.
One of the biggest recurring themes in Stranger Things is fatherhood, whether it be the male characters serving as great surrogate dads, terrible parents, or stereotypical suburban fathers of the ‘80s. While Hopper and, in a more humorous manner, Steve Harrington represent great dads in Stranger Things, Lonnie Byers is a terrible father, Steve has a poor relationship with his dad, and Ted largely comes off as a nuisance to his family and his kids’ friends. On the other hand, Lucas’s father, who seems to be a fairly involved dad, has only been featured in a few scenes while Stranger Things has never revealed what happened to Dustin’s father.
Ted Wheeler is meant to represent the stereotypical clueless suburban ‘80s dad who has no idea what Nancy and Mike are doing, purports himself as a true patriot who supports Reagan and Bush, always sleeps on his living room chair, and only acts like a parent when telling his children to cut out their foul language. Stranger Things has largely mocked Ted for being distant from his family, especially when Karen nearly had an affair with 18-year-old Billy Hargrove in season 3. Hating or pitying Ted Wheeler has thus become a common trend among audiences and characters alike, with Stranger Things season 4’s villain Vecna also seeming to hop on the bandwagon. When Nancy reveals what Vecna showed her of the future that scared her, she tearfully implies that he had killed her “mom, Holly, and Mike,” but there’s no mention of her dad, suggesting even Vecna/Henry Creel knows that Ted makes no impact on his kids’ motivations.
Vecna Leaving Out Ted Continues A Great Stranger Things Gag
Most of the characters in Stranger Things seem to dislike the oblivious Ted Wheeler or disregard him entirely, which is why it’s hilarious that Vecna left him out of Nancy’s horrifying visions. Arguing with Ted and belittling him has become a running gag on Stranger Things, particularly in his interactions with Dustin. Back in Stranger Things season 2, Dustin went over to Mike’s house to look for the party only for Ted to answer and say he had no idea where his kids were. Walking away, Dustin frustratingly explained that Ted was absolutely no help, with Mike and Nancy’s dad simply responding with his typical “language!” The animosity between Gaten Matarazzo’s Dustin and Joe Chrest’s Ted continued in Stranger Things season 4 when Ted became annoyed with them for eating all of their food, whereafter Dustin snarkily responded by taking a plate full of pancakes.
While Ted has continually been oblivious to his children battling the Upside Down, he at least seems to reject the notion that Hawkins’ “earthquakes” and teen murders were due to the “Satanic cult” led by Eddie Munson. Since Mike is apt to face criticism around town for being a member of the Hellfire Club, Stranger Things season 5 could finally see Ted step up as a parent and heroically defend his children against the mass hysteria. However, since Vecna didn’t even find him important enough to show his future fate to Nancy in Stranger Things season 4, it seems Ted Wheeler will continue to be his clueless self as his kids risk their lives to save the world.
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