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Spoilers for Stranger Things season 5 follow.

Stranger Things has at last started its run for the finish line, with the first batch of season 5 episodes on Netflix now and absolutely dominating the streaming charts. Fans are returning to see what happens to the likes of Eleven, Joyce Byers, and beloved favorite ex-Sheriff Hopper, but if you ask me; this season's all about what's keeping Karen Wheeler going. The previously oblivious Hawkins mom has already gone toe-to-toe with a demagorgon in a struggle that nearly cost her her life, but ended up surviving due to her love for her children and a broken wine bottle.

And now, we know what was in that bottle.

Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Karen's real-life avatar Cara Buono went on the record about the wine that her character almost always has in her hand, not only getting into the details of the vintage but also the role it plays in her character's choices

"Definitely white," Buono rveelas of the wine type, "Always white, because her rug is white in the living room and she doesn’t want to spill. It’s a little less of a hangover than red. I would say, chardonnay. How much does she drink? Let’s say she had maybe a glass with dinner during season one."

"Then," she continued, "As things progressed, after the whole Billy thing, she was probably secretly up to a bottle a night to try to anesthetize that feeling. She’s also wondering, where did Billy go? She has no one to talk to about it. I always said she’s kind of a high-functioning closet alcoholic. It was my way to try to justify the immense denial and cluelessness that she embodied."

We'll remind you, loyal reader, that Karen had a forbidden romance with hunky bully Billy in seasons 2 and 3 of Netflix's science fiction show, which ended when Billy died redeeming himself for his sadistic ways. It's doubtful, though, that poor unsatisfied housewife Karen will ever know that, however, which means the wine will probably continue to flow as long as the cameras are rolling.

But wait, just where is Karen getting that wine, if Hawkins is under quarantine in season 5?

"There’s a black market in Hawkins," Buono reveals, with dubious canonicity, "And Karen knows where to get the wine."

Stranger Things season 5 is on Netflix now, followed by volume 2 on December 25, and the ultimate finale of the series on December 31.  

As we all collectively wait for Stranger Things season 5, here's the keys to getting ready:

• How to watch Stranger Things in chronological or release order
• Getting to know the Stranger Things season 5 cast
• There needs to be more death in Stranger Things, says co-star Gaten Matarazzo
• The Stranger Things time jump between season 4 and 5 has been confirmed by Netflix - and it raises some serious questions
• "They land the plane," David Harbour describes the Stranger Things finale, which he calls its "best episode"