Stranger Things fans are living in that strange little space between obsession and heartbreak. Season 5 finally dropped after what felt like a lifetime, and naturally, everyone inhaled the first batch of episodes in one sitting. Now we're all stuck waiting for Part 2 at the end of the month, pretending we're patient people when in reality we're counting days like it's 1983 and the world might actually be ending.
The internet has already turned the new episodes into a full meme ecosystem. Will's reveal in episode 4—something fans have been speculating about since season one—hit like a freight train. Memes exploded immediately, from people crying into their Eggo waffles to edits of Mike looking like he's in a completely different emotional show. And of course, the jokes about Netflix dropping half a season and then leaving us in the Upside Down with no closure are everywhere.
What makes the memes hit harder this time is the looming goodbye. Part 2 is the beginning of the end, and no one is ready to let go of Hawkins, the Byers family anxiety, or whatever chaos Dustin brings next.
Until then, we have memes—and honestly, thank God for that.
