Right now, #HAWKINSPROMNIGHT is the latest trend to sweep the Stranger Things things fanbase ahead of Volume Two‘s release on July 1. It started out as a joke and somehow grew popular. Back in Stranger Things 2, during its finale episode, “Chapter Nine: The Gate,” the Hawkins gang attended an annual school dance held at Hawkins Middle School known as the Snow Ball. In 1984, Mike Wheeler, Eleven, Lucas Sinclair, Max Mayfield. Dustin Henderson and Will Byers were all in attendance with Jonathan Byers and Nancy Wheeler volunteering to manage the photography corner and the refreshment station.
Apparently, the Stranger Things fans are preparing for the inevitable prom night that will replace the Snow Ball for our heroes’ annual festivities. Presumably, given that the students are in their freshman year at Hawkins High, the prom won’t happen until Stranger Things 5, but that hasn’t stopped the fans from producing some hilarious internet memes. These memes include photoshopping Stranger Things characters with prom-ready outfits and makeup or using images of the characters/actors to land a prom-related pun. Rather than try to explain the unusual trend, it’s better to take a look for yourselves.
In some instances, Twitter parody or “roleplay” accounts have initiated a fiction prom night for the Stranger Things characters, acting out scenarios and using certain images from celebrity red carpets and photoshoots as figurative prom outfits.
In whatever way it’s received, #HAWKINSPROMNIGHT is an odd trend to say the least, but it also gives us a little insight into the future of Stranger Things. Even if the Duffer Brothers decide against the prom route, which seems highly unlikely, at least we’ll have this trend to look back on and think about what might have been. It might be a little weird, but it can only get stranger from here.
Stranger Things 4: Volume 2 premiers on July 1.