Joe Keery Opens Up About Being the 'Mother' of Stranger Things
Stranger Things star Joe Keery is leaning into the meme, reacting to fans calling him a mother as Steve Harrington’s glow-up from reformed jock to fiercely protective guardian of the Hawkins kids — especially Dustin — cements his status as the internet’s ultimate babysitter.
Steve Harrington being the internet's favorite TV mom is no longer just a running joke. Joe Keery has basically stamped it as canon.
Keery finally leans into the joke
Netflix posted a clip on X (formerly Twitter) on October 9, 2025 where Keery reacts to a comment that labeled Steve Harrington a single mom with way too much on her plate. Keery gets why the bit stuck: fans watched Steve evolve from jerk jock to the guy shuttling the kids around, keeping them alive, and generally playing lifeguard for the entire Hawkins under-18 squad. That parental vibe became the character's calling card, and Keery seems pretty amused that viewers grabbed that thread and ran with it.
"Single mom who works two jobs, loves his kids, and never stops."
For what it's worth, the meme fits especially well when you think about how protective Steve is of Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo). The show leaned into that dynamic, the fandom memed it to death, and now here we are.
The cast has been in on it for years
This has not been a solo Keery thing. There's a breadcrumb trail of moments from the past few years where the cast basically endorsed the bit:
- About three years before the new clip, a TikTok edit resurfaced a San Diego Comic-Con panel where someone in the room joked that Finn Wolfhard has "the greatest porn name ever." Wolfhard looks mildly annoyed, and the captions suggest Keery quietly tells him to shrug it off. Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas) jumped into the comments with: "Joes really Mom bro. Truly an inspiration."
- Even earlier than that, David Harbour (Hopper) posted a photo of Keery on Instagram for Father's Day with the caption "Happy Father's Day." The replies immediately flipped it to "Happy Mother's Day," because of course they did.
When to expect the endgame
Stranger Things season 5 is the last one, and Netflix is carving it up into three drops, which is great for cliffhangers and terrible for your holiday plans:
- Part 1: November 26, 2025
- Part 2: December 25, 2025
- The finale: December 31, 2025
So yeah, Steve Harrington will be mothering his way right through the end of the year. Plan accordingly.