Stranger Things has been a cultural juggernaut since its debut in 2016, captivating audiences with its supernatural thrills and its pitch-perfect use of music. Yet, even as the series draws to a close with its record-shattering fifth season, the show’s influence is echoing in ways no one quite expected—through the music and activism of one of its breakout stars, Joe Keery.
On January 9, 2026, Keery—known to millions as the beloved Steve Harrington—found himself at the center of a very different kind of national conversation. The day before, a tragedy unfolded on a residential street in Minneapolis: Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old poet and mother of three, was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent while behind the wheel of her car. The incident, which was quickly politicized, saw President Donald Trump leap to the defense of the ICE agent, describing the officer’s actions as self-defense and casting Good in a negative light. Trump’s comments, shared on Truth Social, read: “The woman screaming was, obviously, a professional agitator, and the woman driving the car was very disorderly, obstructing and resisting, who then violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE officer, who seems to have shot her in self-defence.”
Such remarks immediately divided public opinion. According to The Independent, many criticized Trump for his swift justification of the shooting, with some calling his response lacking in humanity and compassion. Among the most prominent critics was Joe Keery, who took to Instagram Stories to share a screenshot of Trump’s post, overlaying it with a blunt condemnation: “Zero human decency. Stop this man.” The post, widely shared across social media, underscored a growing sense of outrage among artists, activists, and everyday citizens alike.
Keery’s outspokenness was echoed by other public figures. Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey didn’t mince words at a press conference, declaring, “They’re already trying to spin this as an action of self-defence. Having seen the video myself, I want to tell everybody directly – that is bullshit.” Frey’s frustration with federal involvement was palpable, as he told ICE agents to “Get the fuck out of Minneapolis.” Minnesota Governor Tim Walz also condemned both the incident and the federal response, issuing a stern warning: “To Donald Trump and Kristi Noem: You’ve done enough … I’ve issued a warning order to prepare the Minnesota National Guard. We have soldiers in training and prepared to be deployed if necessary.”
Despite the mounting criticism, Trump doubled down on his position during a January 7 Oval Office encounter with reporters. “I want to see nobody get shot. I want to see nobody screaming and trying to run over policemen either… That was a vicious situation that took place,” he said, reiterating his belief that Good was at fault. “She behaved horribly, and then she ran him over,” Trump added. “With all of it being said, no, I don’t like that happening. It’s a terrible scene. I think it’s horrible to watch. I hate to see it.”
Public reaction was swift and polarized. Talk show host Jimmy Kimmel referred to the president as a “maniac” (as reported by USA Today), while news anchor Chris Hayes told Stephen Colbert that ICE’s actions would be seen by many as “cold-blooded murder.” California Governor Gavin Newsom went even further, describing the incident as “state-sponsored terrorism,” according to The Independent. Still, there were those who supported ICE and the federal narrative. Vice President JD Vance labeled Good a “deranged leftist” and called the shooting “a tragedy of her own making.” South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem’s deputy, Tricia McLaughlin, described Good as a “violent rioter” who had “weaponised her vehicle.”
Keery’s intervention came at a pivotal moment in his own career. Just days earlier, on January 1, 2026, the final season of Stranger Things had wrapped, with its last episode drawing a staggering 59.6 million views—a new record for an English-language title on Netflix. As the world said goodbye to Hawkins and its cast of characters, Keery was already stepping into a new role, using his platform to speak out on issues far beyond the Upside Down.
But Keery’s creative output hasn’t been limited to acting. Under the moniker Djo, he’s been making waves in the music world as well. His song “End Of The Beginning” recently dethroned Taylor Swift’s “The Fate Of Ophelia” from the top of Spotify’s global chart, a testament to his growing influence as a musician. Yet, it’s another song from his Djo project—“Charlie’s Garden”—that offers perhaps the most intimate glimpse into the world behind Stranger Things.
According to Collider, “Charlie’s Garden” was born out of Keery’s friendship with fellow cast member Charlie Heaton during the filming of Stranger Things. The song, which never appeared in the show’s soundtrack, captures the quieter, everyday moments of life on set: coffee brewing, dogs scratching at the door, water taking a full day to boil. It’s a far cry from the high-stakes drama that defined Stranger Things, and that’s precisely the point. Where the series is known for its carefully curated needle drops—songs that become inseparable from the scenes they underscore—“Charlie’s Garden” is accidental, almost incidental. It’s not about heightening a moment; it’s about documenting the ordinary, the waiting, and the camaraderie that happens when the cameras aren’t rolling.
The song’s emotional center lies in its exploration of postponement, a feeling familiar to anyone who’s worked on a long-running project with a known endpoint. The pre-chorus, repeating the question of how to convince oneself to stay and let work wait, mirrors the cast and crew’s awareness that each day filming was one fewer day left in that shared world. “Charlie’s Garden” doesn’t tell listeners how to remember Stranger Things; it simply preserves what it felt like to be part of it. As Collider observes, “It is a song that came out of the show rather than into it: a piece of music that holds onto the feeling of one more day before everything changes.”
This quiet legacy stands in stark contrast to the show’s bombastic musical moments, serving as a reminder that sometimes the most meaningful art emerges not from spectacle, but from the ordinary rhythms of life. For Keery, both his music and his activism seem to spring from the same well: a desire to capture and respond to the world as he finds it, whether that’s the surreal world of Hawkins or the all-too-real injustices of present-day America.
As Stranger Things fades from the limelight, its impact lingers—not just in the songs that defined its most memorable scenes, but in the voices it helped amplify. Joe Keery’s journey from Hawkins heartthrob to outspoken artist and advocate is a testament to the ways pop culture can ripple outwards, shaping conversations and creating space for new kinds of stories, both on and off the screen.
