Even after splitting up this season of Stranger Things into a two-part binge, Netflix still found itself with quite the hangover. Users reported that last night, shortly after the final episodes of the series dropped, the streamer briefly crashed due to the flood of viewers trying to access the sci-fi juggernaut series’ conclusion.
Per Variety, the global uptime-monitoring site Downdetector.com documented reports of problems with Netflix hit a peak around 3 A.M. EST which—not so coincidentally—is the same time Stranger Things 4 Volume 2 first went live. There were nearly 13,000 complaints at the time, although Variety reports that the situation appeared to be sorted out within 30 minutes or so.
Viewers also documented the crash on social media, with some sharing videos of the “Problem Connecting” error message or an endless red loading symbol. Everyone who experienced the error seemed to agree on one thing, however: the new Stranger Things episodes had to be the ultimate culprit.
The mass convergence around Stranger Things’ midnight (PST) drop actually doesn’t come as much of a surprise, given the cultural command the series wields. This season of Stranger Things has already taken the title as the number one English language series of all time on the streaming service.
Stranger Things’ reach extends beyond just viewership as well, and even into other mediums. The major inclusion of Kate Bush’s ‘80s anthem “Running Up That Hill” shot the reclusive musician to the top of the charts, giving Bush her first #1 single and setting three Guinness world records in the process. And yesterday, capitalizing off of the success, Spotify even released a popular new feature that allows users to create their own “Upside Down” playlists. The playlist rounds up songs mostly likely to save listener from Vecna’s clutches.