The 'So It Begins' meme features Gandalf the White, portrayed by Sir Ian McKellen, during the tense buildup to the Battle of Helm’s Deep in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. As rain starts to fall and the Uruk-hai approach, Gandalf utters the iconic line, signaling the start of an epic and inevitable conflict. In internet culture, the template is used to describe the onset of an event that is either disastrous, overwhelming, or hilariously predictable, ranging from minor inconveniences like a Monday morning to major life changes. Its enduring popularity stems from its gravitas and the perfect dramatic delivery of the line.