One of the things that makes Stranger Things so great is that the story really does come full circle. After watching Season 5, Part 1, fans are clamoring to go back to Season 1 and catch things they might have missed. Considering Will’s (Noah Schnapp) Dungeons & Dragons character is attacked by a Demogorgon in the very first scene of the pilot, while the boys are playing the game, and he communicates with his mother from the Upside Down when no one else who was sent there could do so, clues were being delivered from the beginning. This season is rife with Easter Eggs of all kinds, from storyline links to fun facts and ’80s pop culture nods fans may or may not have caught.
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We’ve Seen the Rocket Ship Before
In the first season, Joyce (Winona Ryder) talks to Will about his creative, imaginative nature, and how when she bought him a box of crayons when he was little, he began drawing incredible things. One such drawing was of a colorful rocket ship that she claims didn’t come from any movie he had seen. It was purely from his imagination, and he called it a “rainbow ship.” But this might have been one of many clever hints at Will’s major Season 5 twist and a potential existing connection to Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower).
In Season 5, when Holly (Nell Fisher) walks outside of Vecna’s childhood home to meet who is later revealed to be Max (Sadie Sink), she walks by a playground area with a centerpiece identical to what’s in this drawing.
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The ‘Stranger Things’ Parents Went to School With Henry
When Max is traveling through Vecna’s mind and his old memories, she lands in a high school in the ’50s. There, she sees a young Joyce, handing out flyers for an upcoming school play. One of the people she tries to hand one to is a young man she refers to as “Harrington,” implying it’s Steve’s father. On the flyer are several Hawkins parents acting in the play, along with Henry Creel.
The date of the play is also November 6, 1959, which gives this date more significance than realized: it’s the same day Will was taken decades later. What’s evident is that Joyce, Hopper (David Harbour), and others knew Henry personally. It’s unclear if they have ever been told that his last name is Creel and have made the connection that the person behind Vecna is someone they once knew.
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El’s Missing Persons Flyer Is Interactive
In the beginning of Season 5, Episode 1, “Chapter 1: The Crawl,” the camera pans across a poster of Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), indicating her as a missing person. There’s a number on the flyer to call with information. If you call this number in real life, you will hear a recording from the Hawkins police department.
The message says, “Thank you for contacting the Hawkins Police Department. Due to the recent 7.4 magnitude earthquake, Hawkins is currently under lockdown to ensure the safety of our residents. The Hawkins emergency task force is working closely with the Hawkins police department to locate missing persons, of which Jane Hopper is a priority. We urge you, as a responsible member of Hawkins, to help us locate her.”
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Kali’s Return Could Be Crucial to ‘Stranger Things’
Thanks to the brief flashback scene to remind fans of who Kali (Linnea Berthelsen) is, fans may recall her storyline. For those who are still confused, Kali is the only other survivor of the massacre at Hawkins Lab. Eleven tracked her down in Season 2, where Kali helped teach her how to harness her abilities.
After having escaped, Kali became cynical and angry, gathering a group of other misfits who helped her take down all the people who worked at Hawkins Lab and put her through torture. She and Eleven parted ways after Eleven realized she didn’t want to live like that, but she still views her as a sister. Kali’s powers as number 008 are the ability to make people hallucinate and alter their perception. Some believe in the d20 Theory, which suggests that Eleven (11), Kali (8), and Vecna (1) need to reunite to coincide with the Natural 20 roll in Dungeons & Dragons. Thus, she could prove crucial to the plan in taking down Vecna.
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Vecna’s ‘Stranger Things’ Cave Story Has Been Told
In Episode 4, “Chapter Four: Sorcerer,” which has become the highest-rated episode of the show ever on IMDb, Max explains to Holly where she has been and what she has been doing. She mentions running to the cave she now calls home and noticing that Henry was terrified when he approached, refusing to go in. The reason why has already been told in the Stranger Things play, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, which is currently on Broadway.
The cave has to do with Henry’s origin story from when he was a child, and why and how he became what he is. For die-hard fans, this prequel play is worth watching for context that may or may not feature in the final episodes of the series. The Duffer Brothers have confirmed that the 1959-set play, based on a story they wrote, is indeed official canon for the series. Keen-eyed fans may have noticed that when Holly first looks through the Spyscope, the view is cut out similarly to the opening of the cave, after which she removes the cover to see a full circular view.
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‘Stranger Things’ Nods to ‘The Goonies’
Since its beginning, Stranger Things has drawn comparisons to The Goonies in its premise and style, including being set in the ’80s and its focus on a group of kids searching for something. In Season 5, Eleven’s outfit is an obvious nod to the film. The bandana, grey cropped shirt, and shorts over a pair of sweatpants are virtually identical to the outfit worn by Josh Brolin’s character Brandon “Brand” Walsh in that movie.
The scene where the kids break a hole in the ground of the bathroom, allowing the younger ones to climb down and be taken to safety, also calls back to a scene in The Goonies. In the movie, the kids are in the cave and begin banging on pipes above them to try and get someone’s attention. But they accidentally break a pipe, causing water to come gushing out of the bathroom and showers in an above-ground country club. In Stranger Things, Mike (Finn Wolfhard) similarly busts a pipe by accident, and water begins flooding into the bathroom above.
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Holly’s Teacher is the Real-Life Duffer Brothers High School Drama Teacher
In a sweet cameo, the Duffer Brothers cast their real-life high school drama teacher, Hope Hynes Love, in the season, playing Holly’s teacher, Miss Harris. She is first seen witnessing Holly talking to an imaginary friend outside, after which she calls Holly’s mother, Karen (Cara Buono), into the office to talk about it. Later, Miss Harris is present at the military base to tend to the kids who are being kept there, presumably to protect them from the monsters.
The Duffer Brothers have said that Love inspired their passion for making movies, even during the early stages of them exploring their desire to do so. This is a lovely way for them to show their thanks for her support.
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The Scene Inspired by ‘Home Alone’
When the kids realize, thanks to Will’s vision, that Vecna is sending a Demogorgon to Derek’s (Jake Connelly) house to grab him next, they concoct an elaborate plan to drug the family members, take them away, and then set traps. The sequence of them setting up the various traps, as well as the plan coming to fruition once the monster arrives, is clearly inspired by Home Alone. While it’s far more dangerous and deadly, it’s a wonderful homage to one of the most classic Christmas movies.
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Nods to Other Classic Movies
The use of a crash test dummy in Derek’s bed to fool the Demogorgon into thinking it’s Derek is right out of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. There are several nods to Back to the Future as well, including when Steve drives the car through the opening into the Upside Down. The funniest is Robin’s declaration of “Great Scott!” before frantically telling Joyce that the flux capacitor is broken and bringing Will with her outside to try and fix it. A flux capacitor is, of course, a component for time travel from Back to the Future that doesn’t exist in real life. The hilarious looks on the kids’ faces when Joyce repeats this suggest they’re all familiar with it and know she has been duped.
Additionally, 1980s movie fans might link Will’s creepy declaration of “they’re here” to the terrifying horror movie Poltergeist, which is famous for this line. Meanwhile, Holly’s bedroom is similar to Carol Anne’s (the late Heather O’Rourke) bedroom in that movie in terms of set-up, even the design of the bed. Of course, one of the most obvious ’80s nods is in the casting of Linda Hamilton as Dr. Kay, an actor famous for ’80s action movie roles, notably in the Terminator franchise, where she played Sarah Connor. The scene with the spires attached to the kids’ mouths, meanwhile, is inspired by Aliens.
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Vecna’s Entrance Was Inspired by Star Wars
In the fourth episode, Vecna arrives at the gruesome scene on the military base through the main entrance, walking slowly such that you only see his silhouette as he approaches the red vines. He emerges and begins to wreak havoc, getting rid of anything and everyone in his way to get to Will. The scene has been confirmed to have been inspired by Darth Vader’s entrance in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. In both cases, the villains are calm and calculated, which makes the scenes incredibly chilling.