This article contains spoilers for Stranger Things season 4 volume 1.
Stranger Things volume 1 is absolutely packed with Easter eggs and references to pop culture and horror movies. Stranger Things is a unique TV series, a perfect blend of science-fiction, horror, and 1980s nostalgia, all presented through the eyes of a young group of pop-culture-aware teenagers. That naturally means every season of Stranger Things is full of entertaining Easter eggs.
Sometimes the Easter eggs are simple ones, with a character wearing a particular T-shirt or an appropriate poster seen on a wall. On other occasions they're pretty deep, with Stranger Things riffing on major plot points, recreating key scenes and iconic shots, and giving a loving nod to the classic horror films that have shaped its genre. Stranger Things season 4 volume 1 follows the Duffer brothers' usual pattern, merging a whole lot of key influences together to make something fresh and original.
Stranger Things season 4 riffs on haunted house horror moves, and on the nightmarish Freddie Kruger. But there are also a lot more Easter eggs, including some quite subtle ones that will slip past most viewers. Here are all the Easter eggs in Stranger Things season 4 volume 1.
Stranger Things Season 4's Sets Are Packed With Easter Eggs
The kids in Stranger Things have always been noted for their awareness of popular culture. This time around, the various rooms are adorned with posters referencing numerous different films and actors. These include:
- A poster for The Evil Dead in Jonathan's room.
- A Tom Cruise poster in Nancy's room.
- Max's room has a poster for the surfing documentary The Endless Summer, a nice callback to her originally being from California - and an early hint at Max's grief for her stepbrother Billy, who loved surfing.
- "E.T. Phone Home" scrawled in the phone booth at Hawkins High in Stranger Things season 4 episode 1.
Product Placement In Stranger Things Season 4
There's also a bit of product placement in Stranger Things season 4 - specifically, the placement of amusing products that harken back to the 1980s. These include:
- Ten using a Magic 8-Ball in Stranger Things season 4, episode 1.
- A can of Coca Cola Classic in Stranger Things season 4, episode 7, with Eleven attempting (and failing) to crush it with her mind. New Coke was introduced in 1985, but proved to be a marketing blunder, with the company reintroducing the original under the Classic brand in 1986. This ironically builds on an Easter egg in season 3, where Lucas talked about New Coke.
The Hellfire Club
Stranger Things season 4 volume 1 introduces the Hellfire Club, Hawkins High School's Dungeons & Dragons club. The Hellfire Club actually exists in the real world, founded in London in 1718 by Philip, Duke of Wharton, and it became extremely controversial. It was popularized in the U.K. in 1966, in an episode of a British TV series called The Avengers, in which two heroic secret agents infiltrated their own version of the Hellfire Club. This was a lot more kinky, with Diana Rigg's Emma Frost donning a "Queen of Sin" outfit that led to the episode's being banned in the U.S. Uncanny X-Men writer Chris Claremont was a huge fan of The Avengers, and he created his own version - led by a group of hedonistic mutants who were obsessed only with their own personal wealth. Stranger Things is likely referencing the X-Men's Hellfire Club.
Stranger Things Season 4's Alan Turing Reference Is Surprisingly Important
Stranger Things season 4 certainly wants viewers to think Will Byers is actually gay - and one of the most interesting clues is in episode 1, when the hero he has chosen is British mathematician Alan Turing, a code-breaker during World War II who designed some of the first computer processors. He was prosecuted for homosexual acts in 1952, and died two years later of cyanide poisoning, ruled to have committed suicide. Turing is certainly an interesting choice given the debate over Will's sexuality.
An Amusing Nod To Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Steve tries to reassure Robin her crush must be into girls because she returned a VHS copy of Fast Times at Ridgemont High paused at 53 minutes 9 seconds. Released in 1982, the film featured a scene in which Phoebe Cates removes her red bikini top in a dream sequence - which is at exactly 53 minutes 9 seconds into the movie. ' Robin may have come out to Steve, but she's not so sure his argument is logical and it proves her crush is also gay.
Dustin Quotes Star Wars in Stranger Things Season 4
Dustin's love of favorite quotes now extends to Star Wars. "Never tell me the odds," he insists in Stranger Things season 4 episode 1. The line is, of course, a quote from Harrison Ford's Han Solo in response to Threepio's insistence on the odds of survival in The Empire Strikes Back. Presumably Dustin has watched the entire original trilogy, given Return of the Jedi released in 1983.
Vecna's Visions Play On Classic Horror Tropes In Stranger Things Season 4
Every season of Stranger Things riffs on different horror genres and is strongly influenced by specific films. season 4's main villain Vecna is - according to the Duffer brothers themselves - heavily influenced by Freddy Krueger, another monster who haunts people's dreams. Vecna's origin is more like Pinhead from Hellraiser, however - as revealed in episode 7 - and the visions he projects are a blend of Deadite reveals in the Evil Dead franchise and visions of the dead from Pennywise.
Stranger Things Season 4's Crime Scene Evokes Scream
Stranger Things typically references 1980s films and TV shows, but surprisingly the police investigation into the murder scene is rather more evocative of the 1996 horror classic Scream. There's even a clear musical nod in the score, and the camera follows Chrissy's body in the same manner as the film. Stranger Things season 4 appears to make the reference explicit by featuring an early appearance of Scream star Courteney Cox on TV, with Max watching an episode of Cox's show Misfits of Science.
The Bullies in Stranger Things Season 4
Roller rinks were one of the most popular social spots in the U.S. in the 1970s and 1980s, and a lot of the footage in Stranger Things season 4, episode 2 is reminiscent of the 1980 film Xanadu. The bullying scene itself is evocative of Carrie, in which a telekinetic is publicly humiliated and even winds up with something being dumped on her (at least in this case it's a chocolate milkshake, not animal blood).
Victor Creel's First Mention Is Another Nightmare On Elm Street Reference
Nancy interviews Eddie's uncle, Wayne Munson, hoping she'll get clues about Chrissy's death. Instead, he tells her the legend of Victor Creel, whose horrific crimes decades ago form a backdrop to Stranger Things season 4. This particular Easter egg is a smart one, because the scene is pulled straight from A Nightmare on Elm Street, where another Nancy asks her mother about Freddie Krueger and is told his harrowing story in much the same way.
