Warning: there are massive spoilers ahead for Stranger Things 2! You should probably wait until you’ve finished the season before continuing. Or you can check out our recaps of every episode from season 2.
Stranger Things is still on the forefront of our minds as we process the second season of Netflix’s breakout hit. The Duffer brothers once again packed in a decade’s worth of nostalgia while furthering the story of Eleven and the rest of the kids threatened by the Mind Flayer and his Demo-dog army from an alternate dimension. Since it’s nearly impossible to catch every ’80s reference the first time through, today’s Nerdist News is looking back at almost all of Stranger Things 2‘s Easter Eggs!
Join host and the seventh sister from MKUltra, Jessica Chobot, as she runs down some of our favorite references from the second season.
One of the most frequently asked questions was regarding the costumes worn by Steve and Nancy during the Halloween party scene. To catch that one, you would have had to have seen Risky Business, the 1983 comedy starring Tom Cruise and Rebecca De Mornay. In fact, that entire scene was full of shout-outs to ’80s movies, including Rocky, Karate Kid, Animal House, and Flashdance.
And no, you weren’t imagining The Warriors‘ influence on Eleven’s standalone adventure with her “sister” Eight/Kali and her friends. But they also reminded us of the Morlocks, the underground community of Mutants that were introduced in the pages of Uncanny X-Men in 1983. Dustin’s new pal, Dart, was practically a walking reference that transformed from a cute Gremlins analog to straight-on Xenomorph terror from Aliens. And how wild was it to see Paul Reiser in another Aliens like situation when the Demo-Dogs overran the lab?
One of the standout moments early in the season was Lucas’ refusal to be the Winston of the group’s Ghostbusters. But it was all too easy to miss the moment late in the season when Lucas actually quoted Winston by mentioning “judgment day.” And even though we’ve seen the kids’ Ghostbusters costumes since the Super Bowl, they were still some of our favorite ’80s shout outs this season.
Which Stranger Things 2 Easter Eggs were your favorites? Let’s discuss in the comment section below!
Need More Stranger Things?
- A spoiler-filled breakdown of Stranger Things 2.
- Where does the Stranger Things 2 finale leave its characters?
- The internet’s best reactions to Stranger Things 2.
Images: Netflix
