There’s so much happening during season 3 of Stranger Things it’ll take at least a dozen rewatches of the Netflix series to find absolutely everything jam-packed into each episode. Whether it be references to things that happened in the 1980s, or references to prior things that have happened on the show, or even major clues as to what happens next, there’s no way to catch every Stranger Things Easter egg.
Plus, like the kids, you should also maybe go outside and enjoy the fresh air or ride your bike to give yourself a break. It’s okay to stop re-watching Stranger Things for like, a day. While some of these Easter eggs are easier to find than others (easy example: the Back to the Future musical literally starts playing during the penultimate episode), others are hidden for you to find with repeat viewings. Or, if you don’t have time to watch all eight episodes again, simply just search the web for them! And, if you don’t have time to even do that, we’ve rounded up a collection of some of the sneakiest Stranger Things Easter eggs we could find so you don’t have to search high and low for them.
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Beetlejuice's Tombstone
winner, winner, banana boat for dinner https://t.co/Thw55kfS1L
— Stranger Writers (@strangerwriters) July 8, 2019
This Easter egg the Stranger Things writers directly called out on Twitter, challenging viewers to try and find it. Challenge accepted. It didn’t take long, but eventually, it was discovered that Mr. Clarke (Randy Havens) has Beetlejuice’s tombstone his town model. It’s a nice little nod to the movie that starred Winona Ryder.
The Less Obvious Phoebe Cates Reference
The actress gets namechecked a few times in the movie (because Dustin says Suzie is “hotter than Phoebe Cates”) but an actual reference to her role in Fast Times at Ridgemont High happens with Mrs. Wheeler (Cara Buono). When she comes out of the pool to talk to Billy (Dacre Montgomery), the same song plays that accompanied Cates in her iconic pool scene, “Moving in Stereo,” can be heard.
It’s like a layered Easter egg!
That Thing From The Thing
There are actually a lot of The Thing references throughout season 3 (not to be confused with Marvel's The Thing, and the rumors surrounding David Harbour), and some of them are more obvious than others. A poster for Kurt Russell's 1982 sci-fi movie can be seen in the background of Mike’s (Finn Wolfhard) basement at one point and the sauna test the kids do on Billy is a reference to The Thing. In the OG movie, in order to determine who’s “the thing,” Russell’s MacReady tries to burn it out of people since the thing doesn’t like heat (just like Billy and the Mind Flayer!).
The Escalator Slide From Dawn of the Dead
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The movie is playing at the beginning of the season, but it’s actually Robin (Maya Hawke) who gives it a major nod towards the end. Instead of walking down the escalator, she slides down the middle which is what happens in the 1978 movie.
Invasion Of The Body Snatchers' Little Shoe Store Moment
It could be said that the Mind Flayer is now body-snatching the residents of Hawkins, so it'd make sense that the director of Invasion of the Body Snatchers gets a shoutout. Kaufman Shoes in the Starcourt Mall is more than likely a reference to Philip Kaufman, who directed the 1978 classic.
That Farrah Fawcett Hairspray
Let us never forget that during Season 2 of the series Steve (Joe Keery) suggests that Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) start using Farrah Fawcett hair spray for his ‘do. Come season 3, we learn that he’s still got a can at the ready: It's what he uses to momentary blind Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin).
The Hospital From Halloween II
If you look closely, when the kids stop by Hawkins Memorial, the local hospital shares the same logo as the hospital where Laurie is taken to in Halloween II, Haddonfield Memorial. Oh god, please don’t introduce a Michael Myers-like character, Stranger Things.
Suzie’s Book
Yes, you probably went back to double-check the book that Suzie (Gabriella Pizzolo) is reading when she finally appears. But in case you didn’t, it’s Ursula K. Le Guin’s A Wizard Of Earthsea, which is about a young boy with magical abilities who accidentally releases an evil entity into the world. Sound familiar?
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