As a huge Stranger Things fan, I’ve just finished the first four episodes of Season 5, and wow, they’re absolutely filled with little details and references! You immediately pick up on the big ones – the awesome ’80s soundtrack, especially how perfectly they used Diana Ross’ “Upside Down” – but by the time you reach the end of Volume 1, it becomes clear that some of those nods aren’t just fun Easter eggs; they actually seem really important to the story.
Instead of listing every Easter egg, we’ve chosen 11 of the most important references from the first four episodes. Here’s a look at those key references and why they stand out.
11. Stranger Things’ Chilling Aliens Reference
The fifth season of Stranger Things begins with a look back at the very beginning, revealing exactly how Will was taken by the Demogorgon. The episode shows the disturbing moment the strange, tube-like growth connects to his mouth, filling him with particles from the Mind Flayer. Later, Will experiences visions of Holly and other children who seem to be going through the same terrifying ordeal.
The show clearly draws inspiration from Aliens, featuring unsettling, egg-shaped sacs built into the walls of the Upside Down. These resemble the Xenomorph hive seen in deleted footage from Aliens, a clever reference to alien parasites that consume their hosts. This likely hints at what the Mind Flayer will do to the children – turning them into empty “vessels,” as Vecna suggests.
10. What Are “Dungeon Crawls” Anyway?
The kids in Stranger Things often make sense of the scary things happening in the Upside Down by comparing them to their Dungeons & Dragons game, so it makes perfect sense they’d think of a “dungeon crawl.” In D&D and many computer games from the 1980s, a “dungeon crawl” is a dangerous adventure where players explore a place full of traps and monsters.
The characters in Hawkins have ventured into the terrifying Upside Down a total of 37 times so far, but their progress has been slow – they didn’t even reach the wall until the first four adventures. They seem unusually enthusiastic about a longer, two-hour exploration, suggesting most of their trips into the Upside Down have been quick and frantic.
9. Eleven’s Training is a Perfect Rise of Skywalker Nod… & a Lot More Besides
#StrangerThings doing an homage to ‘The Rise Of Skywalker’ was not on my bingo card.
— Star Wars Culture (@SWCultureLive) November 26, 2025
Training montages were common in 1980s action movies, so it was surprising to see the new season of Stranger Things intentionally echo the style of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. These scenes are great for showing characters getting better at their abilities, and the way the characters use their powers feels similar to the Force and characters like Rey.
Eleven is practicing her powers in a junkyard, a place the kids used to hide things back in the first season. This training area feels a lot like the Danger Room from X-Men, where characters overcome challenges to improve their abilities. It’s one of the clearest references to X-Men we’ve seen since the first season – when an X-Men comic book actually appeared – and suggests Eleven will eventually team up with other people who have superpowers.
8. Holly the Heroic is a Cleric
In a sweet moment, Will tries to comfort his sister by making up a story about “Holly the Heroic.” He describes Holly as a Cleric, a character type from their D&D game – the same type Will plays. Interestingly, Clerics act as a bridge between worlds and have the ability to bring people back from the dead. This detail likely hints at both Holly being kidnapped and her connection to Max, who is close to death.
7. Holly’s the Heroic’s Powers Are a Secret X-Men Reference
There’s also a clever detail within Will’s scene with Holly. He reveals that her Dungeons & Dragons character can create portals to other dimensions – a true ability within the game, as some characters can open special portals called “Gates.” Interestingly, this power closely resembles that of the X-Men character Magik, and that connection feels significant.
I’ve been a huge Magik fan for years, and it’s amazing to see her story reflected in Stranger Things! In the comics, she was Colossus’s little sister, and her backstory is seriously intense. When she was just six years old, she was taken to this demonic dimension called Limbo by a really powerful villain. It was filled with ghostly versions of people she knew. Her story culminated in a massive event where Limbo and Earth almost merged, unleashing a demonic invasion. Honestly, when I saw Holly in Season 5, I immediately thought of Magik – the similarities are just too clear. It’s like the Duffer Brothers pulled straight from the comics!
6. You Can Actually Dial the Phone Number in Episode 1
The search for Jane Hopper is underway, but the truth behind it will surprise you. Get ready for Stranger Things 5! #NextOnNetflix
— xᴉlɟʇǝu (@netflix) January 30, 2025
Believe it or not, the phone number featured in the first episode of Stranger Things Season 5 is a real number you can call. When you do, you’ll hear a specific message.
Thank you for reaching out to the Hawkins Police Department. Because of the recent 7.4 magnitude earthquake, the town of Hawkins is currently on lockdown. The Hawkins Emergency Task Force is working with us to find anyone who is missing, and locating Jane Hopper is our top priority. We ask all Hawkins residents to help us in this search.
The show Stranger Things has done similar marketing tricks before, but this one feels more effective. It reports that the events at the end of Season 4 caused a 7.4 magnitude earthquake in Hawkins, which would cause significant damage to the town.
5. The Perfect “Flux Capacitor” Reference
Robin distracts Joyce by mentioning a fake issue with the “flux capacitor,” a nod to the movie Back to the Future. This highlights both Robin’s extensive knowledge of pop culture and Joyce’s lack of interest in science fiction. Robin’s job at the video store with Steve explains where she gets all her movie references – she’s clearly a film buff!
I’ve been noticing something really interesting while rewatching Stranger Things. There was this little comment that’s got me thinking, especially since it keeps popping up with references to A Wrinkle in Time, a classic time travel story from the 80s. We know time is messed up in the Upside Down – it’s stuck at the moment the gate opened back in ’83. It’s making me think a lot of us are right – Season 5 is going to involve time travel, and it could be a big part of the story!
4. Wait, What’s the Mandala About?
Will and Robin find a colorful, circular mandala on the ground. Will looks at it closely. Mandalas are used in Hinduism and Buddhism as tools for meditation, and are meant to represent the universe. People believe focusing on the center of a mandala can help with personal growth and understanding yourself.
The central spiral in Will’s mandala symbolizes a path of spiritual growth and transformation. This mirrors his development in Stranger Things Season 5, where he learns to embrace his true self, including his abilities and identity.
This could also give us a clue about what the Upside Down is like in the fifth season of Stranger Things. Mandalas have a distinct outer edge that leads to a central point. Similarly, the Upside Down has a clear boundary, and the kids from Hawkins are planning to head towards its center – Hawkins Lab.
3. Vecna’s Plan to Kidnap Children is Similar to Another X-Men Story
Earlier seasons of Stranger Things borrowed a lot from the famous “Dark Phoenix Saga” comic storyline—you can even spot one of the comics in the very first episode. This season, the show takes inspiration from the 1989 “Inferno” comic event. A key part of that story involves demons from another dimension, Limbo, abducting thirteen children and trying to use their life force to create a gateway to Earth.
The fifth season of Stranger Things will involve a search for twelve children, though the reason for this quest isn’t yet clear. This plot point seems to echo the story of “Inferno,” and at its most concerning, it could mean Vecna is trying to open a permanent connection between Hawkins and the Upside Down by sacrificing these children.
2. Holly Names Vecna’s Mindscape “Camazotz”
Drawing inspiration from the book A Wrinkle in Time, Holly referred to Vecna’s mental world as “Camazotz.” This “Dark Planet,” ruled by the villainous IT, functions as a prison. While Holly and Max picture Camazotz controlled by Vecna, this reference might also be a hidden clue to something else.
The planet Camazotz in A Wrinkle in Time is ruled by a powerful outside force. Some fans think this is similar to what might happen in Stranger Things – specifically, that the Mind Flayer could be controlling Vecna, essentially trapping his consciousness. Referencing Camazotz would make sense if that’s the direction the story takes.
1. Vecna’s Cave is a Nod to The First Shadow
This is supported by the fact that Max is hiding in a desert cave – a memory that clearly frightens Vecna. This is a direct reference to the Broadway play Stranger Things: The First Shadow, which explores Vecna’s origins. The play’s version of events differs significantly from the story Vecna told in Season 4, but he may not be telling the truth, making his account unreliable.
In the book The First Shadow, young Henry Creel discovered a cave in the Nevada desert – the place where he first encountered the creature known as the Mind Flayer. Season 4 of the show seemed to imply that Vecna actually created the Mind Flayer, which surprised viewers. However, this new detail might confirm the Mind Flayer is the original villain, and that Vecna is afraid of the cave because it reminds him of the entity that now controls him.
Stranger Things Season 5, Volume 1 is streaming now on Netflix.
Read More
- Hazbin Hotel season 3 release date speculation and latest news
- 10 Chilling British Horror Miniseries on Streaming That Will Keep You Up All Night
- Dolly Parton Addresses Missing Hall of Fame Event Amid Health Concerns
- The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu is a 4-Player Co-Op Survival Horror Game Inspired by Lovecraft’s Works
- 🤑 Crypto Chaos: UK & US Tango While Memes Mine Gold! 🕺💸
- The Death of Bunny Munro soundtrack: Every song in Nick Cave drama
- Where Winds Meet: How To Defeat Shadow Puppeteer (Boss Guide)
- World of Warcraft leads talk to us: Player Housing, Horde vs. Alliance, future classes and specs, player identity, the elusive ‘Xbox version,’ and more
- You Won’t Believe What Happens to MYX Finance’s Price – Shocking Insights! 😲
- Zootopia 2 Reactions Raise Eyebrows as Early Viewers Note “Timely Social Commentary”
2025-11-28 15:42