Stranger Things is one of Netflix’s most successful series of all time.
Not only has it scooped awards, it was also the most-streamed show in 2022. Viewers binged a whopping 52 billion minutes of the programme – and they have more fun to come.
The final season of Stranger Things will land on the streaming service at some point this year. And in anticipation, fans are re-watching old episodes.
As they’ve continued to tune in, they have started to notice clever details they didn’t spot at the first time of watching. And one of them concerns actress Winona Ryder, who plays key character Joyce Byers.
TikTok user Ivan Mars, known as The Movie Detective, spotted the Easter egg in the second episode of the third season, which references Ryder’s role as Lydia Deetz in Beetlejuice. For a brief moment, viewers can spot Beetlejuice’s gravestone when Joyce Byers, played by Ryder, visits school teacher Scott Clarke, played by Randy Havens.
Fans were quick to comment on the discovery, with one saying: “Damn dude! You really about this life. Lol love it.” Another pointed out: “There is a mirror at Joyce’s house that’s from Edward Scissorhands too.” And a third chimed in: “Yeah, that’s epic.”
However, some pedants weren’t happy about the Beetlejuice reference as they pointed out that the timeframes don’t quite make sense.
Stranger Things is primarily set in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, and the events of the show take place during the 1980s, which makes everything feel very nostalgic. The third series was set in the summer of 1985, which is a few years before Ryder’s legendary performance in the Tim Burton film.
One commenter said: “Correct me if I’m wrong, but Beetlejuice came out 1988. And the timeliness set up for this is in the 80s.” And another agreed, writing: “Stranger Things was supposed to take place in the summer of 85 but Beetlejuice didn’t come out until 1988.”