Find out the best fun facts about Stranger Things Season 4 Episode 1. If you are a big fan of Stranger Things you need to know everything about this fantastic episode of Stranger Things. There are a lot of great fun facts that you have been missing.
- The song “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush received a resurgence in popularity following its use in this episode and later ones in this season, reaching #1 on iTunes in the U.S. on May 29, 2022, two days after the season premiered on Netflix.
- When Dustin says “Never tell me the odds” before he rolls the dice is a homage to Han Solo in El imperio contraataca (1980).
- While playing the Dungeons and Dragons game, Eddie Munson declares triumphantly “Vecna lives!”, which is the title of the 1990 adventure module that introduced Vecna as the game’s villain. (Prior to this, Vecna was only referenced in relation to two in-game items, the Hand and Eye of Vecna.)
- Joseph Quinn’s first role as an American character. He had to learn an American accent specifically to play the role of Eddie Munson.
- Erica’s D&D character is named Lady Applejack. Applejack is a character from Mi pequeño pony (1986) which was revealed to be Erica’s favourite television show in season 3.
- The original Hellfire Club was a social club established in London in the early 1800s. Several other clubs of the same name have existed in England and Ireland over the years.
- Eddie’s guitar is a B.C. Rich Warlock electric guitar, a popular guitar amongst heavy metal musicians. B.C. Rich released an exact replica of Eddie’s guitar on the show as a cross-promotion with Netflix to promote the premiere of season 4.
- As Eleven strolls through the school corridors, a Goth girl appears in the background. This girl looks like Lydia, the character played by Winona Ryder in Bitelchús (1988).
Eddie has Dio, Megadeth and Motörhead patches, as well as Judas Priest, Accept and Mercyful Fate buttons, and a W.A.S.P. pin; the late 1970s through to the late 1980s, Heavy Metal was a its peak. - Dustin and Suzie hacking the school’s computer to change Dustin’s grades is a reference to Juegos de guerra (1983).
- Vecna didn’t actually debut in Dungeons & Dragons until 1990, though he was mentioned in the game’s wider lore beforehand. The showrunners were aware of this anachronism with the season’s 1986 setting, but reasoned that as an extremely advanced Dungeon Master Eddie would be aware of how Vecna should behave as an in-game character.
- The music over the ending credits is an homage to 80’s cult favorite Cuentos desde la oscuridad (1983), the intro to which has a very similar sound.
The bell sound from the grandfather clock is very similar to the bell sound that follows Pinhead’s arrival from Hellraiser franchise.
- This episode takes place on September 8, 1979 and March 21, 1986.
Originally set to release in 2020, this was delayed because of production stoppages due to Covid-19. - Originally starting out as the smallest member of the cast, Noah Schnapp is the second tallest of the kids in this season.
- The music playing in the background during Dustin’s conversation with Steve Harrington is Play with Me by Extreme is from the mall scene in Las alucinantes aventuras de Bill y Ted (1989)
- This is the first season premiere to not have a character’s name in the title.
The opening scene is likely a nod to the popular video game ‘Paperboy’ which was released in 1985 - Noah Schnapp is taller than his on screen brother for the first time.
The friend who drives them to school, Argyle, is very likely named after the character - who drove John Mclane in the limousine in Jungla de cristal (1988).
Eddie has a poster of the album “Defenders of the Faith” by heavy metal band Judas Priest. On the back cover of this album there is a phrase that fits perfectly with the Upside-down: “Rising from darkness where Hell hath no mercy and the screams for vengeance echo on forever. Only those who keep the faith shall escape the wrath of the Metallian … Master of all metal.”
- Stranger Things 4 – Production Schedule: 1) February, 1st onwards: Filming in Lithuania begins 2) Last week in February: Cast meet in Atlanta for the table read 3) March, 1st onwards: Production moves to New Mexico 4) TBC: Production moves back to Atlanta
While Tammy Thompson is singing the National Anthem, the scene transitions from the gym to the hallway. The National Anthem also transitions to a version being played on the electric guitar, similar to the one played by Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock in 1969. When the camera pans up, Erica is wearing an American flag as a cape. - A last-minute disclaimer warning was issued at the start of the episode stating that production had started in October 2020 due to graphically violent scenes involving children in response to the May 24, 2022 shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, resulting in the deaths of two teachers and 19 students.
- A last-minute disclaimer warning was issued at the start of the episode stating that production had started in October 2021 due to graphically violent scenes involving children in response to the May 24, 2022 shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, resulting in the deaths of two teachers and 19 students.
- Hopper read Anne of Green Gables to his daughter Sarah in a flashback and then again to El; Amybeth McNulty (Vickie) played Anne in “Anne with an E,” the most recent adaptation having just ended shortly before her appearance here, and which was also a Netflix original series (after season one).
