Amidst the annual Super Bowl buzz, audiences were gifted with the first look at the return of Netflix’s hit sci-fi series, “Stranger Things.” Although the trailer for the second season lasted only 30 seconds, it was packed with a myriad of clues for eager fans to pick apart in anticipation of the official release on Halloween.
For starters, the trailer begins with a vintage “Eggo” commercial, immediately drawing fans in with Eleven’s beloved trademark food. The commercial turned out to be a real ad that aired on television back in 1980, just a few years prior to when season two is said to be set—as seen in the surveillance camera footage. The original ad features two siblings arguing over an Eggo. The brother ultimately wins the argument by convincing his sister that something that is “green and purple and has a million legs” is crawling up her arm. Could this be in reference to the many-legged creature we see later in the trailer storming the town? Is the old Demogorgon back for more? Or is there a new monster ready to terrorize our favorite gang of kids?
The trailer also features a short clip of Dustin wearing a Ghostbusters Halloween costume, accompanied by a look of sheer terror. But the cultural and film references, of course, do not stop there. A brief scene in the trailer additionally mirrors scenes from the 1977 film, “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” One of the titles of the upcoming episodes is also “Mad Max,” a reference to the 1979 film. Perhaps this is a reference to one of the new characters that the Duffer Brothers suggested in a recent interview.
What we know for sure is that we aren’t done learning about the “Upside Down,” as terrifying as that sounds. As the trailer reads, “The world is turning upside down.” We also know, as many fans were anxious to discover since the first season finale, Eleven is back. What more could we ask for?
