Stranger Things premiered on Netflix two weeks ago, and has washed over the internet like some sort of horrific mist, practically twisting people inside out with nostalgia. For the uninitiated, the show is best described as Stephen King meets Steven Spielberg, with a dash of The X-Files, as it drops us into a seemingly idyllic small town, introduces us to a group of nerdy, D&D-loving kids, and then follows them on a terrifying adventure.
The thing that really sets the show apart, however, is how strongly it commits to the details of its 1983 setting, and how well it explores its world through class stratification and pop culture references. Personally, I loved the show with a few reservations, but what I’m enjoying even more is watching the Cult of Stranger Things take over the internet. With that in mind, I’ve rounded up some of the best responses to the show for your perusal—but if you’re not caught up, consider checking out our non-spoiler review instead.
Slashfilm shared this indispensable guide—Ulysses Thevenon created a side-by-side comparison with the classic films that inspired not only the plot points of the show, but in some cases the actual shots.
However, in a show this stuffed with detail you’re bound to miss a few, and for that, you have Vulture’s A-Z Glossary, which digs into more of the Stephen King references… but if you need even more of the King nods, you can turn to this Mashable list.
You can also watch as Stranger Things goes full ’80s in this flip-book:
And here’s Stranger Things: The 80s Sitcom, which obviously needs to to be called Perfect Stranger Things.
If you prefer music to movies, you can relive your time in Hawkins, Indiana through this Spotify playlist of all of the songs from the soundtrack, and for you readers out there (that’s all of you, right?) Electric Lit has provided a handy list of books ST fans will love. And completists can check in with the Duffer Brothers as they reveal the one reference the internet had missed, join Vulture in celebrating Barb (the best non-Dustin character on the show), and watch the Duffer Brothers’ previous short, Eater:
By far the biggest response has been the creation of the Christmas Light Meme, in which people are create messages with Winona Ryder’s wonderfully inventive Christmas light/ouija board hybrid. You can check out some of the immediate hits of the subgenre here, generate your own here, or simply revel in Eleven’s love of waffles:
Did I miss any of your favorite Stranger Things memes? And what did you all think of the show’s potent nostalgia melangé?
