The only thing more fun than watching TV is getting to go back and find all the little things you missed the first time you watched it. Whether it’s the tiny little details in shows like The Haunting of Hill House or The Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina , or callbacks to other shows ( The Good Place viewers know exactly what I’m talking about), there’s always something new to spot or jump on Twitter and dissect with your fellow fans.
Let’s see which ones you may have missed from 2018. Watch out for spoilers!
RELATED STORIES
1.”Black Mirror: Bandersnatch”
One of the last Netflix releases of the year was also one of the craziest: Bandersnatch is a choose-your-own-adventure, interactive film, where you’re in control of the story.
Naturally, elements of Black Mirror’s own lore are sprinkled throughout. One of the most obvious? The “Metal Hedd” poster, referencing the Season 4 episode of the same name.
“Nohzdive”
We could be here all week with references like this, but we’ll just go with one more episode title related one: “Nohzdive” is obviously a spin on “Nosedive,” which starred Bryce Dallas Howard as a social-climbing do-gooder.
“White Bear”
Hi, allow me to take a moment to brag that I caught this one! Okay, back to the article. This symbol appears in multiple story paths in Bandersnatch . It was previously seen in the episode “White Bear,” which is a delightfully scarring tale.
2. “The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina”
Sabrina Spellman’s life in The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is a little darker than we’re used to from the teenage witch. With Sabrina’s darker image comes a way deeper mythos, which is rich ground for easter eggs— mostly relating to CAOS’ sister show, Riverdale .
Take the appearance of Archie and Betty in the opening credits, for example.
Jughead Jones Wuz Here
Jughead Jones’ crown also makes multiple cameos in CAOS, including during a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it shot over the top of a bookcase. If you look closely, you can see Jughead’s exact crown carved into the wood.
The Curious Case of Ben
Ben, what is up with you, dude?
SPOILER ALERT: After seemingly surviving this encounter with the man-eating Madame Satan, Ben falls victim to the influence of a board game on Riverdale and dies. What’s uh…what’s up with that?
3. Riverdale
Speaking of Riverdale, let’s move on to the teen drama everyone loves to yell about (and at) on Twitter.
This year saw the show dip its toes into some serious homage territory, starting with the obvious The Breakfast Club references in the episode “The Midnight Club.”
This includes a cameo from one of the movie’s stars, Anthony Michael Hall.
Shankshaw Prison
The obvious Shawshank Redemption reference first appeared in Season 2 of Riverdale, with the introduction of “Shankshaw Prison.” Go ahead and laugh, I always do.
The show took the joke further, throwing in a scene where Archie finds a rock hammer hidden in one of his former cellmate’s books, exactly like in the film.
A Bit of a Scream
Riverdale loves to borrow from what came before it, so it’s no wonder that it decided to go full-tilt on the Scream references during “Manhunter.”
From the popcorn on the stove to Skeet Ulrich climbing up a ladder through a window, Riverdale met some Scream moments shot for shot.
4. The Handmaid’s Tale
During June’s stint hiding out in The Handmaid’s Tale , she grabs a DVD boxset and watches it on a laptop.
Brief screencaps show us that she’s actually watching…yup, Friends . Specifically, the episode where Monica iconically points out the seven erogenous zones on a woman. Wild.
5. The Good Place
Okay, let’s be real: if we covered every easter egg in The Good Place, we’d be here all day. So let’s just point out a few, shall we? How about the entire opening sequence to Episode 9, which is a re-creation of the opening sequence of Season 2 of LOST , where we’re introduced to Desmond for the first time?
Lil Sebastian
The good news is, Lil’ Sebastian (of Parks and Recreation fame) is back! The bad news is that he’s…well, he’s in the Bad Place, guys. I don’t know what that angel of an animal did to deserve being in the Bad Place, but I guess that’s life. Or death. Either way.
Eleanor’s Many Flaws
Among some of the qualities that landed her on the bad place: “Lifetime Ban From Post Office,” “Love of Barenaked Ladies,” and a one-sided feud with Princess Jasmine.
Peep the page numbers at the bottom of the slide, too. They separate out to become the key numbers from LOST — 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, and 42.
6. “Westworld”
All of this has happened before, and all of it will happen again. While touring the facility in season 2 — in a flashback— scenes from season 1 of Westwold can be seen happening almost simultaneously behind Bernard and Logan.
LOST Indeed
Like The Good Place , Westworld took a page out of the LOST reference book and queued up an opening montage that featured a record player, a faceless man on an exercise bike.
Desmond much?
7. “The Haunting of Hill House”
The heartbreaking family drama with a horror show’s face still has audiences (and me) caught up in its wake. One of the first easter eggs uncovered was the presence of hidden ghosts sprinkled throughout the series, which adds an extra bit of “hey I might scream any moment” to your watching experience.
Don’t Blink
As more people began to rewatch the show and keep track of the background, more terrifying easter eggs came to light. Take this discovery from Reddit, where the statue behind Liv changes position as she moves in and out of a bedroom.
I’m never sleeping again.
8. Bob’s Burgers
Everyone’s favorite burger-flipping family always have a reference or two up their sleeves. An eagle-eyed Reddit user spotted a familiar sight upon watching: the often joked about Wharf Arts Center (say that one out loud to get it) is modelled after the San José Center for the Performing Arts
Puns, puns everywhere
You could argue that Bob’s Burgers (like The Good Place ) is really just one giant home for easter eggs. In fact, they’re kind of in every single episode’s opening credits. Here’s 4 that the show’s Twitter account was fond of this year.
9. “Star Trek: Discovery”
The most thrilling part of watching any Star Trek set before the time of Kirk, Picard, Janeway, and Sisko is getting to hear tiny references to them.
In the Season 1 finale of Star Trek: Discovery , the easter egg wasn’t so much hidden as cracked open in our faces: the USS Enterprise has entered the building.
Where Some Have Gone Before
When Michael visits Georgiou’s Ready Room, several easter eggs can be seen on her shelves: a series of books with names like ‘Mirror, Mirror’, ‘The City on the Edge of Forever’, and ‘Amok Time’, which are all Original Series episodes. Also of note: a bottle of Chateau Picard, undoubtedly from the ancestors of Captain Picard.
10. “Big Mouth”
This line, delivered by John Mulaney, is a reference to a bit from his stand-up special, Kid Gorgeous.
In it, Mulaney tells the story of his mother refusing to allow him to comment on the fact that his relatives insist on buying him clothes that are too big for everyday use. I can’t do the joke any kind of justice, so maybe just go watch Kid Gorgeous right now and then get back to me.
