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New Duffer Brothers Netflix show has hidden Stranger Things reference you definitely missed
Home>Entertainment>TV
Published 20:50 27 May 2026 GMT+1

New Duffer Brothers Netflix show has hidden Stranger Things reference you definitely missed

The easter egg happens in a blink-and-you'll miss it moment from the Duffer Brothers' new hit Netflix series

Michael Slavin

Michael Slavin

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Despite viral rumours which stated otherwise Stranger Things is completely over, but the Duffer Brothers may have hidden an easter egg to the Upside Down in their newest show.

Stranger Things is set to receive a spin-off show which will answer questions from the final season, with the biggest hint so far suggesting that it would answer questions fans had about the rock Henry found in a briefcase which gave him his powers.

The Duffer Brothers have previously announced that they are actively working on this spin-off, but before this have released shows which they produced.

This included Something Very Bad is Going to Happen, which also had a secret Stranger Things reference.

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Now The Boroughs has released, which was executive produced by the Duffer Brothers, and it stars Alfred Molina, Geena Davis, and Alfre Woodard star as a residents of a picturesque retirement community who begin investigating an otherworldly threat.

The TV series has been a huge success, with a 96% on Rotten Tomatoes accompanied by a four review from The Guardian which said the show ‘channelled the spirit of Spielberg’.

Others however compared it to the Duffer Brothers’ most successful series, with many calling it ‘Stranger Things with OAPs’, and one review from Polygon saying: “One of The Boroughs's biggest strengths was the cast’s electric chemistry with one another, combining experience and wisdom with a camaraderie that felt as tight-knit and wonderful as when the Stranger Things kids came together for the first time.”

The connections are not all thematic however, with one viewer spotting something that is either a fascinating easter egg or just a really cool coincidence.

The Boroughs has been receiving a lot of Stranger Things comparisons (Netflix)
The Boroughs has been receiving a lot of Stranger Things comparisons (Netflix)

Posting to the r/StrangerThingsRoom subreddit, it connected a throwaway moment in The Boroughs to Vecna’s cave, a vital plot point in the final season of Stranger Things.

They posted: “I was watching The Boroughs and my brain immediately flagged something familiar about the horizon.

“​If you take the silhouette of the mountains in The Boroughs (from S1:E4) and flip it completely upside down, the negative space perfectly matches the exact jagged, arching shape of Vecna's cave / Max's Mind Lair from Stranger Things.

​“Given that the Duffer Brothers executive produce the show through Upside Down Pictures, a literal "Upside Down" visual pun hidden right on the horizon line feels way too perfect to be a coincidence. Has anyone else spotted this yet?”

The answer unsurprisingly was no and, whilst it may be a bit of a leap, if this was intentional it is a pretty cool easter egg.

Matt Duffer compared the show’s directly, stating that of their upcoming shows, it was the closest comparison. The producer said: “The Boroughs probably shares the most DNA with Stranger Things because it’s about a group of misfits who fight an otherworldly evil.

“Only unlike Stranger Things, it’s set in a retirement community, so that’s something different. This time our misfits are a little on the older side. They ride golf carts, not bikes.”

The Boroughs is available to stream now on Netflix.

Featured Image Credit: Netflix

Topics: Stranger Things, Netflix, TV, TV and Film, Reddit

Michael Slavin
Michael Slavin

Michael Slavin is LADbible's dedicated specialist Film and TV writer. Following his completion of a Masters in International Journalism at Salford University, he began working for the Warrington Guardian as a reporter. Throughout this he did freelance work about Entertainment for publications such as DiscussingFilm, where he was the Film and TV editor. Now, he is LAD's go to voice on all things Netflix, True Crime, and UK TV, as well as interviewing huge global stars such as Jake Gyllenhaal, Daisy Ridley, and Ben Stiller.

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@michaelslavin98

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