We found a bunch of 80s Continuity Errors in Stranger Things!

That’s right, kids! Today we’re taking a look at 10 ’80s continuity errors we found in Stranger Things. From Season 1 to Season 4, we’re watching it ALL and looking for any small mistakes in the props, scripts, costumes, and soundtrack! And don’t worry — I’ve asked some of my elders (I mean, the JoBlo crew who were raised in the ’80s) to help me with research for this video.

I guess to be safe, we should also put a spoiler alert in effect. Let’s get into it!

You know what I miss most about the ’80s? Nothing, because I was born in the ’90s. But I must admit I’ve been a sucker for ’80s pop culture my entire life. I love ’80s comics and movies, I love ’80s TV — and folks, believe me when I say that I LOVE ’80s music.

But as a product of the ’90s, I’ve grown up looking back on the decade before and longing to have my Spielberg-like “kids on bikes” moment. And folks, I’m not the only one. In fact, Netflix’s Stranger Things is an ’80s-romanticizing period piece that also looks back on the era with rose-colored glasses.

It’s a show that re-popularized Kate Bush’s iconic ’80s ballad Running Up That Hill and made Ghostbusters cosplay feel like a rite of passage for all of us nerds out there. And you can ask ANYONE — this show PERFECTLY captures the aesthetic and continuity of the ’80s in every single episode… OR DOES IT?

Well, let’s talk about it.

The Tech:

In Episode 6 of Season 4, we see a shot of Suzie — Dustin’s girlfriend — using a computer and typing a link with HTML code to find the Project Nina location. Don’t try to tell me you were doing that in the ’80s, because HTML wasn’t invented or utilized until sometime after 1990. This episode is set firmly in 1986 — making that link years away from being usable. I hope it wasn’t something urgent…

This next one isn’t exactly “tech,” but it’s worth mentioning. In Season 2, Episode 1, there’s a brief scene in a Hawkins science classroom where you can see the modern periodic table of elements hung on the wall. Upon closer inspection, this table includes elements that hadn’t been added yet in the 1984 continuity of the season. For a small town, they really seem to be tapped into scientific discoveries — to have a bootleg version of the modern periodic table on display!

Or we could talk about Barb’s car from Season 1. BTW, I’m still not all the way over how they did Barb in this show. We miss you, Barb. In Episode 2 of Season 1, Barb can be seen driving a car — I don’t know how many of you out there are motorheads or grease monkeys, but if you’ll indulge me — this car is a 1988 Volkswagen Rabbit. Now, I’m not an expert myself but… this car is from the future. The season takes place in 1983 — five years before it was created. This one, I’ll count as a Back to the Future Easter egg.

But hey, at least the kids’ bikes are period-accurate… OR ARE THEY?! No, they really are. But we might need to get a close-up on those floodlights they’ve got.

Music / Pop Culture:

Look, I admit it — the soundtrack to this show is basically a greatest hits of the entire 1980s. However, as an aficionado of ’80s music (specifically whatever kind my mom would play in the car and house when I was growing up), I think it’s necessary to point out that one of Jonathan’s mixtapes features a song by The Smiths from their first album — which came out in 1984, while the season is set in 1983.

Or how about one we all noticed? When the Bangles’ song Hazy Shade of Winter plays in the background of Season 1, Episode 2 — that song, which is a cover of the classic Simon & Garfunkel track, wasn’t out at the time this episode is set.. But it DOES suit the ending of that scene with a bit of irony, doesn’t it?

Also, Master of Puppets being Eddie’s solo in the Upside Down was epic, so I’m giving it a pass on the fact that the song hadn’t been released yet when the episode takes place — but fuck it, it’s so damn cool I’m striking it from the record!

And man, all of this talk has made me hungry. How about some delicious and perfectly healthy Kentucky Fried Chicken? Did you know that the abbreviation “KFC” wasn’t used in the company’s branding until 1991? Well, someone forgot to tell the set designers in Season 2, Episode 1 — when the family can be seen with a bucket of the Colonel’s goodies. Man, I actually am kind of hungry now.

Speaking of Hopper, the radio he’s using in Season 1 was also not available until the 1990s. At this point, are we being too specific? I don’t want to speak for everyone, but I doubt anyone would catch that — and if they did, it probably wouldn’t bother them… would it? (Put YouTube comment on screen with someone complaining about the radio Hopper uses.)

I’ve also seen a lot of talk about the range on the kids’ walkie-talkies being impossible for an ’80s children’s toy — but honestly, I wasn’t there, and none of my researchers had walkie-talkies during those years, so… that seems sad to me.

But what about Season 2, Episode 7, when edgy Eleven visits Chicago and we see a shot of the Windy City skyline. Notice anything? How about that building — which I believe is Trump Tower — that wasn’t constructed until the 1990s. Also… this episode is ridiculous. Probably the cheesiest one, no?

Conclusion:

Well dudes, after a very long rewatch of one of my favorite modern TV shows — 4 seasons of mystery and misfortune, a zillion ’80s references, boxes upon boxes of Eggo waffles, and like half of all of that being in slow motion so I could research each episode — I feel two things: I feel exhausted and ready for a long nap, and I feel incredibly curious and excited for the conclusion of this series, where it all comes to its (hopefully) epic ending.

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