What the Montauk reference in the Stranger Things finale means

3 weeks ago 12

The Easter egg is based on a historic conspiracy theory

Stranger Things ended its run as one of Netflix’s most successful shows with the series finale airing on New Year’s Eve. The streaming service is already working on an animated show set between the events of seasons 2 and 3, and a live-action show that creators Ross and Matt Duffer say they will “be heavily involved” with. But a reference to the home of a historic conspiracy made in the series finale isn’t actually a hint at what the spinoffs will bring, but a nod to Stranger Things’ origins.

[Ed. note: This article contains major spoilers for the series finale of Stranger Things]

After finally defeating Vecna and the Mind Flayer in the Abyss, the heroes start pursuing their happy endings, which mostly involve leaving Hawkins. Jonathan Byers (Charlie Heaton) goes to NYU to study film, and Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) finds acceptance in a big city with a gay community. Eleven maybe faked her death and found a place with some beautiful waterfalls. With no battles left to fight or kids at home, Jim Hopper (David Harbour) proposes to Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) and suggests that they leave Hawkins and live by the beach. The life change would be funded by a job opening for a new sheriff in Montauk, New York.

That sounds cozy, but it would also take the couple to the supposed home of the Montauk Project, which, according to a conspiracy theory dating back to the ‘80s, was used by the U.S. government to experiment with time travel, mind control, and aliens. That sounds like fodder for a new show where Jim investigates paranormal activity, but the Duffers confirmed in a Collider interview that it’s really a reference to the original idea for Stranger Things, which was going to be called Montauk and set in Long Island instead of Indiana.

While the Duffers ditched the plans to focus on the Montauk Project, they did take inspiration from other historical conspiracy theories. The Broadway show Stranger Things: The First Shadow opens with the Philadelphia Experiment, a supposed 1943 test of a technology that made a battleship invisible. Dr. Martin Brenner (Matthew Modine) is conducting experiments as part of MKUltra, a real human experimentation program the CIA conducted for two decades. Luckily, it seems like Hawkins is safe and Hopper and Joyce will get the quiet life they deserve, but there are plenty of other creepy historical events and conspiracies that can provide ammo for the Stranger Things spinoffs.

Read Entire Article