8 ways to prepare for your ‘Stranger Things’ binge-watch

If you think the best gift you can get this Christmas is time to watch four new episodes of “Stranger Things,” you’re not alone.

More than 60 million viewers watched the first installment of the final season during its debut week in late November, shattering Netflix records and triggering streaming issues. The next drop on Dec. 25 — and the subsequent two-hour finale that hits big and small screens six days later — could draw even more astounding numbers.

Tickets for screenings at six Minnesota theaters on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day can be purchased in advance at st5finale.com. Many are already sold out.

The show immediately scored with teens when it debuted in 2016 thanks to its young heroes, who took it upon themselves to save the world while their parents stood around screaming their heads off.

But Gen Xers also were drawn in by the ’80s references, some more obvious than others. That trend continued in the four episodes that dropped last month with nods to “Miami Vice,” “An American Tail,” “Poltergeist” and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”

Expect even more Easter eggs as the current season, set in 1987, hurtles toward a final showdown with Vecna.

You don’t have to be aware of all the pop culture nods, but knowing some key ones will enhance the viewing experience. Here are some fun ways to prepare for your upcoming binge.

Watch “The Terminator” movies. “Stranger Things” prides itself on the nostalgia-driven casting of guest stars like Sean Astin (“The Goonies”), Paul Reiser (“Diner”), Matthew Modine (“Full Metal Jacket”), Robert Englund (“A Nightmare on Elm Street”) and, of course, Winona Ryder (“Heathers”). This year’s big catch: Linda Hamilton, the protagonist in “The Terminator” franchise. In the latest batch of episodes, she’s someone to hiss at, a military leader with a David Lynch haircut and a determination to turn Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) into a zero.

Watch “Alien” and “Aliens.” In a perfect world, Sigourney Weaver would be popping up in the final season. But we’ll have to settle for several references to Ripley, her character in the “Alien” flicks. At least two scenes in Season 5 have moms protecting their children with the kind of venom Ripley spit at equally gruesome monsters.

Listen to Diana Ross’ “Upside Down.” Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” continues to play a role in Season 5, but you’ll now want to add this former No. 1 hit to your playlist. The 1980 dance number, penned by two members of Chic, is kind of obvious, since it shares a title with the name of the alternative dimension the “Stranger Things” creatures lurk in. But it’s also a catchy tune that serves as an ideal soundtrack for some of the fast-paced action. “Upside Down” has enjoyed a more than 370% surge in streaming hits since being featured on the series. Don’t be surprised if Ross performs the number when she headlines “Dick Clark’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest” on ABC.

Watch “Back to the Future.” In a key scene, Robin Buckley (Maya Hawke) tries to distract grown-up Joyce Byers (Ryder) by saying she needs to borrow her son to help fix the flux capacitor. Joyce is confused — but you won’t be if you remember the 1985 hit starring Michael J. Fox. It’s the fictional component in the DeLorean that makes time travel possible.

Read “A Wrinkle in Time.” Yes, we’re aware it came out in 1962. But the book plays a key role in Season 5 as the young, impressionable Holly Wheeler (Nell Fisher) befriends an “imaginary friend” straight out of Madeleine L’Engle’s classic. The incorporation of the fantasy novel into the plot is a lot more entertaining than the 2018 film adaptation.

Listen to Tiffany. The onetime mall queen returns to the spotlight thanks to heavy use of her 1987 version of “I Think We’re Alone Now.” Holly Wheeler loves her “Tiffany” cassette tape with the same passion older brother Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard) has for Dungeons & Dragons. If your quest to embrace the past is intense enough, you’ll want to scoop up tickets for Tiffany’s Feb. 20 performance at the Paramount Center for the Arts in St. Cloud.