Estranger Things/References

General

References/Trivia

Appearances

Credits

Quotes

	Season 36 Episode References
← 789 "Full Heart, Empty Pool"	790 "Estranger Things"

Cultural references

• The episode title is a reference to the TV series Stranger Things.
• Prince William is on the cover of the first issue of Partially Bald Monthly, while Michael Keaton is on the cover of the second issue.
  • The headline on Michael Keaton's issue is "Michael Keaton is... Recedeljuice!", a reference to the film Beetlejuice, which starred Keaton as Betelgeuse.
• Homer, Bart, and Lisa eat Twinkies.
• The Itchy & Scratchy Show episode "Open Sesame Street" is a parody of Sesame Street. Itchy and Scratchy are dressed similarly to Bert and Ernie.
• Bart and Lisa do a "Twinkie promise", a parody of the pinky promise.
• The food Homer eats include:
  • Cheese-Its, a parody of Cheez-It.
  • Chee-to, a parody of Cheetos.
  • Ding Rings, a parody of Ding Dongs.
• The "Itchystan" flag is a parody of the Soviet Union, with the hammer and sickle being replaced with an axe and dynamite. A Soviet Union-like version of the theme song also plays.
• Lisa has a Raggedy Ann doll.
• Quirk Girl is a parody of the TV series New Girl. The characters Quirk Girl and Schultz are parodies of Jessica Day, played by Zooey Deschanel, and Schmidt, played by Max Greenfield. Both actors also voice their Simpsons parodies. The song played by Quirk Girl at the end is a parody of the theme song of the series.
• Screaming Friends is a parody of the animated series Smiling Friends.
• "A Mother's Heartbreak" is a parody of "When She Loved Me" by Sarah McLachlan from Toy Story 2. Sarah sings the song herself.
• Homer doesn't want Bart and Lisa to fall apart like Sweet and CJ Johnson from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. He also mentions Los Santos and Big Smoke. The next day, Homer plays the game on the TV.
• The WNBA is called NBA in the future, while the NBA is called MNBA.
  • Lisa becomes the commissioner of the new NBA.
• "Da Butt" by Experience Unlimited plays when Lisa goes home.
• A keg of Metamucil is thrown out the window of the Simpson house.
• While playing croquet, Bart tells Comic Book Guy to think that the ball is a Tribble from Star Trek.
• Bart bought a Chevrolet Camaro with the money he got from looking after the old people.
• Comic Book Guy says the Camaro is as red as the planet Arrakis, saying it's a reference to Dune.
• Bart has one of the t-shirt with him holding a slingshot ready to shoot with the text "Underachiever ('And proud of it, man!')", one of the popular real life t-shirts created after "Bart Gets an "F"" and banned from schools.
• "Jailbreak" by Thin Lizzy plays during the rescue mission.
• The Disorient Express is reference to the Orient Express.
• One of The Itchy & Scratchy Show cartoons features them reanimating the corpse of Ty Cobb.
• Marge married Ringo Starr in Heaven.

Trivia

• Raphael, the old Jewish man, and Emil do not appear to have aged at all in the future.

Continuity

• Marge is married to Ringo Starr. ("Brush with Greatness")
• The Itchy & Scratchy Show cartoons shown in the credits:
  • "Messenger of Death". ("Itchy & Scratchy & Marge")
  • "Screams from a Mall". ("The Front")
  • "Cat Splat Fever". ("Radio Bart")
  • "Pinitchio". ("Itchy & Scratchy Land")
  • The second movie. (The Simpsons Movie)
  • "Breaking Dad". ("Clown in the Dumps")
  • "Kitchen Kut-Ups". ("Itchy & Scratchy & Marge")

Goofs

• In the flashback to four years ago, a picture of Maggie is seen on the wall, despite her not being born yet.

← Season 35 Season 36 References Season 37 →

Bart's Birthday • The Yellow Lotus • Desperately Seeking Lisa • Shoddy Heat • Treehouse of Horror XXXV • Women in Shorts • Treehouse of Horror Presents: Simpsons Wicked This Way Comes • Convenience Airways • Homer and Her Sisters • The Man Who Flew Too Much • Bottle Episode • The Flandshees of Innersimpson • The Last Man Expanding • P.S. I Hate You • Abe League of Their Moe • Stew Lies • Full Heart, Empty Pool • Estranger Things