Stranger Things viewers spot upsetting background Easter egg about Max and Billy in season 4

Fans have been on the lookout for hidden details since series returned last week

Stranger Things viewers are currently on guard watching the newly released fourth season, in the hopes of unearthing any hidden details.

One such Easter egg has been spotted in the first episode of the new series, which was released on Netflix last week.

It relates to the character of Max, played by Sadie Sink, and her brother Billy (Dacre Montgomery), who died in season three.

The abusive Billy died after he was possessed by the Mind Flayer and ultimately sacrificed himself to save Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and the residents of Hawkins.

In season four, viewers learn Max has been left traumatised by the event, and is having recurring nightmares about it – which are revealed to have potentially fatal consequences in the show’s fourth episode.

*Spoilers follow - you have been warned*

It’s revealed that Max is a chosen victim of Vecna, a Freddy Krueger-style character that kills its young victims after claiming them. Thanks to some detective work by Robin (Maya Hawke), however, music is revealed to be a bridge between reality and Vecna’s nightmarish world – with the help of Kate Bush, Max lives to fight another day.

But, when she sees Vecna, he comes in the form of Billy, and viewers learn the full extent to which her brother’s death has affected her.

The clues were there the entire time, though, with viewers hearing a background exchange featured on a TV show in the background of the first episode.

Sadie Sink as Max in ‘Stranger Things’ (Netflix)

While Max is walking through her trailer, as she’s feeding her dog, a character on the unseen TV show says “But this is your old friend Billy talking,” to which another character replies: “I’m trying to be normal, Billy.”

This exchange is almost certainly a nod to the trauma Max is experiencing in the new series.

Meanwhile, viewers also pointed out what they claim is a “glaring” error related to Eleven, and a TikTok vieo, viewed more than eight million times, highlights a resurfaced detail that will change the way you watch the second episode of the new season. Since then, however, the show’s writers have admitted the heartbreaking Easter egg was unintentional. “We’re sorry,” said the Duffer Brothers.

In other recent Stranger Things news, actor Charlie Heaton addressed fan complaints that his character Jonathan, along with Mike and Will, have been “sidelined” in the new season.

Stranger Things is available to stream on Netflix now.