All the Easter Eggs We Could Find in ‘Crystal Lake’

The Friday the 13th series is a real success story about going completely off the rails. A story about a bereaved mother on a murder spree became an iconic slasher franchise built around a hockey mask wearing killer. It’s been something like seventeen years since we’ve seen Jason on screen (and then via a somewhat misguided remake), the result of an extended copyright suit that left the story in limbo. But now, after some crafty settlements, Jason and Pamela are back in a prequel series where everyone can say “Pamela,” “Jason,” and “Camp Crystal Lake,” all they want. And what does that mean? There can be references and nods to the entire film canon.

So, yes, there are natural references by virtue of this prequel series catching up to the Friday the 13th films. But there are also fun nods to the expanded universe for eagle eyed fans. Showrunner, Brad Caleb Kane, reveled in reshooting some iconic scenes and adding new context, but he also made references to the longstanding film series via clever hints. Shout out to a good buddy and foremost Jason expert for getting into the trenches with me, using notepads and pens to chronicle every hidden detail we could find in Crystal Lake.

Mild spoilers ahead.

Crystal Lake Memories

At the start of the first episode, as all the campers are let off to drink bug juice and bob around the lake, the camp owner shouts aloud, “let’s make some Crystal Lake memories.”
“Crystal Lake Memories” is probably referring to 2017’s nearly seven-hour documentary about the history of the films.

Snake in the Pot

When Pamela (as played by the endlessly lovely Linda Cardellini) clangs around the Camp Crystal Lake kitchen, she happens upon a snake. In her earlier, gentler ways, she saves the snake in a large pot, releasing him into the wild very much alive. This is likely a nod to the first Friday the 13th where a snake is brutally and unceremoniously killed.

Freeze Frame Scream Title Card

The openings of the F13 movies are almost as iconic as those to James Bond features. A signature of the title cards is freeze-frame of a scream, a slow pan inward, and cuts to animated shattering glass. Winking at fans of these characteristic openings, Crystal Lake freezes on Pam’s scream (during a classically F13 shot frantic swimming scene) before launching into its opening credits. A fun feature the series continues to play with in the remaining episodes.

Jason Unmasked

Little Jason (Callum Vinson) doesn’t have a lot of screen time, but he will certainly be on the mind of Jason fans who will suddenly feel enamored by the little tyke they know will grow into a rampaging murderer. His bedroom is filled with all kinds of toys that set up who Jason might ultimately become, with camping tools (and yes, a machete) but a bit wilder is the doll on his bedside. Amongst Jason’s toys is an action figure that looks a lot like the unmasked Jason from Part III

Pamela’s Sweater

This series naturally made the sweater more fitted for this “hot” 1970s Pamela (no shade to Betsy Palmer, a vixen of another era) but fans will recognize the blue knit donned by Jason’s mom. Later in the series, you’ll wonder what laundry magic Pamela works, but this is no doubt a reference to the sweater we’ll later see plastered on Jason’s shrine.

Machete to the Head

It’s exactly how it sounds. The jarring first big kill comes by way of an iconic weapon whacked into a dome, a huge reference to one of Jason’s most iconic murders. “These woods are mine!” (IYKY)

Body in the Fridge

This Crystal Lake is overseen by Sheriff Brooks (William Catlett, smooth as butter). When he needs some familial support, he gets it from his sister, Brianna (Devin Kessler). For Brianna, a journalist looking for meatier stories, the wild things her brother sees are exciting fodder. But she’s jarred when she opens her brother’s fridge to be met with the nearly rotting carcass of the victim in his latest case. Fans will be brought back to the opening of Part II when final girl, Alice (Adrienne King), opens her fridge to find the decapitated head of Pamela Voorhees.

Pamela’s Dream

Fans will argue about the first movie’s finale and whether it suggested Jason lived, but we also know that supposition probably morphed as the film canon evolved. Nodding to that final canoe jump scare, Pamela has a dream that feels very familiar and asks whether Jason might be alive in this series too.

Packanack Lodge

Perhaps it comes from hundreds of hours logged playing “Friday the 13th: the Game” but this one made me perk up the most. When Pamela joins a self-help retreat (that turns into a bit of a violent mess), it’s at a lodge of sorts out of town. Eagle eyes will notice the name of the spot is “Packanack Lodge,”: a direct reference to the training camp for counselors in Part II.

Steve Christy

Okay, there are a handful of characters that will be familiar to movie fans, including “Crazy Ralph,” but a blink-and-you’ll miss it big one is Steve Christy. Fans will know him as one of the victims of the first installment (and Alice’s brutal beau) and son of the camp’s owners. Being that this series takes place earlier on, the Christy parents run the camp and Steve is a young whippersnapper unaware of his fate.

The Episode Titles

Take a second to review episode titles before pressing play on each one and you’ll be treated to a sweet little tribute to the films.

Bag Head

Those in the know know that Jason doesn’t don his hockey mask until the third movie. In his first adult appearance in Part II, he shows up with his face hidden behind a burlap sack. A similar one grabbed by someone later in this series and stamped with a familiar number.

A Name Here and There

On the hunt to find every hidden detail, it was tempting to google every name muttered to try and find some connection, reference, nod, or tribute. The two that stood out the most were from the lawyer character, Noah Feldman, which might have been a reference to Corey Feldman who played legendary Tommy Jarvis in The Final Chapter. Then there’s Trish, Pamela’s pal, who might be a reference to Tommy’s sister.

Death of a Hitchhiker

Crystal Lake has a lot of fun reshooting some iconic film moments and also shooting moments in the style of the films. A thrilling one is in a later episode scene where the murder of a hitchhiker is shot with some familiar angles.

Tiny Sparrows

There’s a story that the original Friday the 13th movie creators wanted to feature a track by Dolly Parton. Unfortunately, licensing the song had some barriers so composer, Harry Manfredini, created a track inspired by it called “Sail Away, Tiny Sparrow.” Crystal Lake uses a good amount of the original score, but there’s a special nod to this de facto Dolly-style track for series fans in the fourth episode.

So what did I miss? Did I catch ones you missed? Make my day, call me a fraud, fill me in.

All episodes of Crystal Lake are streaming on Peacock