#owlgate

this is interesting if owls mean anything at all, as orange lamps in later seasons hinted at Vecna, and owls… well, owls… retrospectively it does look like it can be meaningful

1:55 An owl lamp fixture in the Wheeler's basement behind Will (Uncanny parallel to Twin Peaks which also notably featured an owl lamp fixture).

10:55 A framed Owl behind Hopper, right before he leaves the house for work with his keys.

11:13 A porcelain owl on the Byers' bookcase, as Joyce is searching the couch for her keys.

11:29 An owl magnet on the fridge in the Byers' kitchen.

11:32 A framed owl (2) in the hallway as Joyce goes to check for Will in his room.

11:35 An owl print on the wall directly across from the door + another framed owl to the right on the wall behind Will's bed, only this time featuring 3 owls, one baby owl between two adult owls.

We get more shots featuring the owl on the fridge in the frame with Jonathan and Joyce before she calls Karen.

Next we have our first (and I think only) dialogue directly referencing an owl, by Hopper himself, and accompanied by a wall of keys.

18:29 'Joyce, this is Hawkins. Okay? You wanna know the worst thing that's ever happened here in the four years I've been working here? Do you wanna know the worst thing? It was when an owl attacked Eleanor Gillespie's head because it thought her hair was a nest.'

Just think about how much easier it was for the Duffers to come up with this little mini monologue from Hopper in this scene, all because they wanted to make a reference to an owl? What else would have compelled them to feel the urge to throw this in in the first place? It feels like unnecessary filler. Unless of course it's not...

This next owl is the last original reference we get in this episode (a repeat on deck), but it's honestly even more unnecessary than the previous one involving Eleanor. This one just goes to show that they are going out of their way to subtly reference owls without making it too obvious, and specifically in connection to these characters.

29:30 As Hopper is walking in the forefront of the frame, we hear Powell and Callahan in the background calling out for Will in case he's somewhere nearby. 'Will!''Will Byers!' *Hooting*

So here, we have the subtitles literally referencing Callahan's 'hooting' (like an owl), right as Hopper is taking those pills, only to suddenly find Will's bike in the woods.

This is when we get our last (known) owl reference in 1x01, and it's when Hopper arrives at the Byers, walking around the house like Sherlock Holmes looking for clues, accompanied by a repeat of the owl on the fridge in the kitchen.

31:52 'Well, he had a key to the house right?'

32:14 Owl magnet creeps in the frame at the last second, just after the dog barks, prompting Hopper to check the backyard and with Joyce following.

And that covers the owl references for 1x01!

Psst... Jo... I found another Owl in 1 x 01. The one on the can behind Mike (also... I love the framing here and the fact that Will is in a fit that we see Hopper in later in S2 and that Mike is in the outfit he gives El later on... the symbolism of it all!!!) - Kayla