Before she was stealing hearts as Sarah Cameron in the sun-drenched drama Outer Banks, Madelyn Cline was navigating the supernatural shadows of Hawkins. In a fascinating piece of Netflix trivia that has resurfaced, the actress made a fleeting appearance in the mega-hit Stranger Things that most viewers utterly missed.
During the second season's iconic Halloween episode, titled 'Trick or Treat, Freak', Cline can be spotted in a brief but memorable moment. She appears as a popular, 1980s-clad high school student who delivers a cutting insult to the show's beloved protagonist.
The Scene Everyone Forgot
The scene takes place as Mike, Dustin, Lucas, and Will are walking through the school hallway in their ghostbusting costumes. Cline's character, credited as 'Tina', is seen laughing and gossiping with her friends. As the boys pass by, she turns and mockingly calls out, "Who you gonna call?" followed by a sarcastic "...losers".
It's a classic throwback to the era's high school hierarchy, a moment designed to make the audience empathise with the core group of friends. At the time, Cline was a relative unknown, and the role was a minor stepping stone in her career.
From Hawkins to the Outer Banks
This tiny part predates her breakthrough role as Sarah Cameron on the adventure series Outer Banks, which catapulted her to international fame. The discovery has since sent fans on a frantic rewatch of the episode, amazed that they never spotted the future star hidden in plain sight.
It's a testament to the show's incredible casting and its knack for featuring actors right before they make it big. This hidden gem adds another layer of intrigue to the rich tapestry of Stranger Things lore, proving that in Hawkins, even the background characters can have a fascinating story.
