Despite some initial hype and generally good reviews, SyFy’s Deadly Class only lasted one season before it was canceled. Based on the Image Comics of the same name, Deadly Class followed Marcus (Benjamin Wadsworth) in his first year at King’s Dominion. With some unlikely friends and his sponsor Saya (Lana Condor), Marcus fought and schemed to survive the bloodstained halls of the assassin’s academy.
Over the course of 10 episodes, Deadly Class relished in relieving the ‘80s counterculture while also paying a few tributes to the popular media of the time and of course, to the comics it was based on. Here are 12 Easter Eggs you may have missed in Deadly Class season one.
Faces of Death
Since King’s Dominion is a school dedicated to teaching the art of murder, it’s not surprising that one of Marcus’ educational materials is the first installment of Faces of Death: a controversial exploitation documentary series that debuted in 1978.
Depending on who you ask, Faces of Death is either a shameless snuff film or a morbidly classic documentary. Each episode of the shockumentary series showed what death looked like, whether it was real or convincingly staged. While audiences are treated to such horrifying sights, the narrator would ruminate about mortality’s meaning or the lack thereof.
The Scorpio Slasher is the Zodiac Killer
A new character that the televised Deadly Class introduces is the serial killer known as the Scorpio Slasher, who teaches students about the psychology of mass murderers. Given his history and the series’ timeline, the Scorpio Slasher is clearly a homage to the Zodiac Killer.
Some similarities include: his list of young victims, the belief that his victims will become his slaves in the afterlife, and his unassuming appearance as a middle-aged bespectacled white man. His chained appearance is also a clear nod to Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs.
Chester Channels The Lord Humungus
In the seventh episode, Chester rolls up in an intimidating truck to announce his arrival. Said truck that’s armed to teeth with improvised blades and random vehicle paraphernalia is a clear homage to the post-apocalyptic cars of Mad Max: The Road Warrior, specifically the one driven by The Lord Humungus.
Sealing the homage is Dwight, who’s strapped to the front just like Humungus’ captives. A main difference is that Humungus had two prisoners in front of his car and none of them were as chill as Dwight was. Also, neither of them were wearing a humiliating bunny suit.
Saya and Maria’s Duel
During the season finale, Maria and Saya’s misunderstandings and anger finally explodes when they clash blades. Before they fight, close-ups of their faces are shown tinted red as the music ramps up the tension.
This brief stand-off is an obvious nod to Kill Bill, where the camera would also lock onto The Bride’s death glare whenever she faced one of her Kill List targets. The latter is in turn a recreation of the same stare from Death Rides a Horse, a Spaghetti Western starring Lee Van Cleef.
Marcus Fears and Loathes Las Vegas
Taking a break from the carnage at detention, Marcus, Saya, Maria, Willie, and Billy go on a road trip to Las Vegas. Heavy baggage and Vegas can only mean one thing: a really bad drug trip.
Riding through Vegas in a big red shark not unlike the one seen in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, the gang sees some psychedelic sights that hearken back to Hunter S. Thompson’s drug-fueled search for the American dream. Appropriately, Raoul Duke (or at least someone who looks like him) shows up for a split second.
The Deadly Breakfast Club
Subtler than Dwight’s Risky Business reenactment is Deadly Class’ version of the classic ‘80s teen movie The Breakfast Club, where an unlikely group of students find themselves bonding in detention. Only now there’s more violence and murder involved.
The set-up is the same, with six students (instead of five) finding themselves stuck together for a protracted amount of time in a classroom. Over time, they get to know each other a bit better while also almost becoming friends. Too bad a pair of nigh-unstoppable Kuroki assassins interrupt everything with murder.
The Soundtrack
Set in 1986, it shouldn’t be surprising that Deadly Class features a playlist of ‘80s hits. The songs and bands heard in the background of some scenes, however, weren’t just used because they’re historically accurate setting but because author Rick Remender suggested them.
In the comics’ second issue, Remender revealed some of the characters’ favorite songs and bands. Too $hort’s Freaky Tales was specifically cited for Willie, while songs by The Cure, David Bowie, and Depeche Mode were linked to Petra, Saya, and Marcus respectively. DEVO (synonymous to Shabnam) also gets a shout out.
The Episode Titles
Speaking of period accurate music, each Deadly Class episode is named after a particular punk band, album, or song from the ‘80s. Some noteworthy titles include the song Noise, Noise, Noise by The Damned and the Youth Brigade’s album Sink with California.
The most appropriately named episode would have to be the pilot. Titled Reagan Youth, this episode is named after a band that took aim at the fanatical devotion for then-presidential hopeful Ronald Reagan, comparing his supporters to the Hitler Youth who swore blind allegiance to Nazi Germany’s dictator.
Rick Remender’s Writing Career
When Marcus hops into Willie’s car, the two have a short debate about comics that ends with FWD’s leader pointing a gun to his lab partner’s head for dissing the Dark Phoenix Saga. Also, Marcus praised indie comics while dismissing mainstream comics as shallow male power fantasies.
This conversation is a shout-out to Remender’s writing career, since he wrote Uncanny X-Force for Marvel Comics and a number of original titles (including Deadly Class) under the indie publisher Image Comics. It’s left up to audiences to decide which side of the debate the show and Remender are on.
Wesley Craig’s Art
Every time a character has a flashback, Deadly Class cuts to an animated sequence showing their traumatic backstory. The animated sequences weren’t used to amp up the surrealism, but to find a way to add Wesley Craig’s art into the show.
Colored by Lee Loughride, Craig’s art is also evident during the acid trips in Vegas and the way certain scenes are framed, with some panels effectively being brought to life. Even Marcus’ default outfit (long black sleeves under a plain white shirt) is directly lifted from the comics’ pages.
Marcus’ Narration
Each episode of Deadly Class is framed around Marcus’ inner monologues, which are what he writes in his journal. Not only does he use the same notebook, but the show uses his exact words as well.
Given that the show adds new scenes and subplots, not all of Marcus’ inner thoughts are heard but a good number of his original words are heard. Some noteworthy examples include his time in the oppressive boys’ home, some observations about his class, and his scattered acid-induced thoughts. A major difference with the latter is that he talked to Mr. T, not Ice-T.
Saya Has 10 Fingers
Like everyone on campus, Saya has a full set of fingers. Insignificant as this may sound, Saya’s lack of digits is a vital part of her backstory in the comics.
Born to the Kuroki Yakuza clan, Saya was on the way to the top before her brother framed her for a high-ranking murder. She tried to appease the other family heads by performing Yubitsume, sacrificing two fingers to prove her dedication to proving her innocence. Since the show took some liberties, parts of her origins and future would’ve been changed but we’ll never confirm it thanks to its cancellation.
