WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Ghostbusters: Afterlife, now playing in theaters.
Although the franchise only consists of two films tied to Ghostbusters: Afterlife, there is still a lot to unpack in the universe of the 37-year-old supernatural comedy franchise. This is best explored in Afterlife, which is filled with Easter eggs tied to the earlier films. The best part about these nods is that some are so well hidden, there may be fans who don't pick up on them right away. That's best demonstrated by one scene that calls back to the team's first-ever ghostly encounter.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife follows the family of Egon Spengler, who moves to his home in the town of Summerville following his death. After settling in, his grandchildren Phoebe (Mckenna Grace) and Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) go through his belongings, consisting of occult texts and artifacts. Some of those items refer to characters like the Terror Dogs and Gozer, but others go back much further.
In the room where Egon passed away, the camera lingers on a few shots of books stacked in a tower. While it blends well with Egon's office, and looks like the housekeeping of an eccentric scientist, it's actually a nod to the Library Ghost. This spirit first appears in the original 1984's Ghostbusters, residing in the New York City Public Library. Egon, Peter Venkman and Ray Stantz investigate the phenomenon before they even have proton packs.
While exploring the library, they see books stacked high on their own and covered in ectoplasm. Not long after the encounter, they run into the library ghost, who politely asks them to be quiet after Venkman tries to talk to her. However, when he insists on speaking more, she becomes a terrifying creature that forces the Ghostbusters to run away. The spirit is never seen again in Ghostbusters, and it's possible the team never tried to capture her, either.
However, Afterlife's visual nod to the Library Ghost is more than a mere Easter egg; it also suggests Egon's spirit remains in the house. Furthermore, because the book-stacking is tied to ghosts in the films, it serves to foreshadow that Phoebe will have more ghostly encounters.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife features moments that will make new and old fans laugh, cheer and even cry. But what makes up its essence are the acknowledgements of the films that came before it. While they are only stacked books, their significance is so much more. Not only does it represent the beginning of a new adventure for the old team and Phoebe, it also hints there will be even more haunting experiences to come in Afterlife.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife is still playing in theaters.