• Women are shockingly underrepresented in Hollywood, directing just 4% of major movies.
• It's important to note the industry discrimination as the context of the widening sexual assault and harassment scandals in Hollywood.
• Despite that, women are producing the best movies of the past couple of years.
• "Lady Bird" and "Alias Grace," out this weekend, are emblematic of that.

With the Harvey Weinstein scandal leading to numerous sexual harassment and abuse allegations throughout Hollywood, it's important to note the context in which all of this is taking place in the movie industry.

If you look at the numbers from 2016, women are shockingly underrepresented despite comprising the majority of moviegoers. Women represent just 4% of directors of the 100 top-grossing films, 11% of writers, and just 19% of producers. And the figures from 2016 actually declined from the previous couple of years, despite a louder conversation about women in Hollywood.

The discrimination appears to be so extreme that the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission began investigating the situation under the Obama administration, with pressure from the American Civil Liberties Union.

All of this also takes place at a time where movie studios want to get as many butts into theaters as possible. And though major movie studios still aren't hiring many women in top roles, Netflix (with its powerful data engine that sees what audiences like) and independent studios (less beholden to conventional wisdom) are releasing the best movies and shows of the past couple of years.

This weekend alone marks the release of the movie "Lady Bird," the directorial debut of writer-actress Greta Gerwig, and the miniseries "Alias Grace," which was directed by Mary Harron, written by Sarah Polley, and adapted from the novel by Margaret Atwood. They're two of the most critically acclaimed projects of the year. "Lady Bird" has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes right now with more than 62 reviews filed and even got a positive notice from legendary grump Armond White. "Alias Grace" is at 97%, and will surely be binged heavily this weekend.

And that's just one weekend. Later this month, Netflix will stream "Mudbound" directed by Dees Rees, which was one of the most celebrated movies at Sundance earlier this year. Last year, the Maren Ade-directed "Toni Erdmann" topped numerous best-of-year lists and was ranked by IndieWire as the best female-directed movie of the decade so far, while "The Edge of Seventeen" was one of the best teenage coming-of-age movies to come along in years.

The big studios deserve some credit as well. "Wonder Woman," directed by Patty Jenkins, has repeatedly broken box office records and now stands as the highest-grossing superhero origin movie of all time. And Kathleen Kennedy is at the head of Disney's LucasFilm division, which produces the "Star Wars" movies, though she hasn't hired a female director yet.

Why do female directors seem to have a higher batting average? Well, when you ice out half the population from telling stories, you miss out on a lot.

With "Lady Bird" and "The Edge of Seventeen," for example, we seem to be in a golden age of movies that grapple with women coming of age. "Lady Bird" stars Saoirse Ronan as a high school senior who calls herself "Lady Bird," fights with her mom, and tries to get in with the cool kid crowd. In the hands of a lesser director, it would by just another quirky indie movie. But the details that Greta Gerwig imbues make it poignant, sharp, and hilarious. "The Edge of Seventeen," likewise, is a funny and touching story about a teenager who gets upset when her friend starts dating her older brother that succeeds because it's being told from a woman's point of view. Both movies don't see coming-of-age as intertwined with romance, but as a quest to understand oneself.

Other recent woman-directed movies are also successful because they offer a perspective rarely seen in cinema — even when they're widely discussed. "Mudbound" has its finger on America's pulse with its approach to racial conflict, "Toni Erdmann" looks at globalization and family dissolution from a female young professional's point of view, and "Wonder Woman," of course, is a superhero movie about a woman for once.

The movie industry's kindness to women ebbs and flows. It's been eight long years since Kathryn Bigelow won a directing Oscar for "The Hurt Locker," the only woman to win the award, and not a single woman has been nominated since. If anything, given the reporting on the scandals plaguing Hollywood, it's only become more clear that the industry's problems are more deeply embedded than anyone could imagine.

So in this context, it's important to acknowledge that some of the industry's best work is being made by the people who have the deck stacked against them. Studios simply need to give them the opportunity to make it.

Sign up here to get INSIDER's favorite stories straight to your inbox.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: This is what separates the Excel masters from the wannabes

• Natalia Dyer and Charlie Heaton play Nancy Wheeler and Jonathan Byers, respectively, on Netflix's "Stranger Things."
• The two started exploring their feelings for each on season two, released October 27 on the streaming site.
• If you were shipping Jancy/Nanathan on screen, many are convinced they've been dating since at least January. There are photos of the two traveling together and holding hands.
• Neither actor has confirmed they're dating.

Nancy Wheeler and Jonathan Byers may not just be an onscreen couple on the second season of "Stranger Things." Photos of the two out and about holding hands and traveling have fans convinced they're dating in real life, too.

In the second season, Nancy breaks up with Steve and finds herself gravitating toward Jonathan who she bonded with in season one after his brother disappeared. If you were feeling the on-screen chemistry between the two there may be another explanation.

Natalia Dyer and Charlie Heaton, who play Nancy and Jonathan, have been spotted traveling together multiple times from Los Angeles, sending each other cute messages on Instagram, and were recently caught holding hands while in New York City.

It's no secret that many of the "Stranger Things"cast are close friends, but it has fans thinking Dyer and Heaton are more than just good pals.

Take a look at the evidence.

Fans first thought something might be up when the two were traveling together in Spain in September 2016. The two shared Instagram posts while abroad.

The two have also had a few matching Instagram photos.

You couldn't see the person on the other end, but both Dyer and Heaton were posed in the same way eating ice cream cones.

The two were rumored to be dating in January 2017 when they showed up together at the SAG Awards and looked awfully cozy on the red carpet.

Then they were traveling together twice in January leaving from LAX airport. One time was right after the SAGs. On January 9, Heaton had his arm around Dyer who was covered up to travel incognito.

Pay special attention to Dyer's feet. Those may be Heaton's Converse she's wearing. 

Two days later, Heaton asked the actress for his Converse back while wearing her shoes in an Instagram photo.

But it's a photo from October that has most convinced they're together. The two were spotted holding hands in New York City.

An anonymous source who spoke with Life & Style magazine said the two have been seeing each other for over a year prior to season two of "Stranger Things" filming.

"They’re inseparable, and spend nearly 'every waking minute together, on set and off,'" said the source.

Neither Dyer or Heaton have confirmed they're officially dating. Back in March, the two played it cool when they were approached by TMZ outside LAX airport.

"Whether people are dating or hanging out, I think that our cast just is cool with each other," Dyer told TMZ. "I mean, I won’t speak for anybody else but it’s been, you know … We’re all one big family."

One big family or not, the two are currently traveling again. This time in Paris.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: This is what separates the Excel masters from the wannabes

• AMC has released the preview for season eight's fourth episode of "The Walking Dead," titled "Some Guy."
• The next episode of "The Walking Dead" will air Sunday, November 12 at 9 p.m. Watch the trailer below.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 6 airline industry secrets that will help you fly like a pro

Warning: There are spoilers ahead for "The Walking Dead."

Sunday's "The Walking Dead" saw more of Morales' return after being gone for seven seasons. While we learned what happened to his family since his departure in season one — they didn't make it to Alabama — fans hoping to see a lot more of the character during season eight were in for a huge disappointment.

As Morales had a heart-to-heart about Rick and how he has changed over the course of seven seasons, he was quickly and shockingly killed off when Daryl nonchalantly shot him dead in the neck with an arrow.

Fans were understandably upset, unhappy, and just downright confused as to why the show would bother bringing the character back years later only to kill him off an episode later.

While some were upset with Morales' quick return and exit, part of the fandom couldn't wait to see him gone again.

"Talking Dead" aftershow host Chris Hardwick asked Norman Reedus, who plays Daryl, why he didn't hesitate to shoot Morales Sunday night. 

"He's pointing a gun at my friend's head," said Reedus of killing Morales. "They're on a mission. Like I said earlier, anyone in the way just has to go." 

Morales' abrupt return and exit felt a bit cheap for long-term viewers who were shocked and excited by the characters' return only to see it go nowhere a week later. 

When INSIDER spoke with Morales actor Juan Gabriel Pareja last Monday he suggested he was there to hold a mirror up to Rick to show him that they both had to make a lot of tough decisions to get to the points they were at in the apocalypse. Though Morales was a Savior, that didn't mean he was necessarily a bad man. 

"As we learn over the years in the world of 'The Walking Dead' morality isn't so clear cut. It's a lot of gray," Pareja told INSIDER. "It's not as black and white. Often times in the name of doing good, supposedly, a lot of our heroes do some things that are very questionable, and sinister, and not so great. I don't think Morales is any more guilty than Rick has been at different points throughout the seasons."

As he pointed out Sunday night, Rick hasn't been a saint either. Morales actually called him a monster, the name of Sunday's episode, shortly before Daryl ruthlessly took him out. 

"I had some reservations about coming back as a Savior but that really I think was a nice way to humanize, I believe, and I think it added a different dimension of Morales' kind of backstory and showed how he wasn't that different from Rick, ultimately," Pareja said on the series' aftershow "Talking Dead" Sunday night.

You can follow more of our "The Walking Dead" coverage here.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Meet the three women who married Donald Trump

Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Sunday's "The Walking Dead," titled "Monsters."

Rick continued his standoff with Morales on Sunday's "The Walking Dead" while Carol and Aaron continued to eliminate other Saviors from the battlefield.

If you paid close attention to the dialogue in season eight's third episode, there were a few references to past and future episode titles along with more callbacks to season one. Keep reading to see everything you may have missed.

King Ezekiel's men are ambushed in the forest after they hear a menacing chorus of whistles.

It instantly brought to mind when Rick's group was ambushed in the season six finale.

When Rick was trying to bring Maggie to the Hilltop, his group was surrounded in the forest by a chorus of whistling Saviors. It eventually led to the death of Glenn and Abraham.

This time around, Negan wasn't there to take out anyone with a baseball bat. Ezekiel and Carol also had the upperhand by anticipating the ambush and took everyone out as soon as they surrounded them.

The title of the episode "Monster" has a few meanings.

Rick and his group have referred to Negan's men as "monsters" several times over since they killed Glenn and Abraham and countless other allies. On Sunday's episode, Gregory outright says they are monsters when he begs to be let back in to the Hilltop.

However, Morales calls Rick out on Sunday's episode and tells him he's no different after seeing him brutally kill a newborn's father.

"I guess we're not the same guys we used to be, huh? Because you're a monster," Morales tells Rick.

• Netflix's "Mindhunter" is a thrilling origin story of the team that studied the psychology of serial killers.
• The series includes real-life serial killers like Jerry Brudos, Ed Kemper, and Richard Speck.
• It is reminiscent of executive producer David Fincher's 2007 film "Zodiac."
• The show never shows an actual murder or crime scene.
• Within ten episodes, it successfully reinvents what a crime procedural can be.

You probably think you know what Netflix's "Mindhunter" is like — but you're wrong.

The new drama, whose executive producers include David Fincher and Charlize Theron, is set in the late 70s and follows the FBI team that studied the psychology of serial killers and murderers, and even came up with the term "serial killer." Playwright Joe Penhall adapted the series from the non-fiction book co-written by John E. Douglas, the FBI agent who helped invent modern criminal profiling.

"Mindhunter" is, probably not coincidentally, similar in tone, pacing, and look to Fincher's excellent 2007 film "Zodiac."

Essentially, "Mindhunter" is an origin story of the team who figured out that serial killers are likely to harm animals, wet the bed over the age of 12, and have terrible relationships with their mothers — and by default, hatred toward women, who are usually their victims. 

"Mindhunter," like 2016's "Stranger Things," seemingly came out of nowhere.

Screeners of the first season were not available to the press, which is quite rare especially for new shows. Besides the usual teaser trailer and full trailer, there wasn't much marketing for the show. I live in New York City, where ads for TV shows haunt me for months on my commute. Usually light marketing and no screeners is a sign that a show is really, really bad.

So I, and many TV critics, were surprised to find that "Mindhunter" is incredible.

In ten episodes, you'll never actually see a murder, and you'll barely even get a glimpse of crime scenes. You might see, for example, some episodes begin or end with The BTK killer, Dennis Rader — who wasn't caught until the early 2000s — leave or arrive at a crime scene. But you don't see him kill. The violence is depicted and evident in photos, dialogue, and the tension in every scene with one of the killers in prison. 

FBI agents Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) travel around the country educating law enforcement about the psychology of criminals, in hopes that it can help them catch a killer or a criminal. They call this "road school." While they're on the road, Holden and Bill visit high-profile killers in prison. Holden and Bill visit Richard Speck (Jack Erdie) in one of the show's most chilling scenes at a grotesque prison in Joliet, Illinois. In 1966, Speck murdered eight nursing students in Chicago in one night. 

At first, their visits are unknown to their boss at the FBI. But after their research helps solve a few murders, their boss gets the project approved, adds Boston University professor Dr. Wendy Carr (a very excellent and underused Anna Torv) to the team, and gets them funding.

Every actor playing the real-life killers is so haunting that the performances will stay with you. And though their performances are terrifying, killers like Brudos and Kemper are so charming and empathetic when they share their troubled childhood that you might end up feeling bad for them, just like special agent Holden eventually does.

What separates "Mindhunter" from other crime dramas is the way it intertwines the agents' personal lives into the story. A lot of crime shows, particularly on network TV, have a heavy-handed approach to applying a law enforcement character's personal life in to their work life, and vice versa. "Mindhunter" is different.

Holden is a weird guy, but he's a good one — or so we think. We watch his first real relationship with grad student Debbie Mitford (Hannah Gross) blossom, and slowly unravel. As Holden continues his research and casual, explicit, and disturbing conversations with murderers, the sympathetic character established in the first episode shifts completely.

Throughout the season we learn more about Bill, who is at first reluctant to do personal interviews with killers. Bill has a wife and an adopted son, who's not adjusting well after three years — and ironically, might exhibit some of the personality traits they're finding in the killers they're studying.

Dr. Carr, who unfortunately doesn't get as much alone screen time as she deserves (she likely will in season two), establishes her past and personal life in quick scenes that don't need to explain anything to the viewer beyond what we see. 

The show's showcase (or lack thereof) of its female characters is its primary flaw, with Dr. Carr — an educated, intelligent closeted lesbian who doesn't answer to anybody — losing screen time to her partners, Holden and Bill, despite the fact that she's one of the reasons their department exists. Holden's girlfriend, Debbie, only seems to exist so we are aware that Holden has a sex life. Her only thing, really, is that she is a grad student. Bill's wife, Nancy, is arguably the most developed female character. She only appears in three episodes, usually to support her husband, and demonstrates her struggle to parent their adopted son, Brian.  

In just ten episodes, "Mindhunter" packs significant character development, mystery, subtle-yet-powerful performances, and beautiful (but creepy) cinematography, in what turns out to be a thrilling and educational psychological drama that you should be watching right now.

You can watch the trailer for "Mindhunter" below:

SEE ALSO: The 20 most notable new TV shows this fall, ranked from worst to best

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 10 things you missed in the new 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' trailer

Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Sunday's "The Walking Dead" and potential spoilers for the rest of the season.

Daryl may have saved Rick from getting captured by the Saviors on Sunday's "The Walking Dead," but his cold-blooded killer mentality towards Negan's men left us with one lingering question: Are Rick and Daryl going to have a massive showdown at some point this season?

If you were watching closely, there were two times in Sunday's episode where Rick painfully looked at Daryl with growing concern after he ruthlessly took out two Saviors. 

The first time happened after Daryl killed their old acquaintance Morales without so much as blinking an eye.

Though the two are usually on the same page when it comes to a mission on hand, Rick looked horrified at what his closest friend did so soon after Rick discovered he had just murdered a baby girl's father. 

The dialogue between the two in the scene shows how easily dismissive Daryl was of Morales' death. 

Rick: "Wait. No!"
Daryl: "You good?"
Rick: "That was ..." 
Daryl: "I know who it was. Don't matter. Not one little bit."
Rick: ...
Daryl: "You find them guns?"

It didn't stop there. 

At the end of the episode, Rick gives a Savior his word he and Daryl will let him go if he cooperates and tells them where the enemy is holding weapons.

"There's not a lot that's worth much these days, but a man's word, it's got to mean something," says Rick.

He gets the man to oblige and tell them the goods are elsewhere with Negan's guy, Gavin. When the man asks if he's free to go Daryl shoots him dead in the head.

Once again, we see Rick give Daryl a pained look. 

Daryl carries on as if it's no big deal. 

Although many fans were cheering for Daryl's no-nonsense attitude when it came to the Saviors on Sunday night, others have pointed out, Daryl made Rick a liar. Rick surely doesn't feel good about giving someone his word and breaking it. If this pattern with Daryl continues it would be easy to see Rick call out his brother in arms and have it out.  

Fans noticed it, too, sensing a conflict may arise between the two.

It's something aftershow host Chris Hardwick asked Norman Reedus, who plays Daryl, about on "Talking Dead."

"There might be," Reedus said about whether or not there's conflict between Rick and Daryl brewing. "It looks like there could be something happening. We're still brothers. We're still on the same team, but the stakes are high right now."

Some think Rick may even go as far as kill Daryl. 

Although  I could certainly see the show having the two fan favorites go head-to-head, I doubt AMC would want to kill off the show’s most popular character.

Any time the idea of killing off Norman Reedus' character even comes up, the "Walking Dead" fans come out in full force with "If Daryl dies, we riot" gear. Reedus himself has said he would lead the riot.

The show has already had a decline in ratings so far in season eight from previous seasons. The last thing "The Walking Dead" needs to do right now is turn away more viewers.

As fans point out, it would be smart if the show made a bold move and had the two disagree wholeheartedly over how to handle the Saviors in the long run.

Reedus also mentioned on "Talking Dead" that he'll have some hand-to-hand combat with someone unexpected this season.

"It's not what you think and when it happens, you're going to freak out," said Reedus.

Could he be talking about his good buddy, Rick?

Those who have read the comics believe Rick’s moral dilemma, which started to arise after he brutally killed Gracie’s father and continued after Morales called him a monster, will linger with him throughout the season.

"It was an important beat for Rick," Andrew Lincoln said on "Talking Dead" of Rick's discussion with Morales. "That sort of recalibrated who he was."

It's a conversation that  will probably continue to weigh upon Rick's mind when (not really if) he comes face to face again with Siddiq (Avi Nash), the mystery man who was introduced in the season eight premiere. Viewers heard Siddiq say, "my mercy prevail over my wrath," a line Rick repeats at the very end of the same episode.

Both that line and Morales' monologue may serve as the impetus for Rick to show mercy to Negan at some point down the line. In the comics, Rick winds up putting Negan in a jail cell instead of killing him at the end of their war.

A jail cell, you say?

Wouldn’t you know that Morgan has conveniently already built such a cell in Alexandria that’s waiting to house a prisoner.

Obviously, that's not something that would sit well with Daryl since Negan tortured him last season at the Sanctuary. We'll have to wait to see how the season unfolds, but don't be surprised if Rick snaps and goes into Ricktatorship mode if Daryl continues on his vigilante warpath against the Saviors.

You can keep up with all of our "Walking Dead" coverage throughout the season here.  

Rundown

Sign up for our weekly "The Walking Dead" newsletter series, running for a limited time.

Sign Up →

SEE ALSO: 8 details you may have missed on Sunday's episode of 'The Walking Dead'

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: What 2,000 calories of your favorite foods looks like

• INSIDER's resident "Game of Thrones" expert Kim Renfro did an AMA on the Game of Thrones subreddit recently. 
• She explained how she went from a regular fan of the show to a reporter who covers the show, interviews the cast, and gets to go to events like red carpet premieres.
• She also revealed how she thought the series would end.
• Note that there are spoilers ahead.

While most "Game of Thrones" fans reserve their obsession for office lunch breaks, Kim Renfro, an entertainment reporter at INSIDER, made her passion for the fantasy epic into a living.

Renfro recently took to Reddit to answer questions about her job as a "Game of Thrones" analyst in an AMA on r/GameofThrones.

Renfro explained how she started at Business Insider not as a writer, but as an operations assistant, setting up computers and stocking the office kitchen. After impressing an editor with her "Game of Thrones" knowledge, Renfro got the opportunity to write and eventually became a full-time reporter specializing in the series. 

Since then, Renfro has become a leading authority on "Game of Thrones," interviewing cast members,directors, and costume designers after each episode. She even attended the season 7 premiere and had the opportunity to interview cast members on the red carpet.

Renfro dedicates so much time rewatching episodes and reading the books that she swears it adds up "90 hours a week — minimum — thinking about GoT when the season is on." 

During the AMA, user AaronG94 asked,“if you had to put your money on it, how do you think his epic story ends for HBO?”

Every season has left viewers blind-sided and heartbroken to where, naturally, even Renfro admits it's difficult to predict the final ending. 

"Guessing the ending is tough for me, though I did finally force myself to make predictions for the final season last month. You can read them all here, but the main guess is Jon lives, Daenerys dies," Renfro wrote.

"I think they're building up to the Nissa Nissa prophecy with them, and since I think Jon is the Azor Ahai stand-in, it fits that Daenerys will die. I don't think it will be a simple sacrifice, but my money is on her death being the big shocker of season eight."

Kim went on to explain that it likely won't be as simple as Jon Snow simply becoming the ruler of the Seven Kingdoms.

"My bet is the realm will be thoroughly wrecked after the War of the Five Kings AND the battle against the White Walkers. I'm guessing the Seven Kingdoms go back to being ruled separately, and Sansa might wind up ruling the North while Jon stays south," she wrote.

Fans can expect to wait as long as 2019 for season eight, but if the GoT fire is too difficult to tame, fans can read up on all of INSIDER's unanswered questions and predictions for the next season of Game of Thrones here.

 Aside from the extensive plot, the show's production value is a force in itself with its mix of CGI and special effects. Take a look how shot the final scene of the series in INSIDER's video below.

For more of INSIDER's AMAs, follow INSIDER on Reddit.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: What it's like to fly on North Korea's one-star airline

Warning: There are spoilers ahead for "The Walking Dead."

The war between Rick and Negan may be playing out on the current season of "The Walking Dead," but it started in a much different way in the comics — one viewers didn't exactly see play out on screen. 

Before Negan tells his troops they're going to war in the comics, there's a pivotal moment that readers may have been waiting to see play out on screen. In the scene, Negan lines up a second group of Rick's men just 13 issues after lining up Maggie, Rick, Carl, and more and violently killing Glenn.

The group consists of Holly, Heath, comic character Nicholas, and Rick. Before Negan can choose someone's life to take, Jesus and Ezekiel enter the scene to cause a giant distraction. The "All Out War" storyline starts off from there. 

If comic readers have been waiting to see a second lineup on the show, don't hold your breath.

As some fans may have surmised, the mini lineup of Rick and Carl down on their knees at the end of season seven was a nod to the second group kneeling on the ground. 

"There was no reason to do it again, because Negan basically re-created that lineup again with Carl and Rick in the finale last year," season eight premiere director and executive producer Greg Nicotero recently told INSIDER.

Of course, there's another reason "The Walking Dead" may have been hesitant to recreate that big moment from the comics again.

The lineup Negan created  in the season six finale — the one that resulted in the violent deaths of Abraham nad Negan — led to a lot of negative feedback from fans and critics alike. 

Season seven viewership took a hit in the episodes following the premiere, and there were reports the show dialed back on the violence in episodes that were still filming for the season. It's not surprising that the creators wouldn't want to repeat an event that already turned off viewers from the series.

By keeping it to only two people, the show was able to appeal to both comic fans and regular viewers who probably didn't equate it to the season seven premiere as much. It was a lineup without feeling like a true lineup.

You can follow along with our "Walking Dead" coverage throughout the season here.

Rundown

Sign up for our weekly "The Walking Dead" newsletter series, running for a limited time.

Sign Up →

SEE ALSO: 'The Walking Dead' could be setting up a giant Rick and Daryl showdown

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here's what that square patch on your backpack is actually used for

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Stranger Things" season two, including speculation of future events.

Hawkins Chief of Police Jim Hopper, played by David Harbour, is the tough-but-paternal hero of Netflix's hit series "Stranger Things." But as several key details hidden throughout the series reveal, Hopper's daughter and his mysterious past might be connected to Hawkins Lab and have an impact on his future journey on the series.

INSIDER spoke with Harbour following the release of "Stranger Things 2" to learn more about one detail in particular: the blue hair tie Hopper wears around his wrist throughout the series. 

"It's something subtle we do, and in fact if you watch the first [scene] of Jim Hopper in season one, he wakes up in the morning and before he even checks his watch he touches that bracelet on his arm," Harbour told INSIDER. "It's the first thing that he does every morning because he never wants to forget her. Sara and the death of his daughter is his grounding place for reality."

Harbour tweeted about this small costume detail after a fan asked him about Hopper's accessory.

So, naturally, we rewatched. Sure enough, the hair tie first appeared on the opening episode when Hopper is waking up on his couch.

The hair tie next appeared on the season one finale when Hopper had a flashback to his daughter falling mysteriously ill.

"You'll see in the first flashback with Sara that she has her hair up in these little pigtails and she's wearing these blue hair ties," Harbour said. 

This was the flashback where Sara appeared to be hyperventilating and Hopper was telling her to take deep breaths.

"And then when you see me with her in the hospital after she's going through chemo, and we've shaved her head, he's wearing it on his right wrist when he's reading to her," Harbour said. "So it’s this bracelet that was her hair tie, and he wanted to wear it since she couldn't wear it in her hair anymore — it was a little thing between them."

"And then it becomes a thing that's like a security blanket for him, it's a reminder for him," Harbour said. "And you'll notice throughout the series I will occasionally play with it like when I'm talking to Eleven or going through a difficult time."

Jumping forward to the second season, years have passed between Sara's inferred death and the present-day events in Hawkins. Hopper was arguing with Eleven when the hair tie came into play once more.

After Hopper and Eleven had a huge, blowout screaming match, he went to her door. Struggling with deciding whether or not to take a soft approach to reconciliation, Hopper toyed with the blue hair tie around his wrist. 

But he steeled his expression and went the tough-love route, telling Eleven through the door that she needed to clean up the mess she had made the night before.

"I'll fiddle with it, almost like you would with a wedding ring when you're going through a divorce but you're still wearing it," Harbour said. "It's a constant reminder to him of his struggles and his guilt around not being about to save his child."

But by the second season finale, Hopper and Eleven had reunited and made up. He took her to the Snow Ball middle school dance, and it was there the hair tie resurfaced again: Eleven was wearing it around her wrist as she danced with Mike.

"At the end of the series you'll see that Jim is not wearing it anymore, but I don't want to to get too into that because that's something we may talk about sometime in season three," Harbour said. "It's something we'll delve more into in terms of Jim's daughter and him confronting this Eleven relationship and what that means ... there's more to be revealed there."

In addition to this connection between Sara, Hopper, and Eleven, we noted in our initial season two details breakdown that Sara's hospital room appeared to be in Hawkins Lab. The staircase showing Hopper crying after Sara's death was the same staircase seen in episode nine of "Stranger Things 2."

Here's the staircase as seen on the first season, in Hopper's flashback:

And here's the Hawkins Lab staircase where Dr. Owens was found by Hopper and Eleven:

We asked Harbour if he could tell us more about this connection between Sara's death in a hospital room and Hawkins Lab.

"Hmmmm [laughing] I can not," Harbour said. "But yes, it is the same location. So that's interesting. Or it's a similar location. But there's actually another thing you'll notice which is that there's a stuffed animal lion that appears in Eleven's room when he breaks into the lab and finds that room, and it also appears in Castle Byers, and it also appears on Sara's lap."

We had pointed this out stuffed animal pattern after season one, though Harbour's confirmation of the link between this animals is a huge step towards figuring out what might be going on.

"So yes — there is a connection there perhaps that we may go into further down the line," Harbour said. "Again these are little things that highlight mysteries that I don't want to give too much away from but I don't think anything is done randomly in this show. So the fact that you're picking up on these things is something that will pay off in some way."

These bread crumbs are certainly tantalizing avenues of intrigue fans can explore while we wait for a third season of "Stranger Things."

"I love that we have these little secrets the audience can find or not find," Harbour said. "They don't need to it to enjoy the series but it can be a little extra layer."

For more details you might have missed on "Stranger Things," read our breakdown of 11 more callbacks and references you might have missed on season two.

Sign up here to get INSIDER's favorite stories straight to your inbox.

SEE ALSO: 'Stranger Things' executive producer confirms a major character's fate

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: What 2,000 calories of your favorite foods looks like

Warning: There are spoilers and potential  spoilers ahead for "The Walking Dead."

Ever since the season eight premiere of "The Walking Dead," fans have been focused on a mysterious flash-forward which showed a glimpse of a graying Rick and a little girl calling him Daddy.

Many assumed it was Rick's daughter Judith, just older. But after a new girl was introduced on the season's second episode, viewers started wondering whether or not Judith will make it out of the war alive.

You can read our full analysis on whether the young girl could be Gracie or Judith here, but the theory mostly hangs on one thing: A stuffed bunny rabbit spotted in Gracie's bed.

Eagle-eyed fans noticed a very similar stuffed rabbit appeared in the show's season eight premiere held by the girl running up to Rick. As a result, a lot of fans wondered whether or not this little girl may be Gracie and not Judith.

Before you start breaking out tissues for Judith, you may want to give the show's most recent episode another watch, as there's one scene which may disprove the little girl in the flash-forward is Gracie. 

When Rick suggests bringing Gracie back to one of the communities, he exits the Saviors' safe house without Gracie's stuffed animal. He then hands her over to Aaron, who prepares to bring her to the Hilltop.

It looks like Gracie is heading there without the rabbit, which could mean she isn't the little girl Rick sees in the flash-forward with a very similar — if not the same — stuffed animal. As YouTube channel "Make a Path Presents" points out, the show has reused the same props before.

Of course, it's possible someone could go back up to Gracie's room and gather her belongings to bring to the Hilltop. (How could Rick be so thoughtless to leave the girl's stuffed animal behind? He already took her father!) But at the moment, it looks like Gracie may not be the little girl in the flash-forward after all. We'll keep tabs to see if the rabbit continues to pop up throughout the season. 

You can follow along with our ongoing coverage of "The Walking Dead" here.

Rundown

Sign up for our weekly "The Walking Dead" newsletter series, running for a limited time.

Sign Up →

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here's what that square patch on your backpack is actually used for

• "Shameless" star Ethan Cutkosky was arrested last week on suspicion of misdemeanor driving under the influence, The Associated Press reports.
• The 18-year-old actor was reportedly released Thursday morning on $5,000 bail. 
• The eighth season of "Shameless" began airing on Sunday.

Ethan Cutkosky, the actor who plays Carl Gallagher on the Showtime series "Shameless," was arrested last week on suspicion of misdemeanor driving under the influence, according to an Associated Press report. 

Burbank police Sgt. John Pfrommer told the AP that the 18-year-old actor was pulled over last Wednesday night after police saw him "straddling lanes."

Cutkosky was arrested and, according to records from the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, released early Thursday morning on $5,000 bail.

Pfrommer told the AP that the actor's blood-alcohol tests were "still pending."

Cutksoky has starred on "Shameless" for all eight of its seasons. He began working on the show's pilot when he was 10 years old. 

The eighth season of "Shameless" began airing Sunday on Showtime.

Showtime representatives did not immediately reply to a request for comment. 

SEE ALSO: The ACLU has come out swinging against Taylor Swift after her lawyer threatened a blogger with legal action

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The full 'Black Panther' trailer is here — and it's amazing

• Warning: Spoilers ahead for Netflix's hit series "Stranger Things."
• In a new "Honest Trailer" from Screen Junkies, "Stranger Things" gets roasted for its reliance on nostalgia.
• The video points out that Will going missing and the oddball group of kids trying to find him is very similar to the plot of "The Hangover."
• They also note all the "E.T" and other '80s movie references used throughout the film.
• From "Jaws" to "Aliens" and many more, "Stranger Things" is known for it's homages to existing pop culture.
• But the video also applauds the excellent casting and breakout performances of the young kids, including Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown).
• Plus everyone loves the intro music for "Stranger Things" (and would never skip it on Netflix).
• Watch the full video below to see all the jokes made the expense of "Stranger Things."

SEE ALSO: The 13 biggest questions we have after binge-watching 'Stranger Things' season 2

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: What it's like to fly on North Korea's one-star airline

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Stranger Things" season two.

Partway through "Stranger Things 2," a charming and unexpected moment happens between Hopper (David Harbour) and Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown). As Hopper and Eleven are cleaning up his cabin and turning it into their new home, Hopper puts on a record and starts dancing. Little did Harbour know, but "Hopper Dancing" would become one of the first big memes of "Stranger Things 2."

"I just had no idea or expectations that the 'dad-dancing' or 'white man Hopper dancing' was going to take off," Harbour told INISDER.

A Twitter account dedicated to "Hopper Dancing To (various songs)" sprung up the day after "Stranger Things 2" premiered on Netflix.

"It was funny, when we shot that scene it was supposed to be a bit more serious than it was," Harbour said. "I remember talking to [Shawn Levy, the episode's director] and they had this other song for it. But I love Jim Croce and I thought Hopper would to."

The song Hopper wound up playing in the scene was Jim Croce's "You Don't Mess Around With Jim" from 1972.

"I was so excited to reintroduce the world to Jim Croce because he's one of these guys that never really made it like Bob Dylan or the Beatles or something," Harbour said. "But I really think he's so beautiful as a songwriter and as a performer."

Harbour went into this scene thinking it would be his big chance to help Jim Croce finally blow up with the "Stranger Things" fanbase.

"I thought like, 'I'm going to reintroduce all these kids to Jim Croce and he’s going to really take off," Harbour said. "I expected Jim Croce to take off, I did not expect 'David Harbour's white-man dancing' to take off." 

"But of course, that's the thing that hit instead of the Jim Croce," Harbour said. "So now we're putting him next to Wham! and whatever other songs. But I think that's so hilarious."

One of the best parts of this scene is the way Eleven reacts to Hopper's moves and the song. 

"I mean she's a little alien telekinetic girl, so I don’t know that she's ever seen a grown man in full khakis dancing before," Harbour said. "I imagine that would be very assaulting and confusing. Even if you've been locked in a room playing mind games your whole life, that might be the scariest thing you've ever seen."

Harbour saw the @HopperDancingTo account (which has been claimed by a Twitter user named Liz) almost immediately. He retweeted one of the videos, which caused director Shawn Levy to chime in, too.

"When I saw that stuff online I tweeted out to the people that it really warmed my heart," Harbour said. "It is such a sweet scene and to have it played to all this different music, I loved it."

Worry not, fans. We haven't seen the last of Harbour's moves as Jim Hopper.

"I feel like I need to have some redemption in season three, I want to really show people that I can actually dance,"  Harbour said. "So I'm going pitch the Duffers for a little more dancing in season three."

For more insights from Harbour, read our interview with him about the heartbreaking meaning behind Hopper's blue bracelet he wears on "Stranger Things."

SEE ALSO: 17 '80s movie references you might have missed on 'Stranger Things' season 2

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: What 2,000 calories of your favorite foods looks like

• On Netflix's "Stranger Things 2," Dustin wears a purple dinosaur hoodie.
• The sweatshirt is a real souvenir from the Science Museum of Minnesota (SMM).
• SMM is selling the hoodie in child and adult sizes. 
• After crashing the website once, fans have now bought at least $400,000 worth of sweatshirts. 
• You can still buy the sweatshirts (and purple crew neck shirts) on SMM's online store.

Halloween might be over, but the Science Museum of Minnesota is already helping "Stranger Things" fans re-create their favorite character's iconic '80s science-geek look by selling his sweatshirt online.

On episode one of "Stranger Things 2," Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo) wears a purple hoodie sporting the skeleton of a Brontosaurus from the Science Museum of Minnesota (SMM). The sweatshirt was really sold in the museum beginning in the early 1980s, according to a report from Minnesota Public Radio (MPR).

Now the SMM has brought back the hoodie as part of a full apparel line for children and adults, which includes sweaters and crew neck shirts. Each piece of clothing comes in a deep royal purple and features the "Brontosaurus: Thunder Lizard" branding.

The MSM online shop opened Tuesday at 8 a.m., and featured large banner advertising for the purple dinosaur apparel by saying "as seen in the hit show 'Stranger Things.'"

"Demand quickly overwhelmed the site," MPR reported. "The store was back online at 11 a.m. By 4 p.m., 10,000 units of Thunder Lizard apparel worth about $400,000 had been sold."

Though the store crashed yesterday, you can still buy the sweatshirts (and purple crew neck shirts) on SMM's online store here. According to the SMM website, "proceeds from your purchase support the museum’s ongoing educational and research efforts."

Sign up here to get INSIDER's favorite stories straight to your inbox.

SEE ALSO: Video lovingly roasting 'Stranger Things' shows how its basically the same storyline as 'The Hangover'

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: What it's like to fly on North Korea's one-star airline

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Stranger Things" season two.

Over the course of "Stranger Things 2," Jim Hopper (David Harbour) has two intense fight scenes with both Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and Mike (Finn Wolfhard). When INSIDER spoke with Harbour about the new season of Netflix's hit series, we asked about the experience of entering that aggressive mindset with the young actors.

"It's interesting, it was very different with both of them," Harbour said. "I had to work a lot harder while working with Millie, and I don't know exactly why. I think it's more complicated for me to yell at a young woman that way."

Hopper's argument with Eleven stems from his choice to keep her locked inside a cabin for nearly a year, all while promising she can see Mike and her other friends "soon." When Eleven realizes Hopper might not let her leave, she takes it upon herself to break out. 

Upon returning, Hopper disciplines Eleven harshly — grounding her from watching TV (her sole source of comfort and entertainment) and eating Eggo waffles. She lashes out in what the cast and crew have dubbed a "psychic tantrum," using her powers to slam doors, shove a couches into Hopper's side, and finally blowing out all the glass windows in the cabin.

"It was very emotionally complex for me to play that," Harbour said. "That was a really messed up day when we did that scene."

Hopper yelled at Eleven, scolding her for being a "brat" and not taking responsibility for the consequences of putting herself (and him) at risk of being discovered. The scene was a powerful example of two well-meaning characters clashing over a painful reality of the restrictions they're facing.

"I mean I was feeling all messed up about it," Harbour said. "But I did want to treat the scene with the respect it deserves and I wanted to treat Millie [Bobby Brown] with the respect she deserves as my female costar, and really give her my all and my power, and she’s able to give it right back. So that was a very complicated day."

Later in the season, after Mike and Eleven were finally reunited, Hopper once again had an emotional standoff with a younger character. 

Upon realizing that Hopper had been hiding Eleven from him, Mike lashed out. He had been worried sick and increasingly more depressed, believing Eleven might be dead. He confronted Hopper angrily before collapsing in his arms and crying as he called him a liar over and over. The scene was one of the most emotionally resonant moments in season two for many fans.

"In terms of the scene with Mike, I gotta say, that was really easy," Harbour said. "I mean, look, I love all the kids equally. But as my parents would say, 'Some months one kid is your favorite and other months a different kid is your favorite,' and I have to say during that sequence, Finn [Wolfhard] really is one of my favorites."

"He's becoming such an interesting little artist," Harbour continued. "He's such a little weirdo. He's so into film and into storytelling, and not into the wrong things — he's really into the right things about it. So in that way I really feel a lot of love for him that I would never express to him directly but I will tell you. I just feel a lot of love for that kid."

Compared to filming his emotional scene with Millie Bobby Brown, Harbour said it was a much faster process for shooting the heated argument with Wolfhard. 

"That scene was literally shot in a couple takes," Harbour said. "And it felt so quick and so easy, like 15 minutes. And the fact that the scene has resonated so much is a complete surprise to me, because it felt so natural and so easy to have that day with Finn. I'm just very impressed with him as a young actor and I think he brought so much to that scene that it was super easy to play off. It was like a gift for me as an actor."

For more "Stranger Things 2" insights from Harbour, read our interview with him about the heartbreaking meaning behind the blue bracelet Hopper wears on the show.

Sign up here to get INSIDER's favorite stories straight to your inbox.

SEE ALSO: A dinosaur hoodie like the one worn on 'Stranger Things' is on sale at a museum — and obsessed fans have already bought $400,000 worth

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here's what that square patch on your backpack is actually used for

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Stranger Things."

For "Stranger Things" fans who can't get enough of the hit Netflix series, the streaming network has launched a new talk show hosted by Jim Rash called "Beyond Stranger Things." On the series, Rash is joined by cocreators The Duffer Brothers and executive producer Shawn Levy, along with a rotating set of the cast. 

Thanks to their conversations, plus interviews over the years, we've been able to roundup behind-the-scenes facts about the writing and production of the series.

Keep reading for a look at 19 things you probably didn't know about "Stranger Things."

SEE ALSO: 11 details you might have missed on 'Stranger Things' season 2

The Upside Down was called the Nether in every season one script and on set.

As The Duffer Brothers revealed on "Beyond Stranger Things," the Upside Down was referred to as the Nether in the original scripts and even on set during the first season's filming. 

But once series aired and fans honed in on the language used when Eleven and the boys flip over the Dungeons and Dragons board, the term Upside Down stuck.

The Demogorgon was a real guy in a giant suit for the first season.

While season two included plenty of special effects and CGI, the first season's Demogorgon was a man wearing a monster suit and small stilts and small amounts of green clothing so his real arms could be made invisible in the finished scenes.

Finn Wolfhard filmed his audition tape from his bed because he was so sick at the time.

On the first episode of "Beyond Stranger Things," host Jim Rash shares several clips of Finn Wolfhard (Mike), Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin), Caleb McLaghlin (Lucas) and Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven) auditioning for the series. 

Wolfhard's entire audition tape, recorded when he was just 11 years old, was filmed from his bedroom because he was really sick. 

Warning: Spoilers ahead for season two, episode five of "Riverdale," titled "When a Stranger Calls."

Everything is not fine for one of "Riverdale's" most popular couples after Wednesday's episode. 

Betty and Jughead have broken up and fans are crushed. 

Bughead, as fans of the hit CW show refer to the couple, hit a snag in their relationship, thanks to the Black Hood's obsession with Betty. 

When the episode starts, everything is fine for the couple. Betty and Jughead meet at Pop's Diner, passionately embrace, and discuss the future they wish they could have. 

"I wish we could just go," Jughead says. "Just hop on a motorcycle and just leave Riverdale. Go someplace where there's no Northside or Southside or Serpents or Ghoulies."

"No crazy moms, no Black Hoods," Betty responds. "Like Romeo and Juliet except we live happily ever after instead." 

Fans should have caught the hint that trouble was ahead for these two lovebirds. 

Later, Betty receives another phone call from the mysterious Black Hood. He tells Betty that he needs her to prove her loyalty to him by dumping Jug because he doesn't "deserve her love." The next morning, Betty meets with Archie and explains that she needs to cut Jughead out of her life. Archie tries to dissuade her, but she enlists his help to try and ease the pain.

"Maybe you could tell him that we just need to stay away from each other for a while," Betty says through her tears. "Something, anything, to just keep him away, to appease the Black Hood."  

Betty thinks she can walk the breakup back later, but Archie corrects her, "You mean you hope we can walk it back later." And she responds, "No, we can and we will."

Archie heads to Jughead's trailer later to do the deed, but things get testy between the two friends as the Serpents show up. 

After fighting with Jug about befriending and joining the Serpents, Archie tells him to stay away from Betty because "she's been wanting to break up with [him] for weeks" after Jughead "crossed the dark side." Jughead doesn't believe him initially, but Archie's insistence convinces him otherwise. Archie plays into the difficulties of being friends with both his Northside friends and the Soutside Serpents to convince Jughead that it's over between the two. 

But if all of that wasn't heartbreaking enough, fans had to watch Jughead kiss another girl before the episode was up, and they were not happy at all. 

Toni Topaz visits Jughead to congratulate him on joining the Serpents and tells him he is going to have a hard time covering his tattoo from Betty.

"I think that's a non-issue," Jughead responds.

In that moment, Toni leans over and the two lock lips. Fans saw this coming weeks ago, but it didn't make the moment any easier to watch, and it's even more tough knowing Betty didn't want to end things. 

Fans will have to wait and see what comes out of that kiss between Toni and Jug and how Betty's going to react when she finds out on another episode. 

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: A running coach explains the 2 most important activities runners should do to avoid knee pain

As Netflix's library of original content  continues to expand and expand, it's worthwhile to take stock of all that the service currently offers.

While the second season of "Stranger Things" is the company's most recent cultural phenomenon, Netflix has a slew of other great original shows — like the serial killer drama "Mindhunter" and the women's wrestling comedy "Glow"— that might have flown under your radar. 

Of course, the service has also had its share of flops, including the historical epic "Marco Polo," and the Kathy Bates-led sitcom "Disjointed."

To figure out which Netflix original series are worth your time, we turned to the reviews aggregator Rotten Tomatoes to rank the shows by their composite critical reception.

We excluded any show that did not have enough reviews to receive a designation of "Fresh" or "Rotten." We also did not include children's shows, talk shows, or series that were continued from other networks, and we used audience scores to break any ties. 

Here are 54 of Netflix's original shows, ranked from worst to best, according to critics:

SEE ALSO: The 9 shows Netflix has canceled, including its first big hit 'House of Cards'

54. "Disjointed"— 17%

Critic score: 17%

Audience score: 74%

Netflix description: "Pot activist Ruth Whitefeather Feldman runs a medical marijuana dispensary while encouraging her loyal patients to chill out and enjoy the high life."

53. "Iron Fist"— 17%

Critic score: 17%

Audience score: 77%

Netflix description: "Danny Rand resurfaces 15 years after being presumed dead. Now, with the power of the Iron Fist, he seeks to reclaim his past and fulfill his destiny."

52. "Between"— 22%

Critic score: 22%

Audience score: 71%

Netflix description: "After a mysterious disease kills every resident over 22 years old, survivors of a town must fend for themselves when the government quarantines them."

• The National Enquirer published a story alleging that Charlie Sheen sexually assaulted Corey Haim on the set of "Lucas."
  
• A similar allegation was recounted in Corey Haim's memoir, though Sheen wasn't named.
• Sheen "categorically denies these allegations."

A representative for Charlie Sheen has released a statement denying that the actor sexually assaulted Corey Haim when he was 13-years old on the set of "Lucas." The statement comes after the National Enquirer broke a story with over a dozen sources that claim Sheen raped Haim and then had a sexual relationship with the young actor afterwards. Though Sheen's name has never been released publicly, many Hollywood insiders have been privy to the knowledge for decades.

The former Two and Half Men star worked with Corey Haim on the 1986 movie "Lucas" and Dominick Brascia, a friend of Haim's, told the National Enquirer that Haim confided in him before he died, saying that Charlie Sheen raped Corey Haim. An anonymous source claiming to be close friends with Sheen, stated that the two actors had a consensual sexual relationship and that no sexual assault took place. However, in Corey Feldman's memoir, he recounts a similar story, careful not to use Sheen's name. He states that a man working on the film forced himself on the Haim, and claimed that it was "perfectly normal" for older men to have sexual relations with a young boy.

A representative for Charlie Sheen spoke out after more news outlets began to pick up the story. Although the National Enquirer isn't the most reputable publication on the planet, a statement was still made nevertheless. The short statement was released to The Hollywood Reporter.

"Charlie Sheen categorically denies these allegations."

While Charlie Sheen is denying the allegations of rape and homosexuality, court papers during his messy divorce from Denise Richards hinted at the star's appetite for different types of pornography. Sheen reportedly called Richards a "prude" and told her to turn her head while he watched things that offended her.

Out of those images that offended Denise Richards were pictures of girls that posed with braces and pigtails, looking much younger than they were. Charlie Sheen was also accused of hitting on and having sexual relations with underage girls during the filming of "Lucas." Richards also noted that Sheen watched gay pornography with "very young men" and threatened to cut off her head if she ever told anybody about his private habits. The divorce papers, which are public record, certainly do not help Sheen's case.

Charlie Sheen is usually pretty vocal on matters that affect him, so it's kind of out of character that he has not taken to Twitter or calling in to a TV show to blast these current allegations towards him. Corey Feldman released a lengthy statement this afternoon that did not mention Charlie Sheen by name, but implied that whomever the A-list celebrity is might try and have him killed since there are plenty of instances regarding death threats connected to the former the star. You can read more about Charlie Sheen's short statement via The Hollywood Reporter.

Sign up here to get INSIDER's favorite stories straight to your inbox.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here's what that square patch on your backpack is actually used for