Did Legends of Tomorrow drop a reference to The Shining?
Legends of Tomorrow made mention of room 237 in “Daddy Darhkest.” Were they referencing The Shining?
When the Legends visit an insane asylum, they make mention of room 237 being empty as Constantine joins them to perform an exorcism. That room number plays a role in The Shining, directed by Stanley Kubrick. He changed one of the room numbers to 237, even though it was 217 in the book. A documentary, Room 237, was later made about the film.
In that room in The Shining, there’s a woman who is rotting away in the Overlook Hotel. The woman’s name is Lorraine Massey and she would seduce young bellboys when they’d visit her room. The woman tries to strangle Danny Torrance and later, Jack Torrance enters the room to find a naked, younger woman who turns into an old, rotting woman. It’s not a pleasant site by any means.
More from CW
- The CW’s culture of pulling shows continues as Everyone Else Burns and Run the Burbs are removed from the schedule
- All American: Homecoming season 3 release updates, strike delay, and more
- The CW is out of the superhero business with Superman and Lois canceled
- The Spencer Sisters filming locations: Where is the CW drama filmed?
- The Librarians: The Next Chapter release updates and everything we know so far
In addition to the room number, there’s plenty of seducing going on between John Constantine and Sara Lance. It’s hard to imagine that the reference to room 237 wasn’t purposeful.
Additional pop culture references
While the reference to The Shining piqued my interest the most, I do want to note a couple other references in this episode. Nora Darhk is the girl they find in the asylum and Constantine performs the exorcism on her. At the asylum, she’s going by Emily instead of Nora, which is a nod to The Exorcism of Emily Rose. The insane asylum plays a huge role in this episode and it also was used in Freddy vs. Jason.
Must Read: Supergirl: When does the show return from its break?
The return of Legends of Tomorrow is a welcome one and it’ll be interesting to see what other pop culture references they drop during the remainder of the season.
Legends of Tomorrow Season 3 continues Mondays at 8/7c on The CW.