10 Things Only REAL Fans Noticed in the Twisted Metal Show

Harold the Paper Bag

“Twisted Metal” quickly establishes that its iteration of Sweet Tooth isn’t going to be like the sinister psychopath or maniacal clown from the games. However, it does pull one facet of the crazed killer’s past - Harold. To an outsider, this seemed more like just a wacky gag for the character. To longtime “Twisted Metal” fans, Harold was the paper bag Sweet Tooth retrieved in one of the deleted endings from the original 1995 game. Whereas Harold seemed like an empty bag in the game’s ending, the show kind of implies there’s something in the bag, and it’s probably something we aren’t going to want to see.

John’s Stickshift Code

In an effort to escape Sweet Tooth, John moves Evelyn’s gear stick in a very specific way. Those who played the PS1 games will recognize this code from “Twisted Metal” and “Twisted Metal 2”. In the 1995 classic, the code would power up your machine guns while using the code in TM2 would activate God Mode. Unfortunately, the code would not be used again for the rest of the franchise.

Agent Stone’s Backstory

The TV show does a tremendous job of pulling pages from across the games to flesh out its characters, especially Agent Stone. In the show, Stone was a rent-a-cop who is easily enraged when mocked, and part of his rage was the result of a little girl’s death. This backstory is very similar to the Agent Stone we saw in “Twisted Metal: Black”. This version of Stone was a sniper for Midtown’s police force, and while trying to take down a group of terrorists, his mindless shooting resulted in one little girl’s death. Basically, it’s the same plot point with a different setting, and honestly, the show used it well to make Stone an excellent villain.

Granny Dread’s Rewrite

One of the biggest surprises of “Twisted Metal” was how it used characters from the less-liked third and fourth games (you know, the ones not made by series creators David Jaffe and Scott Campbell). One character we didn’t expect to have a significant role was Granny Dread. In “Twisted Metal III”, Granny was just a cranky old lady who drove Hammerhead and competed in the tournament for a chance at a life of peace and quiet. Funny thing about the show’s depiction is that they turned her into a new version of a cut character from TM2, Granny Dark, who would have been the driver of Darkside. In the show, Granny Dread is the eldest of a group of folks living inside Juggernauts, and she’s ready to move on to the afterlife for…some peace and quiet. She’s even sent away with Fang, the same dog that TM3’s Granny Dread had alongside her.

Raven’s Favorite Hangout

The first episode of “Twisted Metal” was pretty on-the-nose with an easter egg for fans of TMB. In an effort to convince John to take her job, Raven decides to give him a tour of New San Francisco. Right when John leaves, the camera pans up to show a neon sign that says the name of the bar - Kelly’s. In “Twisted Metal: Black”, Raven was the driver of Shadow (the hearse Quiet hijacked with her brother) and competes to get revenge on the ones who got Kelly, her girlfriend, killed. Given the show’s Raven is much more manipulative and seems to possess a similar amount of power as Calypso, we wouldn’t be surprised if this part of her story is abandoned…unless Kelly becomes some crucial plot point and/or serves as a reminder of Raven’s past before the world collapsed.

Preacher and the Demon Baby

As John fights Preacher, the leader of the Holy Men who is not at all an old man like in the games, he remarks how Preacher fights like he’s been possessed by a demon. Preacher, unsurprisingly, confirms such an event happened, particularly with a baby. A similar event occurred for Preacher in “Twisted Metal: Black” when a couple asks him to exorcize their baby. In the process, the demon inside the child deemed Preacher his chosen one, possessed him, and caused Preacher to take out everyone in the church. It isn’t until after he wins that Preacher learns the exorcism was supposed to be a baptism and the demon speaking to him was merely his own warped mind.

All Around Me Are Familiar Places

Though “Twisted Metal” does take place in the real world and features major cities, it does make use of the franchise's fictional locations in some form. One of the first ones featured is Thrills and Spills Park, an amusement park featured in the 2012 “Twisted Metal” that serves as the battleground between Quiet and Stone. Also from TM12 is Watkyn’s Harbor, but it isn’t shown. In the show’s lore, Watkyn’s Harbor exploded and caused an artificial weather phenomenon dubbed the “Watkyn’s Storm”. One last location worth pointing out is the junkyard John takes refuge in. Zorko Bros. Auto Salvage was the name of the junkyard featured in TMB and can be spotted in the show’s eighth and ninth episode…or at least the sign can.

A Colorful Cast of Milkmen

Now, Episode 7 was the one to hype every “Twisted Metal” fan! John and Quiet swing by a rest stop dedicated to milkmen, and it’s here that we get to see where other “Twisted Metal” characters have been this whole time. You’ll spot Pizza Boy and Petunia from “Twisted Metal 4”, Mr. Slam and Pit Viper from the first game, and of course, Bloody Mary from “Twisted Metal: Black”. Of course, Bloody Mary steals the show because, like Agent Stone, Preacher, and Granny Dread, backstory references! Nice to see the psychotic lover angle being reused without the whole bride getup.

Amber Rose

Okay, last time we geek out over backstory stuff, but Amber Rose was another TM3 character we didn’t expect to have as big of a role as she did. In the show, Amber is an environmentalist with an extensive knowledge of plants, mostly the ones that can paralyze, poison, or straight up kill people. She even recycles the scrap of her enemies’ vehicles just like her video game counterpart. The only difference between the two is that the show’s Amber isn’t in a skimpy tight outfit and is the love of the alluring Miranda Watts, the driver of Twister. We gotta say it’s really cool how the show is finding a place for even the obscure and most disliked “Twisted Metal” characters, and there are still more to expect as we’ll see in our final entry.

The End of Episode 10

Episode ten was one hell of a finale! Sweet Tooth’s flaming head, total vehicular carnage, and a satisfying end to Quiet’s revenge makes it an excellent close to the season, but the way it sets up the second season has us excited! You mean, we’re going to see an actual live-action Twisted Metal tournament? And we’re gonna see more drivers like Axel? And we’ll have a new, original take on Dollface? Seems like the showrunners and writers have ideas, and we’re hopeful that Season Two gets greenlit soon!