Netflix’s Animated Spinoff Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 Can Fix The Finale’s Biggest Flaw

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Now that the main Stranger Things series is over, there are still loose ends to tie up. The new animated spin-off, Stranger Things: Tales from ’85, could do just that. It has the potential to address a key issue with the finale – several storylines felt incomplete – by showing what happened between seasons 2 and 3, a period the original show mostly skipped over.

The new animated series starts April 23rd and will explore the shifting relationships in Hawkins and how the other dimensions are changing. By revealing more about the secrets of the Upside Down and Russia’s early role in events, Tales from ’85 can finally answer some of the questions left unanswered by the show’s ending.

Tales From ’85 Explores What Happened Between Seasons 2 & 3

Netflix

Setting Tales from ’85 after the second season of the show is a smart move for the story. It allows the prequel to build on what happened when Eleven closed the Gate and Will Byers was finally safe from the Mind Flayer.

As a huge Stranger Things fan, I was so excited for the prequel! Season 3 jumped right into the summer of 1985, and while it was great, I always wondered what happened between seasons 2 and 3. We had to imagine how everyone dealt with everything after the events of season 2, but now this prequel finally lets us see that recovery period and how they all came back together. It’s going to fill in so many gaps!

Eleven had just returned to her friends and was still getting used to life in Hawkins. Having spent her childhood mostly alone – either at the lab or in hiding – figuring out how to be a regular teenager was proving difficult.

After being controlled by the Mind Flayer, Will endured a difficult and draining recovery. While he appeared to be doing better by season 3, the experience of being possessed would likely have lasting emotional and psychological effects on him and his relationships with others.

The timeframe of Tales from ’85 gives the show a chance to delve into how the friendships between characters change. It would be great to see how Eleven and Max first became close, since we only saw their strong bond in season three. If Billy appears, we might also learn more about his relationship with Max and how it developed.

More About The Upside Down Could Be Explained In Tales From ’85

A big mystery after the end of Stranger Things was how the Upside Down actually worked. We found out this alternate dimension was stuck in time on November 6, 1983 – the day Vecna first kidnapped Will at the start of the show. But the series never really told us why that particular day was so important.

That date also seemed to have hidden connections that the show never fully explored. Flashbacks in Stranger Things season 5 showed it was the same day as a high school play directed by Joyce Byers and starring Henry Creel when they were younger. While this hinted at a larger significance, the final episode didn’t revisit that detail.

The stories in Tales from ’85 could reveal more about the creatures living in the Upside Down, including how they act, interact with each other, and whether they follow Vecna’s orders or have their own agenda. The show also introduces a new creature in Tales from ’85, suggesting the Upside Down is even more intricate than we’ve seen so far.

Tales From ’85 Could Show How Russia Got Involved

Netflix

The third season of Stranger Things revealed that Soviet forces were secretly working under the Starcourt Mall in Hawkins, trying to open a gateway to the Upside Down. However, the show didn’t explain how the Soviets found out about this alternate dimension or why Hawkins was important. The new series, Tales from ’85, takes place at the same time the Russians were likely starting their experiments, and could finally shed light on these mysteries.

The new animated series could delve into the aftermath at Hawkins Lab following the events of season 2. We didn’t learn much about what happened to the facility after the portal was shut down, and this show offers a chance to explore how the government continued its research there, potentially even drawing interest from other countries.

This also brings up questions about Dr. Sam Owens, who took over from Dr. Brenner in season two. We never learned what he was doing in the months before season three, but it could explain connections between past events and the story involving Russia.

Tales From ’85 Can Give More Time To Stranger Things Side Characters

While Stranger Things mainly followed a few key characters, some supporting characters didn’t get much development. A new animated series could be a great way to tell stories centered around those characters and explore their backgrounds.

Okay, so Season 3 really threw a bunch of new characters at us – like Heather and the rest of the lifeguards. They definitely played a part in the whole Mind Flayer mess, but honestly, we barely got to know them as people. A little peek into their lives, even just a few scenes showing their relationships, would have made them feel so much more real and given their story a lot more emotional weight. It felt like a missed opportunity to add some genuine depth.

The show could benefit from exploring the families of characters like Lucas and Dustin more. We see much more of the Byers and Wheeler families, while Lucas and Dustin’s parents are rarely featured.

The new animated special, Stranger Things: Tales from ’85, will feature a brand new character named Nikki Baxter, voiced by Odessa A’zion. Nikki hasn’t been seen in the main Stranger Things series before, which is a bold move. This could mean her story will have a sad ending, or that she’ll leave Hawkins before the events of season 3 begin.

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2026-03-19 22:10