Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 was provided to me in full by Netflix, with all 10 episodes available ahead of release. The embargo lifts alongside the show’s debut, so if you’re reading this now, the full season is already available to stream.
Going into the show, I was definitely curious to see how this would pan out. I think it goes without saying that the final season of the live action Stranger Things series was incredibly divisive. Some people loved it, but there was definitely a lot of hate for it online. So, I was curious to see if this show was going to be able to capture the spirit of the show and actually be a worthwhile installment in the series. The show is credited as being created by the Duffer Brothers, but having seen all the episodes and the credits, they serve more on the executive producer side alongside Shawn Levy and not so much in the writing and directing department. You also have none of the voice actors or actors from the live action show returning here. Instead, there is a mostly new cast, and they are playing characters that people are already in love with, which made me curious how fans would respond.
Set in Hawkins, Indiana during the winter of 1985, Eleven and her friends uncover a new paranormal mystery that threatens their town as the influence of the Upside Down continues to linger beneath the surface. This season takes place between the events of season two and season three and features a new cast including Brooklyn Davy Norstedt, Luca Diaz, Braxton Quinny, Elisha Williams, and others, alongside more recognizable names like Odessa A’zion and Robert Englund in new roles.
I had a good time with Stranger Things: Tales from ’85, but it also feels unnecessary. Right away, I really enjoyed the animation style. It comes from the same studio behind Marvel’s What If…?, and I like the way they give the show a distinct look while still making it feel like Stranger Things. Going from live action to animation can feel a bit strange, but other franchises have made that transition work. There is a slightly cheesier tone at times, especially early on, and I was a bit wishy-washy through the first four or five episodes. The back half of the season really picks up and delivers some genuinely strong moments.
If you are a fan of the earlier seasons, with the kids on bikes getting into trouble and that old school Amblin-style feel, there is a lot here to enjoy. It leans into what made Stranger Things fun in the beginning, before everything became much larger in scope. It brings things back to a group of kids dealing with something bigger than themselves, with the Upside Down and a secret lab presence still lurking in the background.
At the same time, there is only so much the show can do. We already know where these characters end up, so there is very little sense of real danger. The show plays things safe, and there is a clear layer of plot armor. Even when characters are put in threatening situations, it never really feels like anything serious is going to happen. That extends to the new characters as well, which ultimately makes the stakes feel limited.
The show introduces new creatures instead of reusing familiar threats like Demogorgons or the Mind Flayer, which further highlights how this feels like an add-on rather than an essential part of the story. There is also a new character named Nikki, who fills a role similar to Eddie as a more punk rock, edgy addition to the group. She is fun, but like the new creatures, she feels like a character that exists only within this story and not something that meaningfully ties into the larger narrative.
The animation is consistently strong, and the voice cast does a solid job overall. Some performances stand out more than others. Jolie Huang Rappaport as Max, Alicia Williams as Lucas, and Braxton Quinny as Dustin come closest to capturing the cadence and personality of the original actors. Brooklyn Davy Nordst as Eleven is more inconsistent, sometimes feeling off and other times really locking into the character. As the season goes on, it becomes easier to settle into these versions of the characters.
Other familiar faces appear sparingly, including Steve, Nancy, and Hopper, while characters like Joyce are absent. Odessa A’zion brings a fun energy to Nikki, even if the character does not feel essential, and Robert Englund appears as Cosmo, a new character tied to a tabloid covering strange happenings in Hawkins.
The show looks great visually, especially during action sequences involving Eleven. The animation allows her abilities to be pushed further, making her feel more powerful and more action-oriented than in the live action series. The vibrant color palette, combined with the musical score and needle drops from the 80s, helps maintain the tone and identity of Stranger Things.
Throughout most of the season, I found myself thinking that the show was cute and fun without ever really loving it. The final stretch of episodes is where it becomes the most engaging and starts to feel like a stronger, more cohesive experience.
One of my biggest issues is the heavy reliance on exposition. This was something I also had a problem with in the later seasons of the main series. There are too many scenes where characters sit around explaining what is happening, often finishing each other’s sentences. It starts to feel like the show is over-explaining things instead of letting the story unfold naturally, and it can come across as lazy storytelling.
Even with those issues, the show is still enjoyable. It knows what it is and delivers a fun side adventure in the world of Stranger Things. It is likely to work best for fans who are already invested in the series, as it assumes familiarity with the characters and does not spend time reintroducing the world.
I do not have a lot of outright negative things to say about it. It is fun, and that is ultimately what it aims to be. I think kids will enjoy it, and fans of the franchise will probably get something out of it as well. At the same time, it does not feel like something that meaningfully adds to the overall story.
When I think about revisiting Stranger Things in the future, I do not see myself including this season in a full rewatch. I am not upset that I watched it. It is a fun, Amblin-style adventure that captures the tone of the series in its own way, but it does not feel essential to the larger narrative.
Rating: 7/10