Stranger Things: Tales From '85 Review: A Breezy But Inessential Animated Spin-Off

If you're any sort of fan of Netflix's "Stranger Things," then chances are you saw the "Conformity Gate" conspiracy theory which somehow spread through the fanbase like a delusional wildfire after the show released its finale episode earlier this year. Essentially, some desperate fans drove themselves crazy by forming a theory that an entirely different final episode of the show was secretly waiting in the wings. Of course, this was never true. As is the case with so many beloved TV programs coming to an end, the root of fans' hurt can be chalked up to separation anxiety, the realization that this chapter of their lives was now over. There's no going back in time, folks!

Or is there? Almost as if anticipating the fans' longing for the good old days of the show, along comes the new spin-off series "Stranger Things: Tales From '85" to try and scratch that itch. While plans for the show have been discussed since about 2022, it's not been entirely clear what it would end up being. Creator and showrunner Eric Robles made comments at the 2025 Annecy Animation Film Festival stating that a major inspiration for the series were movie tie-in cartoons from the 1980s, shows like "The Real Ghostbusters" and "Beetlejuice." While those cartoons quickly went off on their own paths away from the film(s), "Tales From '85" is trying to have its cake and eat it too. It's presented as a "lost season" of the main series, turning the dial back to the early seasons when most everyone was enamored with the show. However, that choice is what holds the otherwise breezy, engaging show back. It's an enjoyable watch, but can "Stranger Things," a show famous for indulgent nostalgia, get away with having nostalgia for itself?

"Stranger Things: Tales From '85" is set in the wintry early weeks of 1985, putting the series in between Season 2 and 3 of "Stranger Things." Mike (Luca Diaz), Dustin (Braxton Quinney), Lucas (Elisha Williams), Will (Ben Plessala), and Max (Jolie Hoang-Rappaport) are back in class at Hawkins Middle School, while Eleven/Jane (Brooklyn Davey Norstedt) is being closely watched over by her adoptive father, Jim Hopper (Brett Gipson), after the gate-closing events of the previous November. Although the Upside Down remains cut off from the real world for now, a mysterious mad scientist got hold of some remnants of Upside Down vines and did some secret experiments on them. This causes a wave of mutant plant creatures to begin attacking unsuspecting Hawkins residents; not Upside Down creatures per se, but genetic hybrids with their own agenda. Discovering the threat right away, the D&D gang decide to try and stop the menace on their own, with the notable help of a new outcast kid in school, the punk rock Nikki (Odessa A'zion), daughter of new science teacher Anna (Janeane Garofalo).

"Tales From '85" is a hybrid itself, fusing some new elements with classic "Stranger Things" stuff. For instance: the theme is a new piece by composer Brad Breeck, but still has the classic Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein synth arpeggios. The series is split up into 10 episodes running about 25 minutes long, but each episode is one chapter in a season-long story. The character designs are in the likeness of the actors in the live-action show, but their voices are other actors doing impressions of them. It all makes "Tales From '85" feel closely tied to the main series, but it feels confining at best, and pandering at worst.

Fortunately, "Tales From '85" is a very easy, breezy watch. The animation recalls another recent tie-in spin-off series, Marvel's "What If...?," yet while that show tried to look similar to the live-action films, it feels like Eric Robles and the various episode directors have more aesthetic leeway here. "Tales From '85" gets a lot of mileage out of its wintry setting, making even familiar locations like the Hawkins arcade look and feel unique. The creatures, while certainly inspired by Upside Down baddies like the Demogorgons, have their own look and vibe to them, prompting Dustin to even give them their own '80s pop culture nickname later on. There's also a good deal of variety within each episode of the various threats and obstacles the kids face, everything from mutant pumpkin monsters to stealing vital documents from a tabloid newspaper office.

By the time the kids don various weapons and gadgets to do battle with, the influence of '80s cartoons like "The Real Ghostbusters" and "GI Joe" can be seen most clearly. It makes "Tales From '85" feel more authentically like a show from the '80s and '90s era, when kids entertainment was laser-focused on selling action figures and playsets. With this tone, the series could act as a gateway show to sci-fi and horror fare in general. Certainly, the show also works as a jumping-on point for the "Stranger Things" franchise, and though there are many references and allusions to things from the main series, "Tales From '85" isn't unfriendly to newcomers.

The problem is that "Tales From '85" isn't a side story featuring some underseen or brand new characters within the "Stranger Things" world. Instead, it's a show centered around the young protagonists of the live-action series, which is a marked difference from other recent Netflix animated tie-ins such as "Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous" and "Fast & Furious Spy Racers." Those shows were true spin-off series, doing their own thing without having to duck around established story beats and character continuity. "Tales From '85" feels like it wants to be less of a spin-off and more of an embellishment. While the show commendably feels all-ages by frequently putting the kid heroes in mortal danger, the possibility of one or any of them suffering a permanent setback is reduced to nothing given our knowledge of their future. It makes whatever excitement and suspense there is in the series unfortunately muted.

Obviously that same rule doesn't apply to the characters newly introduced, however therein lies the other side of the issue. These new characters and events were never mentioned or seen in later seasons of the live-action series, which leaves them feeling awkward. Ideally, the show would provide the possibility of telling stories more focused on these new characters. Alternatively, it could've expanded elements of the live-action series that weren't touched upon or were under explored. Yet the series doesn't seem to want to do that, either, keeping the Upside Down, Hawkins' past, and other mysteries at arm's length. The series also plays fast and loose with established lore, such as Eleven's powers, which are played up to the point of ridiculousness. When it comes to fitting into "Stranger Things" canon, it's a show that is simultaneously doing too much and not enough.

All of this means that "Stranger Things: Tales From '85" is a fun watch, whether for fans of the franchise or not, but is ultimately inessential. At best, it's a way to get more time with the "Stranger Things" characters without learning or experiencing anything new. At worst, it's glorified ancillary material or bonus content. That latter point would be assuaged if the live-action series had completed its run several years ago, allowing audiences and fans to yearn to revisit it. Instead, the series only just finished, leaving "Tales From '85" feeling like an over-saturation, or perhaps a victory lap that the show didn't quite earn, or even a mea culpa, given the finale's mixed reception.

Due to the genre elements and mythology within "Stranger Things," it would appear that the series could be spun-off in several directions. Yet, in similar fashion to other milestone genre series like "Battlestar Galactica," "Tales From '85" seems to reinforce the sense that "Stranger Things" without its beloved core cast of characters just isn't the same, and those characters have already had their stories told. If "Tales From '85" is to continue, it might be a good idea to either find some new characters, or somehow unshackle the old ones from the past (or the future).

/Film Rating: 6.5 out of 10

"Stranger Things: Tales From '85" is streaming on Netflix April 23, 2026.