Stranger Things Is Officially Returning… Netflix’s Next Trip to Hawkins Could Be a GAME CHANGER for the Entire Franchise — And Fans Aren’t Going to Be Saying Goodbye After All

Stranger Things quickly became one of Netflix’s most popular shows and held that title for a decade, but the flagship series officially ended in January of this year, with a controversial conclusion. But that isn’t really the end of the story because even before the finale premiered, fans began wondering about a spinoff. Though Stranger Things has many ways to grow in the future, the first follow-up series proved to be exactly what the franchise needed. Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 released more content just a few months after the original series’ finale, offering a new way for the story to grow.

Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 isn’t a sequel or a prequel. Instead, the animated series provides a unique opportunity for the characters as it explores the main cast during one of the show’s time jumps. This method allows the new series to include the best of Stranger Things while offering its own strengths. Though Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 is a departure from the original series, it proves the story has the potential to expand, even with the original actors having moved on. Ultimately, that assurance is what the franchise needed, making the animated adventure a game-changer for the story’s future.

Stranger Things Tales From 85 Whole Group Defending From Snow Shark

‘Stranger Things: Tales from ’85’ Goes Back to ‘Stranger Things’ Glory Days

Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 returns to the best parts of the original series, highlighting the dynamic that made the story great: the friendship between the young characters. Focusing on the winter between Seasons 2 and 3, the series expands El (Brooklyn Davey Norstedt), Mike (Luca Diaz), Will (Ben Plessala), Dustin (Braxton Quinney), Lucas (Elisha Williams), and Max’s (Jolie Hoang-Rappaport) adventures as it introduces a new plant-based threat from the Upside Down. This offers a new mystery that fans haven’t seen before, allowing them to spend more time with their favorite characters. With 80s nostalgia, lovable characters, and a new enemy that only El and her friends can face, Tales from ’85 offers everything fans love from the original.

Stranger Things Tales From 85 Whole Group With Homemade Weapons

Like it or not, Season 5 wrapped up the story, but Tales from ’85 shows that filling in gaps allows the story to continue. Yet, despite the potential it offers, this method comes with complications, namely continuity. Though these events overlap with the original series, the spinoff doesn’t rewrite the previous story, but they can’t fit together perfectly. Nothing that happens in the spinoff is referenced in the original series, which seems a little odd, given that it is supposed to be part of the same journey. The release order makes this understandable, but it’s hard to ignore one glaring change as the newest character, Nikki (Odessa A’zion), seemingly disappears by the summer. Nikki joins the group throughout the animated series, offering a new perspective on their supernatural situation, but her becoming involved in the Upside Down story only to be quickly forgotten raises a major issue for the series’ continuity. Yet, despite this issue, Tales from ’85 offers an exciting expansion of the beloved world.

Eleven and Mike on a bike in Stranger Things: Tales from '85

Netflix Is Wasting No Time with ‘Stranger Things: Tales from ’85’

While the animated series is a dramatic shift from the original, it has a lot to offer. The original story shows the potential for Stranger Things to continue and thrive despite the original’s end. And Netflix wasted no time proving it, releasing the spin-off just four months after Stranger Things’ finale, turning the show into a franchise. And this forced Tales from ’85 to overcome the original’s biggest issue. Tales from ’85 is one of the fastest-moving series on streaming. Not only did it premiere shortly after the original, but it promises to keep up the momentum.

Stranger Things Tales From 85 Nikki Baxter

Already renewed for Season 2, Tales from ’85 will be back before fans can even miss it. The second installment promises a 2026 release, making it less than a year between seasons. This momentum is in direct contrast with Stranger Things, which routinely asked fans to wait more than two years between seasons, leading to the inexplicable aging of the characters. By reversing the franchise’s most problematic issue, Tales from ’85 proves that Stranger Things can expand without falling into the same traps, and that is game-changing as Netflix plans to grow the story.

Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 is streaming on Netflix in the U.S.