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

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

The timeline placement of Tales from '85 gives the prequel spinoff a major storytelling advantage. It takes place after the events of season 2, when Eleven closed the Gate, and Will Byers was finally freed from the Mind Flayer's control.

It's also right before Stranger Things season 3, which began with the characters already settled into their new routines by the summer of 1985. This left viewers to fill in the emotional aftermath themselves, but now, the prequel can finally show what that reunion and recovery period actually looked like between seasons 2 and 3.

At that time, Eleven had only recently reunited with her friends and was still adjusting to life in Hawkins. After spending most of her childhood isolated at Hawkins Lab or hiding in the woods, reconnecting with a semi-normal teenage life would seemingly be a complicated process.

Will also had to go through an exhausting recovery process after being possessed by the Mind Flayer. He seemed to be mostly healed in season 3, but the trauma of being controlled by the creature would realistically have had significant consequences for both him and his friends.

This time period for Tales from '85 allows the series to explore the shifting dynamics in the friend group. Eleven and Max eventually developed a close friendship in the third season, but it would be interesting to see some of their earlier interactions. We could also see how Billy and Max's relationship evolved if he appears in the animated show.

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

One of the lingering questions from the Stranger Things finale was how exactly the Upside Down functioned. We learned the dimension was frozen in time on November 6, 1983, the date Vecna first took Will at the beginning of the series. However, the show never fully explained why that specific day was chosen.

This date also had other connections that were never explained. Flashbacks in Stranger Things season 5 revealed it was the same day as the Hawkins High school play that Joyce Byers directed, and Henry Creel starred in when they were younger. The reveal suggested that there was a deeper meaning behind that day, but the finale never returned to this storyline.

Tales from '85 could additionally show how the dimension's creatures behaved, like how they interacted and whether they responded to Vecna or operated independently. Interestingly, the Tales from '85 features a new Upside Down creature, indicating how the dimension may be more complex than the main show explored.

Tales From '85 Could Show How Russia Got Involved

Season 3 introduced Soviet forces secretly operating in Hawkins underneath the Starcourt Mall. They worked to reopen a gate to the Upside Down, but Stranger Things never explained how they discovered the dimension or Hawkins' involvement. By setting the story in 1985, Tales from '85 overlaps with when the Russians were likely beginning their experiments, which could provide some answers.

The animated series could also expand on what was going on inside Hawkins Lab after season 2. There wasn't much information revealed about what happened to the facility after the Gate was closed, but the spinoff has the chance to show how the government continued studying, possibly attracting foreign attention.

This then raises questions about Dr. Sam Owens, who replaced Dr. Brenner in season 2. His whereabouts during the months leading into season 3 were never explained, but it may help connect the dots between earlier seasons and the Russian storyline.

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

Stranger Things often centered on the core group of protagonists, leaving some supporting characters underdeveloped. An animated spinoff is the perfect opportunity to focus on characters who didn't receive as much attention in the main series.

Season 3 introduced a lot of new faces in Hawkins, including Heather Holloway and other lifeguards at the community pool. Many of them contributed to the Mind Flayer storyline, but their personal lives and relationships were barely explored. Even brief glimpses into their life could help them feel more nuanced and add emotional depth.

The series could also spend more time dedicated to the families of characters like Lucas Sinclair and Dustin Henderson. Compared to the Byers and Wheeler households, their parents rarely appeared throughout the show.

Stranger Things: Tales from '85 will notably introduce a new character named Nikki Baxter, who is voiced by Odessa A'zion. She was never mentioned in any season of the original show, making her addition a bit risky. Her absence from the series may mean her story ends tragically, or she leaves Hawkins before the events of season 3.