In the wake of the Stranger Things Season 5 finale, it became very clear that the show in 2025 was nothing like what it was in 2016. The story was bigger, the stakes were bigger, and all those child actors were considerably older. But that’s just an occupational hazard with shows with young casts: you can’t freeze them in time. Or can you?
Enter Stranger Things: Tales from ‘85, an animated spinoff series that picks up right after Season 2, the season many fans agree to be the end of the show’s Golden Age. Upon first watch, this series really delivers what Stranger Things grew out of in later seasons, as long as you don’t ask too many questions about the canon.
