Netflix isn’t done reshaping Stranger Things, and the most obvious sign of that is Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, a new 3D animated series that’s quietly rewriting a major part of the main show’s established timeline.
Set during the winter of 1985, Tales From ’85 takes place between seasons 2 and 3. But the choice to set the new series in between seasons has raised concern among some fans.
Watch the official announcement trailer for the upcoming series below:
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Since the show was announced last year, fans have been pointing out the obvious problem with the show taking place between these seasons.
Season 2 ended with Eleven sealing the gate beneath Hawkins Lab, cutting off the Upside Down until Season 3—yet Tales From ’85 introduces new monsters, despite the gate being closed. Netflix has confirmed the series is canon, even though its events were never referenced by the flagship series once when Season 3 picked up months later.
That said, Tales From ’85 showrunner and executive producer Eric Robles told Entertainment Weekly last year that he found “loopholes” that will explain how never-before-seen monsters will appear without the need of the Upside Down portals. He said:
“I dissected the [main live-action] show, looking for any loopholes. I found a few of ’em. And then I found this one idea that I was just like, ‘Oh s—! I think that’s it.’ What is this big idea? Hawkins Lab science meets Upside Down matter. There’s a chain reaction to the creatures that are in our world and the things that are popping up.”
Whether or not fans view these “loopholes” as breaking canon or maintaining canon remains to be seen.
The spinoff also introduces a new original character named Nikki Baxter, whose role intersects with the Hawkins kids during this unexplored gap in the timeline.
The main Stranger Things series officially ended on December 31 (New Year’s Eve), with the Season 5 finale, “The Rightside Up,” debuting simultaneously on Netflix and in theaters across the U.S. and Canada. However, that ending proved divisive with fans.
Some launched an online petition calling for revised cuts of the season, while the “fake ending” or “Conformity Gate” theory convinced many that an alternate conclusion was still coming. Nothing followed, and reaction to the final season remained sharply split.
Whether or not Tales From ’85 will bring more controversy or remedy the disappointment felt by many remains to be seen.
Tales From ’85 brings back Eleven, Mike, Lucas, Dustin, Will, Max, and Hopper, all recast with new voice actors. Brooklyn Davey Norstedt voices Eleven, with Jolie Hoang-Rappaport as Max, Luca Diaz as Mike, Elisha “EJ” Williams as Lucas, Braxton Quinney as Dustin, Ben Plessala as Will, and Brett Gipson as Hopper. Odessa A’zion, Janeane Garofalo, and Lou Diamond Phillips also appear in undisclosed roles.
Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 premieres on Netflix this year.
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