Stranger Things: Tales From '85 Season 2 Review - Exciting New Monsters Can't Fix Glaring Issues

Image via Netflix Netflix's Stranger Things: Tales from '85 returns with another season that fails to reach the heights of the original live-action series. Published Sep 17, 2026, 3:01 AM EDT Matthew Rudoy is one of ScreenRant's Movie & TV News Editors. He covers the latest in movie & TV news, with a focus on major franchises like Star Wars, The Boys, and Game of Thrones, and also writes some features and reviews. He wrote lists for ScreenRant from 2017-2022, became a news writer in 2023, a senior staff writer in 2024, and an editor in 2025. Stranger Things: Tales from '85 returns with new monsters and many of the same issues that plagued season 1. The animated spinoff series is set in the winter of 1985, between the events of Stranger Things seasons 2 and 3. This allows the story to return to a time when the younger characters are still kids and the full group is still in Hawkins, Indiana. The spinoff's second season takes place around Valentine's Day, as the romantic couples prepare for the holiday, and Dustin Henderson gets disappointed by there being no supernatural phenomenon for the Hawkins Investigators Club (H.I.C.) to investigate. This status quo is quickly upended when the glowing blue flowers teased in the season 1 finale begin appearing all over Hawkins, along with a ghost and bug-like creatures referred to as hate sprites. Much like Tales from '85 season 1, there are fun moments and plenty of action, but there's still a lack of character development, noticeable pacing issues, and the inescapable feeling that this is a lesser version of a story that's already been told numerous times. There are also the distractions that come with the show being, as creator and showrunner Eric Robles has put it, "frozen in time," and convoluting the existing canon. Tales From '85 Is More Interested In Monsters Than Its Human Characters While the monsters were always compelling in the original Stranger Things, especially when it came to Vecna, the human characters were the heart of the series. When season 1 came out in 2016, I remember quickly getting invested in Dustin, Eleven, Nancy Wheeler, and Jim Hopper. It was because of this investment in them, and those like Max Mayfield that came in subsequent seasons, that I continually returned to the show. Tales from '85 is much less interested in developing its characters or their relationships. Other than a secret fear Mike Wheeler has, powerful advice he gets from Nancy, and a little more about the effect that Max's parents' divorce is having on her, the spinoff doesn't reveal or explore anything too new with the characters. Any growth that they do have feels infinitesimal given everything we already know about them and what lies ahead, but this is somewhat inevitable due to the story being sandwiched between seasons 2 and 3. Hawkins, Indiana · 1986 Which Stranger Things Character Are You? “Friends don’t lie.” 🧠 Eleven The Protector 📡 Mike The Leader 🤓 Dustin The Brain 🏂 Max The Fighter 🪧 Steve The Babysitter ENTER THE UPSIDE DOWN → 12345678 01 It’s Friday night in Hawkins. What are you doing? ASetting up a radio tower in my room to pick up distant signals BRunning a D&D campaign in my basement — it’s been planned for weeks CWatching TV alone, eating Eggos — quiet is good DDriving the kids somewhere and pretending I don’t care ESkating at the rink with my headphones on, blocking out the world ← BACKNEXT → 12345678 02 The lights start flickering and something growls in the dark. What’s your first instinct? AStand my ground — I’ve faced worse than this BGrab a weapon and put myself between the danger and the kids CStay cool, assess the situation, figure out an escape route DStart theorizing what it could be while everyone else panics ERally the group — we’re stronger together, we need a plan NOW ← BACKNEXT → 12345678 03 Your best friend is missing and nobody believes you. What do you do? AComfort the group, keep morale up, and make sure nobody does anything stupid BGo looking alone — I don’t need anyone else to believe me CResearch everything — maps, records, science — find the pattern DChannel the anger into action — someone is going to answer for this EOrganize a search party, assign roles, lead from the front ← BACKNEXT → 12345678 04 How would people at Hawkins High describe you? AIntense and passionate — once I care about something, I go all in BThe funny one who’s smarter than people think CSurprisingly dependable — like, when did THAT happen? DQuiet, misunderstood — I don’t let many people in ETough as nails on the outside, but dealing with a lot underneath ← BACKNEXT → 12345678 05 Someone at school is being bullied right in front of you. What do you do? AGet in the bully’s face — I know what it’s like to feel powerless BStand up and say something, even if my voice shakes CStep in silently and stare them down — no words needed DBreak it up, tell the bully to grow up, and walk the kid to class EDefuse it with humor so nobody has to throw a punch ← BACKNEXT → 12345678 06 You discover something impossible — a secret that could change everything. Who do you tell? AEveryone. Immediately. This is too big to keep to myself! BNobody — I handle things on my own until I know who I can trust CMy inner circle only — the people who’ve proven themselves DWhoever needs to know to keep people safe — I’m practical about it EI’d keep it inside — I’m used to carrying things alone ← BACKNEXT → 12345678 07 When things feel overwhelming and the world seems dark, how do you cope? ATake care of other people — helping them helps me forget my own stuff BShut down, go quiet — retreat into myself until I’m ready CMusic. Loud music. It’s the only thing that drowns it out DWrite it down, talk it out — I need to process with people I trust EThrow myself into a project or problem — keep my brain busy ← BACKNEXT → 08 When the Upside Down is finally closed and Hawkins is safe, what matters most to you? ABelonging — finally having a place and people to call home BFreedom — being able to just be a normal kid for once CKnowing I kept everyone safe — even when I doubted myself DThe adventure — I mean, it was terrifying, but also kind of awesome? EThe bonds we made — nothing brings people together like fighting monsters REVEAL MY CHARACTER → Hawkins Lab Report Complete Your Stranger Things Alter Ego 🧠 Eleven “I can save them. I’m the only one who can.” You’re quiet but powerful — and people underestimate you at their own risk. You didn’t have the easiest start in life, but that’s made you fiercely protective of the people you love. You don’t always have the words, but your actions speak volumes. When everyone else is running away from danger, you’re walking straight toward it. You carry more than anyone should, and you rarely ask for help — but you’re learning that vulnerability isn’t weakness.Powerful Protective Resilient Empathetic 📡 Mike Wheeler “We never would have upset you if we knew you had superpowers.” You’re the natural leader of your group — not because you’re the loudest or the strongest, but because you genuinely care. You’re passionate, sometimes to a fault, and when you believe in something (or someone), you go all in. You hold your friends to high standards because you hold yourself to the same. People might see you as intense, but that intensity is born from love. You’d go to the Upside Down and back for the people in your life.Passionate Loyal Determined Emotional 🤓 Dustin Henderson “I am on a curiosity voyage, and I need my paddles to travel.” You’re the glue that holds everything together, even if nobody realizes it. Your brain never stops working — you see connections other people miss, and you’re not afraid to geek out about it. Sure, people might laugh at your enthusiasm, but you don’t care because you know who you are. You bring heart and humor to every situation, and when things get dark, you’re the one who reminds everyone that there’s still something worth fighting for.Brilliant Optimistic Authentic Heart 🏂 Max Mayfield “I’m not afraid of you.” You’re tough — not because you want to be, but because life made you that way. You’ve built walls higher than Castle Byers, and you don’t let just anyone past them. But beneath that armor is someone who feels everything deeply and fights harder than anyone for the people she loves. You cope through independence and sometimes push people away when you need them most. But when you finally let someone in? That bond is unbreakable.Fierce Independent Brave Complex 🪧 Steve Harrington “How many times do I have to save you people?” You’re the unlikely hero — the person nobody expected to step up, least of all yourself. You started out focused on your hair and your reputation, but when it mattered, you discovered something more important: protecting the people who need you. You’re brave, selfless, and way more capable than you give yourself credit for. You might downplay your role with a joke, but everyone knows: when the Demogorgon shows up, you’re the one grabbing the nail bat.Selfless Brave Loyal Underestimated ↻ PLAY AGAIN Stranger Things' Nikki Baxter, an original character introduced in season 1 of the spinoff, continues to be one of the more intriguing parts of the show, partly because we don't know her story beyond this. She is present for most of the new season and is wrestling with a dilemma, but she gets less overall development this time, as does her relationship with Will Byers, which was one of the highlights of season 1. With not much emphasis on character, the show instead prioritizes its monsters. The good news is that the monsters are more interesting than they were in season 1. A ghost is a kind of supernatural threat that the Stranger Things' characters have not faced before, and this paranormal phenomenon even reveals important secrets about the history of Hawkins, providing fascinating lore that is brand-new to the franchise. The ghost and hate sprites also just scratch the surface of an even more formidable and unique threat. The action and chase sequences begin to feel monotonous and blur together, and the characters need more time for themselves and their relationships to breathe. No matter how refreshing these monsters feel at first, though, they gradually lose their impact when most of the show is the characters running away from or fighting them over and over again. The action and chase sequences begin to feel monotonous and blur together, and the characters need more time for themselves and their relationships to breathe. This creates pacing problems, leading to a story that feels overstretched and an ending that feels abrupt. Amid these issues, it's difficult not to think about what the story means for the Stranger Things spinoff being "soft canon." The show references and relies on events and dynamics from seasons 1 and 2 of the live-action series. At the same time, much of what happens, including Eleven's more consistent and powerful abilities at this juncture, doesn't work with what will happen in the later live-action seasons. This is only made worse by a head-scratching decision in the Tales from '85 season 2 finale as well. It's Time For The Stranger Things Franchise To Take A Break Image via Netflix Tales from '85 season 1 ended with the cliffhanger involving the blue flower, clearly setting up another season that was announced only days after all the episodes came to Netflix. From a narrative standpoint, this is not the case with season 2, as there is no cliffhanger this time, although there's always potential for the H.I.C. to tackle new cases in the future. Since season 2 takes place around Valentine's Day, the winter of 1985 time period is also close to ending, and season 3 of the main show is in the summer of 1985. Regardless of how well Tales from '85 season 2 performs on Netflix, it would be wise for the franchise to take a break now. After waiting three and a half years between Stranger Things seasons 4 and 5, within the past year, the live-action show's final season and two seasons of the animated spinoff have been released. New seasons of the original show felt like an event, but now there's an overabundance of content, with too much being released in too little time. It doesn't help that the Stranger Things series finale was incredibly divisive, as were other elements of season 5, and Tales from '85 season 1 had a lackluster reception. Show/Season Tomatometer Score Popcornmeter Score Stranger Things season 1 97% 96% Stranger Things season 2 94% 90% Stranger Things season 3 89% 86% Stranger Things season 4 89% 88% Stranger Things season 5 83% 52% Stranger Things: Tales from '85 season 1 61% 52% The franchise needs to take a break, not only to build up an appetite for it to return, but to find a fresh new direction. One of the biggest struggles in Tales from '85 is how it clings to the original characters without expanding on them in ways that feel meaningful or exciting. Such an approach prevents the spinoff from evolving into something more, even with the inclusion of new characters like Nikki and Charlie Dandridge. The Duffer Brothers have mentioned a live-action spinoff in early development and teased that it features new characters, a new story, and a new setting. This feels like the best path forward for the franchise in order to avoid the pitfalls of Stranger Things: Tales from '85, as the universe needs to grow beyond Hawkins and the characters who inhabit it. All eight episodes of Stranger Things: Tales from '85 season 2 release Thursday, September 17 on Netflix. Release Date September 17, 2026 Network Netflix Series Stranger Things: Tales from '85 Episodes 8 Pros & Cons Exciting new monsters expands the lore Lack of character development Action sequences become monotonous and hurt overall pacing Canon status continues to be distracting