Stranger Things: Tales from '85

Stranger Things: Tales from ’85

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Overview

Winter. Hawkins. 1985. Welcome back to a town crawling with secrets, where beloved heroes are facing fresh mysteries... and an all-new breed of strange.

Media

Which Stranger Things Character is Odessa A'zion? | Stranger Things: Tales From '85 | Netflix

Cast

Brooklyn Davey Norstedt

Jolie Hoang-Rappaport

Creator:

Eric Robles

Fist Air Date:

2026-04-23

Episode Runtime:

undefinedm

Production Companies:

Flying Bark Productions, Upside Down Pictures, 21 Laps Entertainment, Flying Bark Productions

Genres:

Action & Adventure Animation Mystery Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Keywords:

1980s based on tv series coming of age experiment government conspiracy group of friends indiana, usa monster mystery nostalgic parallel world pre-teen small town super power supernatural teen drama

More Show Details

Vote Average: 7.8/10

Vote Count: 75 Votes

Show Popularity: 13.425

Show Status: Returning Series

Show Type: Scripted

Spoken Languages: English

Review

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Insomniacs Reviews
- 23 April 2026 at 12:21 am

7 Based on 1 Votes
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⭐ Insomniacs Rating: 7/10 THE SUMMARYSurprise! Just when you thought Hawkins was closed for business after the emotional rollercoaster of Season 5, Netflix drops Stranger Things: Tales from '85 today, April 23, 2026. This isn't a live-action sequel, but a 10-episode animated "lost chapter" set during the snowy winter of 1985, sandwiched between the events of Season 2 and Season 3. While the town recovers from the Mind Flayer, the core gang—Eleven, Mike, Dustin, Lucas, Will, and Max—stumble into a new paranormal mystery involving "Upside Down pumpkin zombies" and a mysterious punk-rock newcomer named Nikki Baxter. THE PROSThe animation style is a "Guaranteed Banger." It captures that specific 1980s Saturday-morning cartoon aesthetic while maintaining the dark, cinematic lighting that made the original show famous. Since it's set in 1985, we get the "Prime Hawkins" vibe with the whole gang still together and relatively innocent. The voice cast, while entirely new (including Jeremy Jordan as Steve and Brooklyn Davey Norstedt as Eleven), does "The Business" of channeling the original actors' spirits perfectly. It’s a Masterpiece of nostalgia that lets the creators play with bigger, weirder monsters that would have been impossible or too expensive to do in live-action. THE CONSIt is a "Lighter Shade of Horror." Because it’s animated and aimed at a slightly broader audience, some of the life-or-death stakes feel a bit "nerfed" compared to the brutal intensity of the main series. It’s a 7/10 because it ultimately feels like "Premium Filler"—it’s a fun ride, but since we already know exactly where these characters end up in Season 3 and beyond, there’s a limit to how much the plot can actually evolve. The dialogue occasionally leans a bit too hard into "remember the 80s?" references, making it feel a little like a Masterpiece of fan-service rather than a vital new story. THE VERDICTA solid 7/10. It’s "The Business" if you’ve been mourning the end of the main series and just want one more winter in Hawkins with the kids. It misses the 9/10 mark because it lacks the "anything can happen" tension of the flagship show, but it’s a gorgeous, well-crafted expansion of the lore. It’s "The Garbage" only if you’re a purist who refuses to accept anyone but the original cast voices—otherwise, it’s a perfect snack to tide you over while we wait for the live-action spin-offs. INSOMNIAC TRIVIA The series was produced by Flying Bark Productions, the same studio behind X-Men '97, which explains why the "retro-modern" animation looks so slick. Also, the Duffer Brothers served as Executive Producers to ensure the "Upside Down" rules stayed consistent with the lore. Fun fact: The new character, Nikki Baxter, was reportedly inspired by unused concept art for a "protector" character that was originally pitched way back during the development of Season 1. THE VIBE Like a bowl of sugary cereal on a cold Saturday morning in December. It’s colorful, comforting, and brings back that childhood feeling of wonder, even if you know it’s mostly just a sweet treat.

TV Show Poster

Season 1

10 Episodes

Air Date: 2026-04-23

In the winter of 1985, snow blankets the town and the horrors of the Upside Down are finally fading. Our heroes Eleven, Mike, Will, Dustin, Lucas, and Max have settled back into a normal life of D&D, snowball fights, and quiet days. But beneath the ice, something terrifying has awakened. Could it be from the Upside Down? From the depths of Hawkins Lab? Or from somewhere else entirely? Our heroes must race to solve this mystery and save Hawkins in this untold story set in the Stranger Things universe.

Season 2

Videos

Which Stranger Things Character is Odessa A'zion? | Stranger Things: Tales From '85 | Netflix

Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85 | Official Trailer | Netflix

Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85 | Official Teaser | Netflix

Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85 | Official Announcement | Netflix

Cast

Brooklyn Davey Norstedt

Jolie Hoang-Rappaport

Elisha Williams

Braxton Quinney

Benjamin Plessala

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Stranger Things: Tales from ’85

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Stranger Things: Tales from ’85

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Insomniacs Reviews
- 23 April 2026 at 1:21 AM

⭐ Insomniacs Rating: 7/10
THE SUMMARY
Surprise! Just when you thought Hawkins was closed for business after the emotional rollercoaster of Season 5, Netflix drops Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 today, April 23, 2026. This isn’t a live-action sequel, but a 10-episode animated “lost chapter” set during the snowy winter of 1985, sandwiched between the events of Season 2 and Season 3. While the town recovers from the Mind Flayer, the core gang—Eleven, Mike, Dustin, Lucas, Will, and Max—stumble into a new paranormal mystery involving “Upside Down pumpkin zombies” and a mysterious punk-rock newcomer named Nikki Baxter.
THE PROS
The animation style is a “Guaranteed Banger.” It captures that specific 1980s Saturday-morning cartoon aesthetic while maintaining the dark, cinematic lighting that made the original show famous. Since it’s set in 1985, we get the “Prime Hawkins” vibe with the whole gang still together and relatively innocent. The voice cast, while entirely new (including Jeremy Jordan as Steve and Brooklyn Davey Norstedt as Eleven), does “The Business” of channeling the original actors’ spirits perfectly. It’s a Masterpiece of nostalgia that lets the creators play with bigger, weirder monsters that would have been impossible or too expensive to do in live-action.
THE CONS
It is a “Lighter Shade of Horror.” Because it’s animated and aimed at a slightly broader audience, some of the life-or-death stakes feel a bit “nerfed” compared to the brutal intensity of the main series. It’s a 7/10 because it ultimately feels like “Premium Filler”—it’s a fun ride, but since we already know exactly where these characters end up in Season 3 and beyond, there’s a limit to how much the plot can actually evolve. The dialogue occasionally leans a bit too hard into “remember the 80s?” references, making it feel a little like a Masterpiece of fan-service rather than a vital new story.
THE VERDICT
A solid 7/10. It’s “The Business” if you’ve been mourning the end of the main series and just want one more winter in Hawkins with the kids. It misses the 9/10 mark because it lacks the “anything can happen” tension of the flagship show, but it’s a gorgeous, well-crafted expansion of the lore. It’s “The Garbage” only if you’re a purist who refuses to accept anyone but the original cast voices—otherwise, it’s a perfect snack to tide you over while we wait for the live-action spin-offs.
INSOMNIAC TRIVIA
The series was produced by Flying Bark Productions, the same studio behind X-Men ’97, which explains why the “retro-modern” animation looks so slick. Also, the Duffer Brothers served as Executive Producers to ensure the “Upside Down” rules stayed consistent with the lore. Fun fact: The new character, Nikki Baxter, was reportedly inspired by unused concept art for a “protector” character that was originally pitched way back during the development of Season 1.
THE VIBE
Like a bowl of sugary cereal on a cold Saturday morning in December. It’s colorful, comforting, and brings back that childhood feeling of wonder, even if you know it’s mostly just a sweet treat.

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