Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 2026 Tv Show Review
As a fan of Stranger Things (2016-2025), I wasn’t excited for an animated series with events taking place in between seasons of the original show and it felt like another cash grab by Netflix, but I have to say that I had a damn great time with this show.
Positives for Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 (2026-): For me, I love that this show feels like a Saturday Morning animated series as I used watching those types of shows like Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Bakugan, The Spectacular Spider-Man, Loonatics Unleashed and any DC animated series. I still enjoy hanging out with Eleven, Mike, Will, Lucas, Dustin and Max on another ’80 journey against monsters from the Upside Down. The voice acting from the cast is really good and I like how the voice actors capture the energy and personalities of these characters almost down to a tee. The animation is very lively with the video game style that is so unique to the tone of this series. I enjoyed the new characters for the most part and I am interested in going on new adventures with our core cast of main characters. There is still a lot of great banter and dialogue with the characters that is so fun to watch especially in this new font for the universe. This was also a very enjoyable binge for me and I took my time with the series which is something I don’t do that often with a lot of shows on Netflix. And finally, I am officially all in for the future of this animated series and the various adventures in future seasons.
Mixed for Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 (2026-): This show is going for that Saturday Morning Show atmosphere with the story and characters which is fun, but there are some things with the approach that will rub people in the wrong way especially if you are a hardcore fan of the original series. Now I was initially worried about this series when it was being announced rightfully so, but I came to accept and appreciate this new show for what it is.
Negatives for Strangers Things: Tales from ’85 (2026-): It feels incredibly bizarre do a spin-off animated series with the same characters taking part in a story set in between seasons of the original show and it takes away a lot of the tension from the big threat of this first season. I also have to say that our team of characters feels incomplete with the absence of Joyce Byers, Steve Harrington, Nancy Wheeler, Jonathan Byers and Jim Hopper as they could’ve been a big help for the kids against this new monster from the Upside Down.
Overall, Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 (2026-) is an animated series that I was skeptical about going into it and it turned out to be a damn great binge for me and I am looking forward to future seasons down the line regardless whether or not they make sense in the canon of the original series.
