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Season 1 – Stranger Things: Tales From '85

Play trailer 2:31 Poster for Season 1 – Stranger Things: Tales From '85 Apr 2026 Sci-Fi Horror Mystery & Thriller Drama Animation Play Trailer Watchlist
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63% Tomatometer 35 Reviews 52% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
Welcome back to Hawkins in the winter of 1985, where the original characters face new monsters and a paranormal mystery.
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Stranger Things: Tales From '85 — Season 1

Stranger Things: Tales From '85 — Season 1

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Critics Consensus

A nostalgic return to the world of Stranger Things paired with a fun animation style means Tales from '85 can steadily continue the story for a new set of younger viewers, while still appealing to the core fanbase.

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Critics Reviews

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Zaki Hasan San Francisco Chronicle 2d
While the scares are softer and the humor broader, the emotional through line remains intact. This is still a story about kids trying to make sense of things far bigger than themselves. Go to Full Review
Peter Travers The Travers Take Apr 25
1.5/4
Who’s the audience for this infantile, animated take on an indelible series? Only diehards and dimwits need apply. Go to Full Review
Chase Hutchinson Seattle Times Apr 24
An animated spinoff that takes place between seasons 2 and 3 of the original series, it’s an experience that, even with some playfulness, is so narratively boxed in and stuck looking back that it proves to be a largely dull drag. Go to Full Review
Callie Hanna FandomWire May 12
9/10
It's visually spectacular, there's a genuine sense of mystery reminiscent of the early seasons, it's surprisingly funny when it needs to be... Go to Full Review
Alex Maidy JoBlo's Movie Network May 7
7/10
Fun but ultimately not required viewing, Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 is well animated and solidly made, making for an entertaining return to the beloved franchise. Go to Full Review
Archi Sengupta LeisureByte.com May 7
2.5/5
Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 brings back the beloved gang in an animated midquel that balances nostalgia, mystery, and a softer tone—though it doesn’t quite match the emotional highs of the original. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Hunt G @HuntGod 4d It's bad Scooby Doo, no clue who green lit this but it is terrible. See more Sarah B. @RT77432303 6d This is one of those shows I hope and pray continues because it is shows like this that make EXCELLENT TV. The artistry is insane! It’s like a color bomb and the style is phenomenal!! I love the action of it and this definitely made me feel good when I watched it. It’s hard to find good shows nowadays. I binge watched it and it was soooo good that I started all over again!! I can’t wait for season two, seriously. The characters were so relatable and it just felt really great and comforting to watch this show. It was like a blanket of warm and exciting nostalgia and I need more of that in my life for sure! It was the perfect escape from my troubles. I admire the incredibly talented crew who made this entire project and vision come to life. I just finished the second time and it’s so good that I’m about to start it a third time!! Seriously, so artistically inspiring. I am bursting for season two!! SEASON TWO!! Thank you for making something SO amazing. -TheButlerDidItCreations See more Everett G @RT65349808 May 17 Stranger Things (if you can even call it that) Tales From 85 makes absolutely no sense if it were canon which thankfully it isn't. The show is really aimed at younger kids and all the characters suck. They are given no personality traits what so ever and juts feel like NPC's The animation is cool and visually the show looks pretty good. But it just creates so many plot holes in the actual show, and it's so predictable and every episode feels the exact same. I get that this is a show for kids but there are going to be fans of the original show like myself and are probably going to at some point give this spin off a shot. They really do nothing to appeal to adults and older kids/teens. I honestly cant recommend this show to anyone over the age of 11 because I think that you just wont get anything out of it and constantly wish you were just watching the original show. (4/10) (C- grade) See more Ram Y @RT32528336 May 16 INNECESARIA. Está claro que querían seguir con la franquicia de Stranger Things, pero si tanto querían, podrían haber hecho otro proyecto más interesante de ver. Como un spin-off de un personaje que se puede desarrollar más, como el Doctor Brenner, o Murray... En vez de eso hacen una serie poco interesante que no tiene ABSOLUTAMENTE NADA que ver con Stranger Things. See more Keith N @RT27565593 May 14 WHAT?! Stranger things Tales From '85 season 1 was everything that I expected after coming from season 5 of original show, but still came out extremely disappointed. This new spin-off unfortunately carries the same issues that were in season 5 of the original show, but somehow, in someway they made it even worse. First of all, this is not canon to the story, and I'm content to believe that. The stuff that happens in the show are just nonsense and don't even carry to seasons 3 (this takes place in between season 2 and 3). Second of all this show has a serious case of what I like to call (kindergarten writing) where everyone talks so childish that it isn't even cringe anymore it's just constant torture. Lastly the the animation looks so choppy and cheap, you would think that this was fan-made. When I first saw the trailers, this show looked fine but when the characters are actually moving, it is chopped as hell. Overall, do not watch this, it isn't worth your time, trust me. 1/10 See more Pedro A @PedroAlao May 12 I'm not sure how well it fits in the narrative of the original series, but what this show does is provide a fun and charismatic adventure with the set of young characters we all know and love, alongside some pretty cool additions. The twists and turns of the plot are rather predictable, but its charm and colorfulness are strong enough to make for an enjoyable experience all throughout. Overall, if you can accept that all kids are heavily protected by anti-monster plot armor, you'll have a pretty good time! See more Read all reviews
Stranger Things: Tales From '85 — Season 1

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Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Apr 23, 2026 Chapter One: Welcome to Hawkins, New Kid A surprising new threat alters the gang's plans to shovel snow for extra cash, bringing them face to face with danger and closer to a cool new student. Details Episode 2 Aired Apr 23, 2026 Chapter Two: Bad Harvest Nikki joins the party and the newly formed Hawkins Investigators Club; strange things take root at a nearby farm and shake up the Winter Festival. Details Episode 3 Aired Apr 23, 2026 Chapter Three: Evolution The kids look for answers about the mutant creatures plaguing their town and get a helpful lesson from Mrs. Baxter, their substitute science teacher. Details Episode 4 Aired Apr 23, 2026 Chapter Four: The Confession A worried Mike decides to come clean to Hopper and Dustin drags Steve into the H.I.C.; Nikki welcomes Will to the mosh pit; Lucas and Max hit the arcade. Details Episode 5 Aired Apr 23, 2026 Chapter Five: The Weekly Watcher When a photo that could put El in danger gets sold to a popular tabloid, the kids pull Nancy into a heist to get it back; if they can't then it's game over. Details Episode 6 Aired Apr 23, 2026 Chapter Six: A Storm Is Coming As a blizzard bears down on Hawkins, Dustin goes on a side quest and Max and Lucas hear a cry for help; a bold move lands some of the gang in detention. Details Episode 7 Aired Apr 23, 2026 Chapter Seven: Enter the Storm Lucas and Max seek higher ground to call in a Code Red; across town, Will, Mike and Nikki are snowed in at school and El can see they're not alone. Details Episode 8 Aired Apr 23, 2026 Chapter Eight: The Party Dustin finds danger at the Food Mart when two terrifying creatures break in; the gang gears up to go underground just in time for Nikki's birthday. Details Episode 9 Aired Apr 23, 2026 Chapter Nine: The Suspect In the wake of a shocking revelation, the H.I.C. digs in to investigate, splitting up into teams to search for more clues and uncover the truth. Details Episode 10 Aired Apr 23, 2026 Chapter Ten: Countdown With time running out, the party pulls together for a brave battle to stay alive; friends have to help friends because Hawkins' future depends on it. Details

Season Info

Director
Jj Conway, Phil Allora, Benjamin Choi, Sarah Partington, Ashe Jacobson, Eric Robles
Executive Producer
Dan Cohen, Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer, Shawn Levy
Screenwriter
Ray Utarnachitt, Alexis Quasarano, Joshua Pruett, Jen Bardekoff, Jennifer Muro, Dan Milano, Chad Quandt, Eric Robles, Kevin Burke, Chris Wyatt
Network
Netflix
Rating
TV-14
Genre
Sci-Fi, Horror, Mystery & Thriller, Drama, Animation
Original Language
English
Release Date
Apr 23, 2026