Just when you thought Stranger Things was over, it keeps creeping back from the Upside Down. First there was the “Conformity Gate” kerfluffle after the series finale that ended up being an elaborate delusion among dissatisfied fans. Then there was the making-of documentary that lifted the lid on the show’s high-pressure last episode. Then, last week, we got Tales From ’85, the animated spin-off series set between Stranger Things‘ second and third seasons, that added little interest beyond nostalgia for itself, some fresh plot holes, and a pretty great soundtrack.
To nobody’s surprise, it seems Netflix just can’t let go. Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 will be getting a second season, which at the very least means we’ll likely get to find out why punky new character Nikki (voiced by Odessa A’zion)—deemed so valuable to the group that she’s invited to join their Dungeons & Dragons game—isn’t around by the time the kids are having their adventures at the Starcourt Mall.
If you read between the lines of Netflix’s Tudum post about the renewal, season two has likely been in the bag this whole time.
“There’s more work ahead for the Hawkins Investigators Club: Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 has been renewed for season two. The series has debuted at No. 7 in Netflix’s Top 10 shows, securing a spot in the top 15 animated series debuts of all time just as seasons 1-5 of Stranger Things reach 1.5 billion cumulative views.
After uncovering a fearsome mystery at the end of Tales From ’85 season one, Eleven (voiced by Brooklyn Davey Norstedt), Mike (Luca Diaz), Will (Benjamin Plessala), Dustin (Braxton Quinney), Lucas (Elisha ‘EJ’ Williams), Max (Jolie Hoang-Rappaport), and Nikki (Odessa A’zion) will take on another perilous threat when new episodes head to Netflix this fall.”
“This fall” is awfully soon for another whole season of an animated series, so we can likely assume the two installments were crafted back-to-back. And that might not even be the end, as the Tudum post continues, explaining that “each season” of Tales From ’85 will be linked. “They’re very much connected [to each other],” showrunner Eric Robles told Tudum.
He continued. “We’re thrilled to return to the winter of ’85 for season two. The Hawkins Investigators Club is back, and a new paranormal threat has emerged from the town’s abandoned silver mines. I can’t wait for fans to discover where this entity and the mysterious blue flower we last saw blooming in the Upside Down at the end of season one take our young heroes.”
How many seasons will Netflix go the distance with Tales From ’85? Might we have a Tales From ’86 waiting in the wings? Does “abandoned silver mines” sound kind of Scooby-Doo to anyone else? Leave your reactions in the comments below. And if the show’s soundtrack was also a standout for you, the animated series has its own Spotify playlist.
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