‘Stranger Things: Tales From ’85’ Season 2 Trailer Reveals Returning Characters
The ‘Stranger Things’ universe has spent the last decade demonstrating its ability to expand beyond its original live-action format, and the animated spinoff ‘Tales From ’85’ has quickly emerged as one of the more unexpected extensions of that world. Set between the second and third seasons of the original series, this show allows fans to revisit younger versions of Eleven, Mike, Dustin, Will, Lucas, and Max through a unique visual style.
This spinoff has progressed unusually quickly by ‘Stranger Things’ standards. After its premiere in April, Netflix announced a second season renewal just five days later, sparing fans the usual agonizing wait between installments that the main series is known for. Season 2 is officially set to debut on Sept. 17, accompanied by a new trailer and a host of fresh plot details.
Along with the release date, Netflix has confirmed a significant change for the new season. According to What’s on Netflix, Season 2 will feature a reduced episode count, dropping from 10 episodes to 8, a shift from the first season’s full ten-episode run. The official logline states: “With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, mysterious ‘ghostly’ apparitions and a swarm of hate sprites are wreaking havoc around Hawkins. The HIC must uncover the truth behind these paranormal events before a new gate to the Upside Down is ripped open.”
Continuing directly from the Season 1 finale, the new episodes follow the Hawkins Investigators Club as they dive back into arcade gaming, HIC missions, and Valentine’s Day preparations, only to find strange glowing flowers emerging throughout the town. Showrunner Eric Robles hinted at the new threat, noting that the crew initially believes life is returning to normal before they discover the flowers harbor a supernatural secret.
Robles provided further insight into how the season’s central mystery unfolds, revealing that Nikki and Max scheme to sell the flowers around Hawkins, which only exacerbates the issue as the flowers spread more than anyone anticipated. He also teased unexplored areas for the season, mentioning a mine in Hawkins that the show has yet to explore, hinting at new locations beyond familiar spots like Hawkins Middle School and the Palace Arcade.
The Season 1 finale concluded on a chilling note, with the group defeating the mutated Horde Queen, only for a glowing blue stem to erupt from her corpse in the Upside Down, unfurling into the unmistakable maw of a Demogorgon. Robles described that moment as the start of a brand new mystery and chapter for the series, suggesting a connection between the flower phenomenon and this new threat.
The full voice cast returns for Season 2, featuring Brooklyn Davey Norstedt as Eleven, Luca Diaz as Mike, Benjamin Plessala as Will, Braxton Quinney as Dustin, Elisha “EJ” Williams as Lucas, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport as Max, and Odessa A’zion as newcomer Nikki, whose family is confirmed to be staying in Hawkins moving forward. Fans can also look forward to Eleven receiving significantly more screen time this season, as Hopper extends her curfew just in time for more D&D sessions with the group.
Despite the quick turnaround between seasons, Season 1 had a relatively modest viewership, spending only two weeks in Netflix’s Top 10 and accumulating 23.9 million viewing hours. Whether the tighter eight-episode format and darker new mystery will help Season 2 make a bigger impact remains to be seen when it premieres on Netflix next month.
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