It’s Too Late for BOTH of Netflix’s Upcoming Stranger Things Spinoffs

Following its ending, Stranger Things already has multiple spinoffs in the works at Netflix — but it’s too late for two of them, and that doesn’t bode well for the franchise’s future. Stranger Things Season 5 wraps up the Hawkins gang’s years-long fight with Vecna and the Upside Down. It gives Eleven and her friends a proper send-off, but it’s one that doesn’t leave a ton of room for expansion. Perhaps that’s why two upcoming additions to Netflix’s Stranger Things lineup are both taking viewers back in time instead of forward.

Among the spinoffs the streamer has planned are an animated series dubbed Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 and a recorded version of The First Shadow stageplay. These should be exciting, but the Netflix show’s divisive ending is already dimming some of the enthusiasm surrounding them. There’s another problem, too: neither is arriving at the right time. And honestly? That makes both feel kind of pointless.

Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 Feels Pointless Now That the Main Show Is Over

Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 will return fans to Hawkins just four months after bidding farewell to the main story. The spinoff releases on April 23, but it’s hard to see the point of this animated mystery, since it takes place between Seasons 2 and 3. That makes its arrival a few years too late. While the show could add new lore to the Netflix franchise — and will, judging by its new villains from the Upside Down and Abyss — we already know how this narrative has to end.

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Because of Tales From ’85‘s place in the timeline, the spinoff can’t do anything groundbreaking with its characters or plot. They all have to end up where they are at the start of Season 3, which significantly lowers the suspense. Sure, there may be a new character in the form of Nikki Baxter. But considering she’s never mentioned in the original show, the spinoff risks retconning Stranger Things further. This would leave viewers even more disenchanted with it after Season 5. It’s a bummer, as this contained, animated story could have been interesting…six or seven years ago.

The First Shadow Should Have Come Out Before Stranger Things’ Final Season

In addition to Stranger Things‘ poorly placed animated spinoff, Netflix is also planning to stream a recorded version of The First Shadow. The stage play gives viewers insight into Henry Creel’s backstory, offering glimpses of characters like Jim Hopper, Joyce Byers, and Karen Wheeler in their teens as well. It will touch on Henry’s connection to the cave from Season 5, as well as the flashback we see within it. This makes it somewhat perplexing that this recording wasn’t planned before the final episodes hit the platform.

The First Shadow has been playing since 2023, when it came out in London’s West End. It’s now on Broadway as well, but it’s not widely accessible — something that Netflix’s recent development will change. If the series was going to work details from the play into the final season, however, it really should have streamed the production prior to its release. Doing so would have been a way to ease frustrations about Stranger Things Season 5 taking so long, too. The fact that Netflix is only now making this decision doesn’t bode well for its franchise aspirations, as both Tales From ’85 and The First Shadow‘s streaming plan highlight a lack of proper planning.

The First Stranger Things Spinoffs Don’t Bode Well for the Larger Netflix Franchise

Both Tales From ’85 and The First Shadow arriving at the wrong time don’t bode well for Netflix’s franchise plans, as they suggest weak planning on the streamer’s part. With Stranger Things being one of its biggest series, the outline for its expansion should have been made years ago. And anything directly connected to the original story should’ve come out during its run. Instead, both of these spinoffs feel like last-minute ways to capitalize on all the hype. But now that it’s died down after the series finale, it’s hard to say how effective they’ll be.

Considering how much is riding on the first few releases, it’s truly a bummer. The success of Stranger Things‘ initial spinoffs will likely be used to determine how much demand there is for more. Unfortunately, these projects are probably not the right ones to measure that excitement by. Something fresh and genuinely suspenseful would be a better means of evaluating that. Hopefully, after these projects, we’ll get that.

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