Stranger Things Spinoff Officially Confirms A Major Fear About The Franchise’s Future

While Stranger Things might be over, the show’s first spinoff seems determined to continue the most regrettable change that the original show made to its formula in later years. While there are plenty of other Netflix hits, Stranger Things occupies a particularly important place in the streaming service’s history. While acclaimed shows like Orange Is The New Black, House of Cards, and BoJack Horseman helped raise Netflix’s profile, Stranger Things was arguably the first undeniable blockbuster franchise to come from the streaming service.

The success of Stranger Things made spinoffs and follow-ups inevitable, so it is no surprise that author Caitlyn Schneiderhan’s spinoff novel Stranger Things: One Way or Another was announced before the show even ended. However, the arrival of a full-length trailer for the animated spinoff show Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 proves that the future of the franchise is aimed squarely at a younger audience, something that wasn’t the case in the show’s early seasons. While Stranger Things has been leaning this way for a while, this is still a disappointing development.

Tales from ’85’s Trailer Proves Stranger Things Is Now A Family-Friendly Franchise

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Set between seasons 2 and 3, Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 is somewhat unusual as far as spinoffs go. Rather than focusing on new characters in a new setting, this series will feature recast versions of Hopper, Eleven, Lucas, Mike, Max, Dustin, and Will in an animated format. Early reports suggested Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 would have a lighter tone than the original show, but the spinoff’s trailer proves just how far the series took this.

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With cheesier humor and seemingly none of the original show’s violence and grit, Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 feels more like a cartoon spinoff of Disney+’s recent Goosebumps show than a Stranger Things series. While creators the Duffer Brothers worked on Netflix’s stellar psychological thriller Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen, none of that project’s admirable intensity and gripping atmosphere appears to have migrated to this goofy, child-friendly cartoon show. Essentially, Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 appears to reimagine the original show as a Saturday morning cartoon.

Stranger Things Losing Its Darkness Doomed Season 5

Many Stranger Things cast members have superb comedic timing, and some of the show’s most memorable moments came from the comedic relief that was inserted in between more dramatic, tragic, and scary scenes. However, it is important to note that early on, Stranger Things was firmly a show for adults. Everything from Hopper’s grief over losing a child to the remorseless agents from Hawkins Lab killing innocent civilians, to the brutal bullying that Mike and his friends faced at school, solidified the series as a distinctly dark, mature show.

This was gradually undone as the show progressed, with season 3 in particular adopting a zany style that divided the fan base. While season 4 corrected course somewhat, Stranger Things season 5’s retcons went all in on this comparatively family-friendly tone and neutered the series as a result. More than any specific plot holes, it was the lack of stakes that came with effectively being a family show that ruined the reception of the final season. Viewers knew that the main characters were in no real danger, and Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 now makes this worse with a Stranger Things spinoff that is explicitly abandoning any attempts at maturity.