The first episode of Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 starts on January 10, 1985, in Hawkins, Indiana. A scientist is seen destroying the remains of a strange Upside Down experiment deep below the town. But the destruction doesn’t go as planned; something gets out and spreads strange particles that seem to start the creation of a new threat.
Something scary comes out of the ground in the snowy landscape above and pulls Dustin’s bullies, Charlie and Jeff, into the dark below.
Life After Season 2 in Hawkins
The story starts after Season 2 of Stranger Things. Mike is getting ready for a change by packing up, and the rest of the group is getting together for a new stage in their lives. Hopper goes over the rules with Eleven again, stressing the need to be careful and stay safe.
Mike picks up Eleven at the cabin, and then the group goes to school together. But Eleven doesn’t go inside. Instead, she rides her bike home alone, keeping up her lonely routine.
A New Person in Town
Will has an embarrassing moment at school when he spills a drink on a bully by mistake. A new student comes in and helps him. She is quiet and shy, and she doesn’t say much, but she quickly wins over the group.
While Mr. Clarke is away on a business trip, the kids come up with a way to make some quick cash. Hawkins is covered in a heavy snowstorm, so they plan to use Eleven’s powers to quickly clear the snow from driveways.
Problems Under the Snow
Mike doesn’t like the idea and is worried about Eleven’s safety because of Hopper’s warnings. The group gets more and more tense, but they finally break the mood with a snowball fight.
But things get worse when a new threat hidden under the snow attacks Mr. Plow, the town’s snowplow operator.
Eleven steps in and uses her powers to help Dustin, but it’s clear that the group is facing something much worse than they thought. They decide to look into it more and find what they start calling a “snow shark.”
Their search gets much more serious when the creature targets the new girl, putting her in danger right away.
Episode Review: Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 tries to grow the universe with a new animated show that takes place between Seasons 2 and 3. The first part works pretty well, bringing back characters and the Hawkins setting in a new way.
But the episode has trouble with pacing and story choices. Adding a brand-new character makes people wonder, especially since she seems important but is never mentioned in the main series timeline. This makes a clear continuity problem that could confuse fans who have been around for a long time.
The new monster idea based on snow is interesting, but it seems more like a twist on Demogorgon-style threats than something completely new.
The voice acting for Dustin is good, and it really brings out the character’s personality. The kids also act like their real-life counterparts, which helps keep things real.
In general, the episode has an interesting premise, but it feels uneven and a little chaotic in how it was made. It sets up ideas that could develop into something stronger, but this opening chapter does not fully land its impact.