The tenth episode of Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 starts in the hidden lab, where Dustin talks to Daniel about the experiments that are still going on. Daniel doesn’t seem to care about the possible danger and says that the Queen, who is currently in a glass enclosure, looks safe and under control.
Daniel shows a green experimental serum to back up his claim. When the Queen reacts violently, breaking free and causing the ground to give way beneath them, things quickly get out of hand. Dustin and Daniel barely make it through the collapse, but others in the group are stuck deeper underground.
Daniel realizes too late that the Queen has been spreading roots and tunnels throughout Hawkins’ foundations, making its reach underground.
What goes on below ground?
As Dustin and Daniel go down even further, Max and Lucas step in and pull Dustin away from the danger right away. They find more vials of the green substance, which Daniel carelessly puts in his backpack.
But they aren’t the only ones. In the tunnels, there is a big mutant beast. Daniel tries to get away, leaving Will behind in the process. Lucas and Max are able to save Will, and Nikki uses a new gadget called the Light Blaster to keep the creature away for a short time.
Will Daniel live?
In the meantime, the vines are pulling Eleven deeper into the sewer system, so the group has to split up and look for her. In the middle of all the chaos, Daniel almost gives Nikki up to the monster. The creature eats Daniel after covering him in the green substance, which makes it even stronger. The group quickly moves on, no matter what happens to him.
Then, the creature opens the Gate to the Upside Down, which makes Eleven jump in and face the threat head-on. At the same time, smaller mutant creatures appear and attack the group, forcing them to fight for their lives.
The team works together to keep the creatures at bay, using Nikki’s gear to get an edge. But as the Gate keeps messing up reality, hope starts to fade. Nikki finally steps in again and uses her Light Bringer device to give Eleven the chance to close the Gate and kill the Queen.
What happens at the end of Tales from ’85?
The story jumps ahead three weeks because the Gate is closed and the immediate danger is gone. Hopper and Eleven have a quiet moment outside the cabin, where Hopper says he’s sorry for not being there more. He gives her a later curfew so she can spend time with Mike and the others.
Eleven joins the group for a game of Dungeons & Dragons, and Nikki is now fully accepted into their group and included in everything they do.
But the last scene suggests that the danger might not be over yet. The Queen’s body parts in the Upside Down start to grow into a strange blue flower-like creature with a scary face, which means a new threat is on the way.
Review of the Episode
Episode 10 of Tales from ’85 ends the story with a clear ending. It shows Daniel’s death, Mrs. Baxter’s unclear change of heart, and Nikki’s full acceptance into the group.
But the episode does bring up some big problems with continuity. Steve and Nancy, two important characters, only show up for a short time, and Jonathan is not there at all. Nikki’s role is especially hard to understand because she is very important to big events but is never mentioned in the main series timeline.
She is shown to be very capable, always coming up with new ideas and solutions, and she doesn’t show much weakness or growth. This makes her feel like she doesn’t belong in the original series’ tone and balance.
Some people think that a spin-off set between Seasons 4 and 5 could have made the universe more interesting, but the way this was done feels off and doesn’t fit with what has already been established.
Overall, Tales from ’85 is a mixed and often frustrating addition to the series. It’s hard to see it as a natural part of the Stranger Things universe because the characters aren’t well written, the story isn’t consistent, and the choices about continuity are questionable.
