Brooklyn Davey Norstedt
Eleven (voice)
Overview
Winter. Hawkins. 1985. Welcome back to a town crawling with secrets, where beloved heroes are facing fresh mysteries... and an all-new breed of strange.
Cast
Reviews
5 min read AI-generated editorial review
The Upside Down of Nostalgia
I keep thinking about the first time I saw Hawkins, Indiana. Not the real place—it doesn’t exist—but the way the camera lingered on those power lines, the flickering streetlights, the way the kids rode their bikes like they were the only things holding the world together. Stranger Things wasn’t just a show about monsters; it was a show about the weight of being thirteen, about the way friendship feels like a superpower when you’re too young to know better. So when Tales from ’85 arrived, I’ll admit I was curious. An animated spin-off, set between Seasons 2 and 3, promising more of that same magic. But magic, as we’ve learned, is just science we don’t understand yet. And this? This feels like a lab experiment gone wrong.
The first thing you notice is the animation. It’s slick, colorful, polished—almost too polished. The characters move like they’re made of plastic, their expressions shifting from joy to terror in a single, unnatural blink. There’s a stiffness to it, like watching a Saturday morning cartoon from the ‘80s that’s been run through a modern filter. The Upside Down, usually a place of creeping dread, looks here like a neon nightmare you might stumble into after one too many energy drinks. The monsters are there, sure, but they lack the tactile horror of the original. The Demogorgon was a thing of teeth and hunger; this version feels like a concept art still brought to life. (And not in a good way.)
But let’s talk about the music. Brad Breeck’s score is the one thing everyone seems to agree on—the standout, the saving grace. It’s lush, nostalgic, dripping with synths that make you feel like you’re driving down a rain-slicked highway at midnight. It’s the kind of score that makes you want to believe in the story, even when the story isn’t holding up its end of the bargain. There’s a moment in the third episode where the music swells as Nikki, the new punk-rock transfer student, stands up to a bully. It’s a great moment. The problem? Nikki shouldn’t exist.
I keep thinking about the first time I saw Hawkins, Indiana. Not the real place—it doesn’t exist—but the way the camera lingered on those power lines, the flickering streetlights, the way the kids rode their bikes like they were the only things holding the world together. Stranger Things wasn’t just a show about monsters; it was a show about the weight of being thirteen, about the way friendship feels like a superpower when you’re too young to know better. So when Tales from ’85 arrived, I’ll admit I was curious. An animated spin-off, set between Seasons 2 and 3, promising more of that same magic. But magic, as we’ve learned, is just science we don’t understand yet. And this? This feels like a lab experiment gone wrong.
The first thing you notice is the animation. It’s slick, colorful, polished—almost too polished. The characters move like they’re made of plastic, their expressions shifting from joy to terror in a single, unnatural blink. There’s a stiffness to it, like watching a Saturday morning cartoon from the ‘80s that’s been run through a modern filter. The Upside Down, usually a place of creeping dread, looks here like a neon nightmare you might stumble into after one too many energy drinks. The monsters are there, sure, but they lack the tactile horror of the original. The Demogorgon was a thing of teeth and hunger; this version feels like a concept art still brought to life. (And not in a good way.)
But let’s talk about the music. Brad Breeck’s score is the one thing everyone seems to agree on—the standout, the saving grace. It’s lush, nostalgic, dripping with synths that make you feel like you’re driving down a rain-slicked highway at midnight. It’s the kind of score that makes you want to believe in the story, even when the story isn’t holding up its end of the bargain. There’s a moment in the third episode where the music swells as Nikki, the new punk-rock transfer student, stands up to a bully. It’s a great moment. The problem? Nikki shouldn’t exist.
Audience Opinions
AI summary of viewer review patterns
Audience 5.9/10 AI
"A nostalgic, good-looking Stranger Things offshoot that delivers light, fan-service fun but lacks the mystery, weight, and narrative purpose of the main series."
Animation quality, colorful visuals, and especially Brad Breeck’s score are praised, and returning to Hawkins with a breezier tone works well when treated as side content. At the same time, the story feels slight and non-essential, with underwhelming early episodes, flat suspense, and little real development for familiar characters, making it play more like optional fan fiction than a meaningful chapter in the saga. Overall scores land in the middling range once early review-bomb noise is averaged out, reflecting a mix of enjoyment and disappointment.
What viewers praise
- Appealing visual style The colorful, polished animation and creature design look strong, especially on a big screen.
- Standout music score Brad Breeck’s score is widely singled out as one of the strongest elements, with some calling it the best part of the show.
- Light, easygoing tone Works as harmless, light-hearted fun that can be binged quickly without feeling heavy.
- Nostalgic Hawkins vibe Being back in Hawkins with Eleven and the gang scratches a nostalgia itch even when the story is modest.
- Enjoyable new character The main new character and her voice performance are received positively and fit comfortably into the ensemble.
Common complaints
- Shallow, filler-like story The plot is seen as underbaked and unnecessary, adding little to the overall Stranger Things narrative.
- Weak suspense and mystery The Upside Down threat and general intrigue feel tame and repetitive compared with the live-action seasons.
- Canon and stakes feel off Events slotted between seasons two and three do not fully line up with established arcs, making it easy to view as non-canon side material.
- Flat character development Familiar characters largely behave as expected without new layers or meaningful growth, and some dynamics feel less impactful.
- Occasionally stiff animation Despite strong art direction, the animation itself can look wooden or jerky in places.
Recommended for
Stranger Things completionists Casual weekend bingers Younger sci-fi adventure fans Brad Breeck music fans Nostalgic 80s genre lovers
Buzz & Rumors
Public reports AI-researched entertainment notes
Stranger Things: Tales from ‘85 – Inside the Spin‑Off That Sent Fandom to the Upside Down
The monsters in Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 may be animated, but the drama swirling around Netflix’s spinoff is very, very real. From recast outrage to a mystery punk girl breaking the canon in half, this “family-friendly” show has sparked some of the messiest fandom discourse since the Season 5 finale.
Scandals & Controversies: The Great Recast Revolt
- “That is NOT Michael Wheeler” drama: When fans realized none of the original live‑action cast were voicing their characters, social media went feral. Showrunner Eric Robles explained they wanted the kids to “sound like kids” again and that older actors’ voices had matured too much. Fans on Reddit immediately called out budget concerns and accused Netflix of cheaping out on the OG cast instead.
- Jeremy Jordan vs. The Internet: Broadway star Jeremy Jordan gleefully announced he’d be voicing Steve Harrington in the animated series, posting excited clips on Instagram and Facebook. Fans were… less gleeful, flooding comments and Reddit threads questioning why Joe Keery wasn’t invited back and branding it “Steve, but Broadway.”
- Critics dragging the show: Reviews from outlets like RogerEbert.com and The A.V. Club tore into Tales from ’85, calling it a “depressing, cynical attempt to preserve the Netflix hit in pixels” and an “insulting waste of time” that feels like a hollow retread. One scathing line that keeps getting screenshotted: it’s “a shadow of things people liked years ago.”
Canon Wars, Conspiracy Theories & “Conformity Gate” 2.0
- Is it canon? Depends who you ask. Official coverage has branded the series a side‑story set between Seasons 2 and 3, but even Netflix‑friendly outlets have started calling it “soft canon” or “optional canon” – something that doesn’t break the main continuity but doesn’t fully count either.
- Reddit court rules: ‘Not canon!’ Multiple threads in r/StrangerThings insist Tales from ’85 is “not canon and has no need to be,” placing it alongside tie‑in novels as fun but ignorable. Others argue that if it contradicts Season 3 or 5, they’re choosing the main show every time.
- Conformity Gate won’t die: After the polarizing live‑action finale, the “Conformity Gate” theory claimed that the real ending still hadn’t aired. A high‑school outlet covering the backlash reports fans now comb Tales from ’85 for clues, pointing to things like radio‑tower references as “evidence” of a secret master plan, even though the Duffers and cast have already debunked it.
Nikki Baxter: The Punk Rock Retcon Lighting Fandom on Fire
- The new girl no one remembers. Punk transfer student Nikki Baxter (voiced by Odessa A’zion) becomes a major part of the kids’ adventures and Will’s emotional journey in the animated series. Fans immediately asked the obvious: if she was this important, why is she never mentioned in five seasons of the main show?
- “Robin theft” accusations: Parade’s roundup of online reactions notes that many viewers feel Nikki steps into a Robin‑like role for Will — reassuring him it’s okay to be different and defending him from bullies — which some see as watering down his powerful arc with Robin in Season 5.
- Backlash so loud people want it banned: Parade quotes furious fans saying they “want it banned,” with Nikki’s sudden importance and knowledge of the Upside Down called out as a clumsy retcon. A separate student op‑ed slams the character’s design and her scenes confronting bullies as the clearest example of how the spinoff mishandles Will.
- Wild fan solution? Kill her and erase her. A popular Reddit theory jokingly (but not entirely jokingly) proposes that Vecna will kill Nikki at the end of the show and make everyone forget her, neatly explaining why the main series never mentions her.
Fandom Meltdown: Backlash, Review Bombs & Meme Culture
- Rotten numbers for a rotten mood: Parade cites Rotten Tomatoes scores hovering around mid‑60s from critics and mid‑40s from audiences, solidifying Tales from ’85 as the most divisive thing to come out of Hawkins yet.
- “I want it banned” becomes a meme: The phrase, pulled from an enraged fan post and highlighted in Parade’s coverage, has turned into the go‑to caption on TikTok edits mocking the show’s dialogue, corny jokes, and softer tone.
- YouTube drama channels smell blood: Video essays with titles like “Stranger Things Tales From 85 Should Not Exist” and “Tales from ’85… What Went Wrong?” rake through every inconsistency — from character miswrites to animation style that “looks like leftover assets from the cancelled Telltale game”.
- Reddit split down the middle: While some threads call it a “depressing, cynical retread,” other fans defend it as “a very cute and entertaining show” that’s fun if you don’t take it too seriously. The unspoken rule: enjoy it, but maybe don’t mention that in the wrong comment section.
Behind the Scenes & Odd Trivia
- Voice actors bracing for hate: A student paper notes that the new voice cast “have unfortunately signed up for a world full of hate comments from angry fans,” hinting that backlash has been intense enough that even supportive coverage feels the need to defend them.
- “Lost season” pitch from the showrunner: In interviews, Eric Robles has sold Tales from ’85 as a kind of “lost season” of the show — a Saturday‑morning‑cartoon riff on Hawkins – even as critics argue it never does anything bold enough to justify its existence.
- Backlash didn’t scare Netflix at all: Despite the noise, Netflix renewed the show for Season 2 just five days after its premiere, which several outlets described as a shocking flex considering the mixed reviews and online uproar.
In short: no cheating scandals, no secret pregnancies, no cast fistfights in the recording booth — the wildest Tales from ’85 drama is between Netflix and the fandom. The spinoff’s biggest monster isn’t in the Upside Down; it’s the collective wrath of viewers who think Hawkins should’ve stayed live‑action, canon‑tight, and absolutely Nikki‑free.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.
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