Things have gone upside down for Netflix’s flagship franchise after the second season of the animated spin-off, Stranger Things: Tales from ’85, earned the property’s lowest Rotten Tomatoes score so far. At the time of writing, the new chapter, which tells another untold story wedged between seasons 2 and 3 of the live-action series, has earned a disappointing 43% on the review aggregator, with the consensus that it’s all style and no substance.
The new season once again sees El and pals, along with the ally that’s only appeared in the animated show, Nikki Baxter (Odessa A’zion), going back into the woods to face a new kind of Demogorgon. This new beastie sets itself apart from the other creatures they’ve encountered, since it’s a ghostly apparition that’s hungry for human. But while ‘bustin might make Dustin and pals feel good, it apparently wasn’t enough for critics.
IGN said, “Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 remains a gorgeously designed and animated show that lacks the heart of the live-action series.” CBR said that “The spin-off is certainly what you make of it, and for fans of the universe, it may be a sign that Netflix doesn’t know what to do with it anymore.”
The issue of treading over tried and tested ground was an issue for others too, with Screen Rant saying, “There are fun moments and plenty of action, but there’s still a lack of character development, noticeable pacing issues, and the inescapable feeling that this is a lesser version of a story that’s already been told numerous times.”
Not everyone was so hard on the heroes of Hawkins, though, with But Why Tho? defending the new season, arguing that “Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 Season 2 is a solid step up from the first season. It addresses some of the first season’s issues while losing none of its strength.”
With the show available to binge in full this week, it’ll be interesting to see how it will fare with die-hard fans. We don’t want to call it too soon, but we don’t expect anyone to start online theories about a secret last episode.
If Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 doesn’t cut it for you this week, worry not. We’ve got a guide to a great batch of new shows and movies to stream this week.