For most of its run, Stranger Things was a breakout hit that was one of the few series to reach the sort of cultural zeitgeist previously commanded by the likes of Game of Thrones. That all changed with its fifth season, which divided fans like never before. Those final eight episodes were some of the biggest in Netflix's history; the series finale was even shown in movie theaters. But the reception was mixed. As of this writing, the final four episodes of Stranger Things 5 are all rated below an 8/10 on IMDb; that may sound good, until you look at the rest of the series and realize that only three other episodes in the show's entire run share the distinction.
Whether you were frustrated with plotholes or wanted a different ending for beloved characters like Eleven and Mike Wheeler, the final run of Stranger Things was far from the universal hit Netflix probably would have liked. And now it's becoming clearer that the streamer is no longer looking at the property through rose-colored glasses.
The final two seasons of Stranger Things commanded eye-watering budgets on par with a blockbuster film, and Netflix went all out promoting those seasons, breaking them into multiple volumes and making each episode drop a huge deal. That's very different from how the streamer has treated its first Stranger Things spinoff, the animated series Stranger Things: Tales from '85, which released its first season to relatively little fanfare in late April, less than four months after the end of the mothership show.
Fast-forward a few months to mid-September. Did you know that Tales from '85 has another season coming out this week? No? Neither do most other viewers, because outside of a trailer released barely two weeks ago, Netflix has done extremely little to promote the show's newest season. The newest entry in the Stranger Things franchise is practically shadow dropping, which is a shocking way to handle part of a property that was previously the streamer's golden child. What's going on?
Stranger Things: Tales from '85 season 2 should be a bigger deal
Don't get me wrong, Netflix isn't exactly known for putting on massive marketing campaigns for its shows. But to see something with the Stranger Things name attached to it get this treatment warrants a raised eyebrow. Was the first season of Stranger Things: Tales from '85 so poorly received that the streamer is jettisoning what it has left?
Perhaps. The first season faded relatively quickly from the cultural consciousness and sits at a discouraging 61% on Rotten Tomatoes for critic scores, and an even lower 52% for audience scores. And while it has been painted as a success by Netflix for hitting number 7 in its Top 10 chart, that's still a far cry from the height of popularity enjoyed by the main series. The trailer above has barely amassed 400,000 views despite being out for more than two weeks, which is a stark contrast to the 20+ million views raked in by the first two trailers for Stranger Things 5.
Obviously, we're comparing apples and oranges here to some extent, but still, it feels safe enough to say that Stranger Things: Tales from '85 is not resonating in the same way as its predecessor. That could be because of its attempt to cater to a younger demographic, or maybe because its mere existence opens so many more plotholes in the franchise's canon that it requires a total suspension of disbelief to even enjoy it. Either way, Tales from '85 is seemingly failing to capture much of the original show's audience.
Why isn't Netflix releasing Stranger Things: Tales from '85 season 2 on Valentine's Day?
While Netflix only announced Tales from '85 season 2 after the first had premiered, it seems unlikely that this was the internal renewal date. In order to release both seasons in such quick succession, it seems more likely that the streamer greenlit both ahead of time and kept quiet about it; after all, it would have been extremely difficult to go through a full production process for season 2 in only a handful of months.
Dropping season 1 and 2 only a few months apart smells weirdly like damage control, especially when you factor in the seasonality of it all. Tales from '85 season 1 is themed around Halloween, yet it was released in April; season 2 takes place around Valentine's Day, but releases in September. It's a baffling decision to shove this show out there when fans are still processing their feelings from the original show, and into a seasonal window that doesn't even suit it to boot.
It begs the question: does Netflix just not care about capitalizing on Stranger Things as much anymore? Are they really rushing to get everything they had in the works for the franchise out the door so they can wash their hands of Hawkins for good? Or is the streamer really that confident that Stranger Things: Tales from '85 will be just fine, no matter how little it's sold to audiences?
One possible explanation is surprisingly messy, and requires digging into some behind-the-scenes drama.
Is behind-the-scenes friction to blame for Netflix's handling of Stranger Things: Tales from '85?
Tales from '85 is produced by Matt and Ross Duffer, the creators of Stranger Things; however, they are not the showrunners on this new series. That would be Eric Robles, who previously worked on animated shows like The X's and Glitch Techs. But the Duffer name is still firmly attached to the spinoff, because they're basically synonymous with the franchise as its original creators.
Right now, the Duffer Brothers' relationship with Netflix is very much an open question. Even before Stranger Things 5 had premiered, the brothers signed an exclusive four-year deal to make Paramount their new home after the series ended, driven by their desire to create movies for the big screen rather than only small screen projects for streaming.
The word on the street is that this decision did not sit particularly well with the higher ups at Netflix, who were "embarassed" that the Duffer Brothers left them for another studio after they took a chance on Stranger Things and made it one of their flagship series. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the relationship between Matt and Ross Duffer and Netflix is "tough" at the moment, and this was a factor in the streamer's decision to cancel The Boroughs, a new paranormal sci-fi series produced by the Duffers which was off to a strong start in the streaming charts before being axed less than a month after its premiere.
While there were other factors at play with The Boroughs' cancelation, such as its high budget and a deadline for extending the contracts for its star-studded cast, the gossip about the Duffer Brothers and Netflix having a strained relationship may be further supported by the streamer's handling of Tales from '85, and how eager they seem to be to get it in front of audiences — and out of their production pipeline.
It's important to state that all of this is speculation. A source familiar with the Duffer Brothers told THR that they "still have a good relationship with Netflix and have multiple projects in development there," so it's entirely possible that the rift has been blown out of proportion by the media. And who knows, maybe it was the plan all along to release two seasons of Stranger Things: Tales from '85 less than a year after the mothership show ended, on holidays totally out of sync with the content of its story. Maybe I'm just overthinking it.
At the end of the day though, Netflix's handling of Stranger Things: Tales from '85 is damning enough on its own to show the current state of the franchise.
Stranger Things: Tales from '85 season 2 premieres Thursday, September 17 on Netflix.
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