"Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 Season 2 Review" – Another Welcome Trip Back to Hawkins

Earlier this year, I admitted that somewhere along the way I lost interest in "Stranger Things". I never disliked the series, and I always planned to revisit Hawkins eventually, but keeping up with the latest adventures simply stopped being a priority. Surprisingly, the animated "Stranger Things: Tales From ’85" became my way back in. With Season 2, I’m happy to say the return trip remains worthwhile.

Valentine’s Day is approaching in Hawkins, but romance quickly takes a backseat when ghostly apparitions and a swarm of strange creatures begin causing chaos around town. Eleven (Brooklyn Davey Norstedt), Mike (Luca Diaz), Will (Ben Plessala), Dustin (Braxton Quinney), Lucas (Elisha “EJ” Williams), Max (Jolie Hoang-Rappaport), and Nikki (Odessa A’zion) once again take it themselves to figure out what is happening.

One of my concerns with Season 1 was how safe everything felt compared to the live-action series. Season 2 doesn’t suddenly turn Tales From ’85 into nightmare fuel, nor does it need to. Instead, the creative team appears more confident with the animated format. There’s more energy this time around, and the supernatural mystery gives the kids another reason to rely on the friendship and teamwork that made us care about them in the first place.

The animation remains one of the show’s strongest selling points. There’s something about seeing a snow-covered Hawkins brought to life with bold colors that works for me. More importantly, I’ve adjusted to hearing different actors voice characters so closely associated with the original cast. Norstedt continues to make Eleven her own, while Hoang-Rappaport and A’zion are welcome parts of the ensemble as Max and Nikki.

Season 2 also adds veteran talent with Janeane Garofalo as Anna Baxter and Lou Diamond Phillips as Daniel Fischer. Both fit comfortably into this universe without taking valuable time away from the younger characters. That balance is important because the kids remain the heart of "Tales From ’85", and the series is at its best when they are bouncing off one another.

I still occasionally wish the series would take the gloves off. The danger rarely carries the weight or unpredictability of vintage "Stranger Things", but I’ve also stopped expecting it to. This spinoff has established its own identity instead of simply recreating what worked before.

Season 1 reminded me why I enjoyed spending time in Hawkins. Season 2 proves that wasn’t a fluke. I’ll eventually make my way back to the live-action series, but for now, Tales From ’85 is doing a fine job keeping my Hawkins membership active.

Final Grade: B

"Stranger Things: Tale From ‘85 " Season 2 is streaming now.