5 Lingering Stranger Things Problems the New Series Could Finally Fix

Remember when the Stranger Things finale melted the internet, and not in a fun way? The reaction was so split that a chunk of fans convinced themselves 'Conformity Gate' was real — the theory that season 5's ending was a fake-out and a better, truer finale was secretly on deck. It wasn't. Which means a lot of the gripes — thin character work in spots, big plot choices (looking at Eleven 's fate) — never got a proper on-screen fix.

We can't rewind the ending, but there is one lane for do-overs: Netflix 's animated spinoff Stranger Things: Tales From '85. It's set between seasons 2 and 3 of the main show, it's already renewed for season 2, and it has room to patch some long-standing issues while the gang is still in their early days. Season 1 took a swing at a few of these; season 2 can go further. Here's where the show can actually move the needle.

1. Give Eleven a real, independent identity
   Season 1 of Tales From '85 started nudging Eleven — Jane Hopper — toward being her own person. Good start. But let's be honest: the way her story ultimately ends (either dead, or alive but cut off from the people she loves) means she never fully got to live as herself. The closest she came in the original run was season 3, when she split from Mike for a beat and bonded with Max, figured out her own style, and did the mall thing. Season 2 of Tales should keep pushing that growth — not just cute hangouts, but choices that feel like hers. It won't undo the devastating endpoint, but it can at least show us who she was becoming.

2. Make Mike feel like seasons 1–2 Mike again
   Mike Wheeler turned into a lightning rod by season 5, and honestly, he didn't fare much better in Tales From '85 season 1. Early-series Mike was ride-or-die and the kid who believed in the magic of all this. By seasons 4 and 5, he often felt like a supporting player — which is extra weird since, in season 4, Will literally calls him the:

   'heart of the party'

   Tales From '85 doubled down on the drift with moments like Mike shouting in Will's face — something season 2 Mike would not have done. Season 2 of the animated show has a chance to recalibrate him as both a leader and the emotional center of the group again.

3. Actually use Joyce — especially with Jonathan
   Wild but true: Joyce Byers does not appear at all in Tales From '85 season 1. The creators have said they wanted a kid-focused vibe, which is fine, but leaving Joyce entirely on the bench was a choice. In the main show, she ends engaged to Hopper, sure, but a lot of the heavier, personal stuff never got real closure — particularly her relationship with Jonathan. For years, Joyce's attention was (understandably) on Will, and Jonathan largely fended for himself. Season 2 could finally stage the honest mom-and-son conversation that always felt overdue.

4. Give Lucas a story that is his, and loop in Erica
   Lucas has been consistently portrayed as a great friend and an even better boyfriend, but too often he reads as support rather than centerpiece. If Tales From '85 is going to live with the kids, then live with Lucas. Let him drive an arc, make mistakes, lead a plot, own a win. That goes for Erica, too. She's brave and funny, but she rarely got a deep, sustained storyline. Time to fix that for both Sinclair siblings.

5. Show what it really means to live in Hawkins
   Season 1 of Tales From '85 introduced new monsters sneaking into town, which is fun in a creature-feature way, but the broader psychological fallout of Hawkins life is still mostly off-screen — especially for people outside the core kids. One of the loudest complaints about season 5 was that it basically skipped past the apocalyptic setup from the season 4 finale. The animated show can't retcon that, but it can lean into the day-to-day weirdness and trauma of this place and how it warps the whole community, not just the party.

Bottom line: the finale is the finale. But Tales From '85 has a real shot to deepen these characters in the window where they still had room to grow. Season 1 took a few tentative steps. Season 2 needs to commit.