u/UKZzHELLRAISER

I finished Tales From ‘85 last night. If I had to pick one single word to describe it?

Perfection.

So, Eric Robles - if you see this for some reason, from the bottom of my heart: Thank you.

The finale of Stranger Things season 5 left me horribly depressed for at least a month – and still plays on my mind today. I’m not quite sure how anybody could make such an ending to a used and abused character and think it’s even remotely okay. As someone who instantly related to Mike from the moment I saw him in season 1, seeing him become a widow at the age of 16 was horrible.

I was fully convinced I’d be avoiding Tales because of the “link up to season 3” idea. Why would I put myself through that? More happy moments from their one and only happy ending, great, but still knowing their depressing fate? No thank you.

It’s when the trailers and previews started showing that this couldn’t really be considered “show-canon” that I came round to it. And I am so glad I did. From episode 1, Tales was immediately better than seasons 3-5 entirely. In ten 25-ish-minute episodes, a runtime of about four hours, it managed to pack in more important conversations and life moments than three whole seasons – THIRTY WHOLE HOURS – ever did.

It feels like they went through a bunch of fanfic from that 2017-2019 period and picked out all the main elements we always wanted to see, and nailed every single element. Couples actually acting like couples, solo missions for both Mileven and Lumax, El finding her own voice, Will finding his. Mike being protective of El in every way – literally having me scream “THAT’S MY MIKE!” at one point. They nailed it all.

Tales From ‘85 is everything I ever dreamt of. So long as it remains an AU and goes its own direction – one that doesn’t end in pointless depression, it’s the canon I choose.

I finished Tales From ‘85 last night. If I had to pick one single word to describe it?

Perfection.

So, Eric Robles - if you see this for some reason, from the bottom of my heart: Thank you.

The finale of Stranger Things season 5 left me horribly depressed for at least a month – and still plays on my mind today. I’m not quite sure how anybody could make such an ending to a used and abused character and think it’s even remotely okay. As someone who instantly related to Mike from the moment I saw him in season 1, seeing him become a widow at the age of 16 was horrible.

I was fully convinced I’d be avoiding Tales because of the “link up to season 3” idea. Why would I put myself through that? More happy moments from their one and only happy ending, great, but still knowing their depressing fate? No thank you.

It’s when the trailers and previews started showing that this couldn’t really be considered “show-canon” that I came round to it. And I am so glad I did. From episode 1, Tales was immediately better than seasons 3-5 entirely. In ten 25-ish-minute episodes, a runtime of about four hours, it managed to pack in more important conversations and life moments than three whole seasons – THIRTY WHOLE HOURS – ever did.

It feels like they went through a bunch of fanfic from that 2017-2019 period and picked out all the main elements we always wanted to see, and nailed every single element. Couples actually acting like couples, solo missions for both Mileven and Lumax, El finding her own voice, Will finding his. Mike being protective of El in every way – literally having me scream “THAT’S MY MIKE!” at one point. They nailed it all.

Tales From ‘85 is everything I ever dreamt of. So long as it remains an AU and goes its own direction – one that doesn’t end in pointless depression, it’s the canon I choose.