The only Stranger Things: Tales From '85 Season 1 recap you need before the next chapter

Fans of Stranger Things: Tales From '85 are eagerly waiting for the premiere of Season 2 after the members of Hawkins Investigators Club won over the monster Queen and ultimately saved Hawkins. The previous chapter was based on arcade monsters and homework struggles.

Fans witnessed the appearance of new creatures like a deadly snow shark and a sinister pumpkin monster called the Gourd Horde. Season 1 also revealed how the group uncovered a shocking truth about the Upside Down monsters with the help of their new friend Nikki and her mother Mrs. Baxter.

The season concluded with a scene showing Nikki, Eleven, and the Hawkins Investigative Club defeating the vine-monster, Queen, and sealing the rift to save the town. But the focus of the show quickly shifted back to the Upside Down to reveal that the danger was far from over.

Continue reading more about Stranger Things: Tales From '85 Season 1 recap.

Recap of Stranger Things: Tales From '85 Season 1

Nikki Baxter joined the group

Nikki joined the group in Stranger Things: Tales From '85 Season 1 Episode 1 to help Will because he had an embarrassing moment at school when he accidentally spilled a drink on a bully.

Nikki is the main character in the animated show and the character is voiced by Odessa A'zion. She was first introduced on June 11, 2025, in a short footage clip shown during Netflix's presentation at the Annecy Animation Festival. She is described as a tinkerer with pinkish hair that is cut short on the side.

Dustin opened the Hawkins Investigators Club

Dustin, Mike, Will, Lucas, Eleven, and Max saved Nikki from being eaten by the snow shark. After a hard fight, Eleven used her powers to tear the monster apart and free Charlie. But Nikki wanted answers and so she invited the group to her house and there Dustin started the Hawkins Investigators Club.

The club members explored the abandoned laboratory and began searching for the signs of monsters in Hawkins. Lucas and Max followed reports of a pumpkin monster at the farm which was owned by Ella and Danny's grandfather. They found several mutated pumpkin creatures and destroyed them with a combine harvester.

The group discovered the Upside Down monster

Eleven using her powers (Image via YouTube/@Netflix)

The group visited the Hawkins Winter festival to find and save the contestant who would be going to eat the pie made from those mutated pumpkin. But they were late and the contestant, Rosario, became infected by spores from a tainted pie. So, they went to the forest to find the source of the virus and finally found that a monster from the Upside Down had taken control of Rosario's body.

Ending explained: The group won the fight against Queen

The first chapter of Stranger Things: Tales From '85 ended with the gang and Nikki walking into the big caves where the Queen and her monsters lived. As soon as they entered the cave, Nikki and the group discovered that the Queen had grown strong enough to tear open a massive gate inside the cave. Soon, the group realized that they had to stop the monster from growing further. They also realized that if the Queen returned and merged with the Mind Flayer, the results could be disastrous.

The climax unfolded with a large-scale battle where swarms of smaller creatures attacked the group. The viewers were mesmerized by the scene because it gave them the same feelings they had experienced while confronting the Mind Flayer in the original series.

The group finally won after the Queen was cut in half as Eleven closed the gate. After three weeks, life in Hawkins looked normal again and the Baxter family decided to stay in town. The friends also found a new meeting place in Nikki's garage, where she joined their Dungeons & Dragons party as a Barbarian.

Stranger Things: Tales From '85 Season 2 premieres soon

The animated series is premiering on September 17, 2026. The new chapter of Stranger Things: Tales From '85 will unfold with the return of the group to their usual routine of arcade games, HIC missions, and planning for a Valentine's Day celebration. But they will face a problem.

Strange ghost-like creatures and swarms of evil spirits will appear in the town and the gang will have to investigate these paranormal disturbances. If they fail, a new gate to the Upside Down will open again and unleash even greater danger.