We’ve only just seen the end of Stranger Things, but already Netflix are preparing to wring all they can from the property before it fades out of relevance, with the trailer and release date conformation for Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, the show’s first spin-off.

Probably the best way to sum up my reaction to this news was “so what?”

Why should I care at all about this show or anything it has to offer? I’ve already seen the end of all these characters’ stories, and it was incredibly disappointing.

I know that Eleven dies in the most bleak and depressing way. I know that Steve is sentenced to be some kind of Peter Pan figure. I know that the supposed threats facing Hawkins are all a big load of nothing, orchestrated by a villain who’s less competent than Voldemort. So what is there to care about in this spin-off?

It’s not like there’s a lot of backstory to explore, either, like in the Star Wars prequels. They had a whole era and the story of how Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader, and the galaxy fell under the control of the Emperor. There’s literally nothing to be added here. The thing plot of Stranger Things has already been stretched to the max, and it not like there’s any character development between seasons to delve into.

In fact, I’m not even sure that it ties into the continuity of the live-action show, as there was never any mention of “remember what happened last winter” in season three.

I has to wonder why they didn’t make this two years ago when the fans were desperate for something to fill the three-year wait between seasons that’s now the norm, and when anticipation and engagement were at an all-time high after the reaction to season four. It would likely have done much better then.

It makes you wonder if the Duffers and Netflix were expecting a different story, imagining fans would love the final season and be willing to accept any new content that was offered to them. It certainly seems a big misstep for them to release it now, considering how poorly received the finale was.

On top of that, it just doesn’t look very good. It’s the same kind of basic animation every show uses now and is very close to another Netflix spin-off, Jurassic World: Chaos Theory, which must be a cheap and easy option, rather than choosing an ’80s style of 2D animation.

I also can’t fathom why they’ve set it between the two worst seasons. Why not set it before season five when the stakes were at their highest, in the eighteen months we know nothing about.

It’s not even as though it’s a real spin-off that might offer something to chew on, like a Hawkins lab origin, or following Hopper in Montauk. It’s just a bit of flimsy nonsense with the kids Scooby Doo-ing around.

It’s a complete lack of judgment on Netflix’s part. It’s not going to ride the wave of Stranger Things hype; neither is it far enough away from the disaster of season five for fans to give it a fair chance. I’m not even sure who it’s meant for. It seems more like a kid’s show, but I’m pretty sure the majority of the audience is adults looking for nostalgia. Even if you were a kid when the show started, you’ll be an adult now after it took them ten years to wrap things up.

This won’t do anything to redeem Stranger Things’ reputation, but somehow I don’t think the Duffers care too much about its legacy. They’ve already bailed after the calamitous final episode (and their even more calamitous press junket) and are off to do other things, like make movies at Paramount, if they still want them.

Maybe next time give fans a little bit of time to recover from your last train wreck before expecting them to consume more content. They might start to think you’re taking them for granted.

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