The second season of Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 arrived on Netflix, adding another small but interesting piece to the Duffer Brothers’ ever-expanding universe. The story takes place between Seasons 2 and 3 of the original live-action series, so it has a little room to play around without messing up the main timeline.
Since Netflix hasn’t officially announced a third season, the new episodes spend a lot of time tying up the loose ends from Season 1. What happened to Daniel Fischer? Where did those strange blue flowers come from? And what exactly is the entity that has been haunting Hawkins? The finale answers most of those questions, although it still leaves enough behind for the story to continue if Netflix decides to make more episodes. Here’s how everything comes together.
⚠️ WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD FOR STRANGER THINGS: TALES FROM 1985
What Happens to Daniel Fischer?
During the final two episodes, Eleven discovers that Daniel Fischer didn’t actually die in the events of Season 1. His physical body is still trapped in the Upside Down, but his consciousness has found a way to reach Hawkins. That explains all the strange things the kids have been dealing with, including the glowing flowers, the ghostly figures, and the Golem.
It turns out that Daniel has been using Anna’s serum to project these manifestations into the real world. His plan is pretty straightforward, even if the way he goes about it is anything but. He wants to reopen the gateway to Hawkins, escape the Upside Down, and get back to his family.
The Hawkins Investigators Club eventually figures out that Daniel has been frightening the town on purpose. The more terrified people become, the more energy he can gather to reopen the portal. To make matters worse, Daniel kidnaps Mike and starts feeding on his fears, turning him into a major source of power.
The group splits up to deal with the different creatures connected to Daniel’s hive-mind consciousness. Meanwhile, Eleven manages to reach Mike and helps him break free from Daniel’s control. Once Daniel loses his main energy source, his plan begins to fall apart and he is defeated. Still, the show never gives us a clear answer about what happens to him afterward. His body is still somewhere in the Upside Down, which means Daniel’s story might not be completely over.
How Season 2 Ends
Despite everything that happens in Hawkins, Season 2 finishes on a fairly hopeful note. Nikki and her mother decide to remain in town, while Anna finds a job at Hawkins High. Mike also finally admits how he feels about Eleven, making their relationship official in the sweetest way the show can manage.
Of course, Stranger Things rarely lets its characters enjoy a peaceful ending for too long. During the sequence involving the reopening of the portal, viewers catch a glimpse of the Mind Flayer. That moment raises a much bigger question: was the Mind Flayer influencing Daniel from the beginning?
The idea fits with what fans already know about the entity and its later connection to Vecna. The show doesn’t spell everything out, but the implication is hard to miss. Daniel may have believed he was in control, but there could have been something much bigger guiding events from the shadows.
Could There Be a Season 3?
By keeping Daniel’s fate uncertain, Tales from 1985 leaves itself plenty of room for another season. A potential third installment could continue Daniel’s story and explore the Mind Flayer’s involvement without disrupting the established events of the live-action series.
For now, though, Season 2 works as a fairly complete chapter. It answers several of the questions raised in the first season, gives the characters a little more closure, and still leaves a few doors open. Whether Netflix decides to walk through one of those doors is another matter entirely.