Diksha Sundriyal
The second season of Netflix’s ‘Stranger Things: Tales from ‘85’ continues the adventures of Eleven and her friends as they continue to fight new monsters. The first season ended with the discovery that some of the creatures left behind in the aftermath of ‘Stranger Things’ Season 2 have been brought back to life and are now trying to reopen the gate to the Upside Down. The gang closes the gate once again. They are joined by new friends like Nikki, but they also receive help from some familiar faces like Nancy and Steve. While Nancy appears again in Season 2, though not in a similar capacity as in Season 1, Steve is entirely absent from the picture. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Steve Harrington Remains Unaware of the Action in Season 2
The events of ‘Stranger Things: Tales from ‘85’ take place between the events of ‘Stranger Things’ Season 2 and 3. By this time, Steve Harrington has become an important part of the group, helping them fight the otherworldly threats from the Upside Down. His relationship with Dustin is a major highlight as the seasons progress, and we see this buildup continue from the parent show’s Season 2 to the spin-off’s first season. When the core gang runs into trouble again, Dustin crosses paths with Steve, who also gets pulled into the mess, though his presence remains more of a cameo. His presence in the animated series brings back a familiar, popular face for the audience, and we get to see more of his fun dynamic with Dustin.
However, in the second season, things progress so fast that he is completely out of the picture. Since the beginning, ‘Tales from ‘85’ has established its intention to keep the stories focused on the main friend group. While the live-action series has more space to expand the plotlines of all the supporting characters, the animated series keeps itself confined to focus simply on the dynamics within the group. This sets it apart from the main show and brings back the nostalgia from ‘Stranger Things‘ Season 1, when it really was the core group against the powerful enemies. This is why we don’t see Joyce and Jonathan in Season 1. And this is also why Hopper is sent out of town at the beginning of Season 2.
The idea is to completely remove the adults from the picture so the spotlight shines entirely on the kids. In the second season, Nancy and Jonathan make a cameo, but they never get close enough to get involved in the action. In the same vein, Steve Harrington is mentioned in one scene, indicating that the creators have not forgotten him. However, the events of Season 2 unfold over the course of a few days. Everything is tightly packed and condensed, and everything unravels so quickly that the kids take care of the whole thing by themselves. It never gets so bad that they have to involve the adults or ask anyone outside the gang for help.
This allows the show to focus more on their interpersonal conflicts, shedding light on their fears and insecurities and on how their relationships develop and morph. The 25-minute runtime underscores the importance of this approach, which is why any character outside the core circle is not introduced unless the story explicitly requires it. By the end of the season, it becomes clear that Steve’s presence wouldn’t have been necessary, which is likely why the creators decided that he should sit this one out. If the future seasons happen, we will likely see him again if that’s what the story requires.
Read More: Why is Joyce Byers Not in Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85?
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