TSTP 99- The Séance
The Stranger Things Podcast
What happens when you try to be polite to an angry ghost? Join hosts Darrell and Addi as we break down "The Séance," the Valentine's Day episode where the H.I.C. decides the best way to celebrate the holiday of love is to summon Bloodaxe Bill's vengeful spirit. We dig into Mike and Nancy's heart-to-heart about finally asking El to be his girlfriend, the trip to Madam Ortiz's occult shop for proper séance instructions, and the ominous warning that contacting Bloodaxe Bill is basically "inviting death." We also cover Charlie Dandridge crashing the séance as the ghost's direct descendant,...
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TSTP 98- The Curse of Bloodaxe Bill
The Stranger Things Podcast
A ghostly figure, a skeleton buried in the mine, and a century-old legend of a silver-mad monster collide as the H.I.C. digs into Hawkins' darkest piece of town history. Join hosts Darrell and Addi as we break down the third episode of the season, "The Curse of Bloodaxe Bill." We talk through the gang's visit to Arthur, a descendant of the Dandridge family, who reveals a shocking twist: Bloodaxe Bill wasn't the villain history remembers him as. He was murdered, and "history is written by the victors." We dig into what this means for Charlie and break down that terrifying moment when the ghost...
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TSTP 97- The Mine
The Stranger Things Podcast
After Charlie's terrifying encounter with something in the woods, Mike, Lucas, Dustin, and Will set out on what starts as a school history project filming a mockumentary about town founder Samuel Hawkins, but quickly turns into a full-blown H.I.C. investigation. Join hosts Darrell and Addi as we break down "The Mine," diving into the boys' trip into the abandoned silver mine tied to the 1892 explosion caused by the legendary Bloodaxe Bill, and the unsettling discovery that someone (or something) broke OUT of the boarded-up mine rather than in. We talk through Mike's buried fear of ghosts...
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TSTP 96- A Haunting in Hawkins
The Stranger Things Podcast
A petty robbery at the Palace Arcade, a missing town delinquent and a field of eerie bioluminescent flowers blooming in the dead of winter. Something is definitely haunting Hawkins again. Join us as we kick off coverage of Season 2 of Tales From '85, diving into the premiere episode set during a Valentine's Day-themed February 1985. We discuss the mysterious disappearance of Charlie Dandridge that kicks off this season's central mystery, dig into those glowing blue flowers appearing all over town, teased at the end of Season 1, and what they might mean for a new supernatural threat brewing...
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TSTP 95- The Countdown
The Stranger Things Podcast
The season finale is here and every thread we've been following finally snaps tight and the characters stop thinking about clues and start thinking about survival. Darrell and Addi walk through how the group rallies to take the fight where it matters most, pushing past exhaustion and fear to stop the next phase of Horde Prime. They also discuss the episode’s most brutal emotional turns with Dan, the Baxters, and the core group of kids. This finale did not disappoint, and by the end it sets up an epic clash between the remaining survivors and Horde Prime. With time running out, the party...
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TSTP 94- The Suspect
The Stranger Things Podcast
A new piece of the puzzle lands in the Hawkins Investigators Club’s hands, and the team fractures into three directions with one goal in mind: find something that explains what is happening in Hawkins before the next escalation turns into a full disaster. On one track, Mike, El, and Nikki end up under Mrs. Baxter’s guidance as a set of unsettling encounters forces them to trust each other in real time, with more than one threat closing in at once. On another, Will and Max circle back around the Baxter house, hunting for details that feel small until they suddenly do not, all while Dustin...
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TSTP 93- The Party
The Stranger Things Podcast
Two terrifying creatures just crashed Dustin's solo run to the Food Mart, Eleven goes out on a limb to save him, and the gang goes underground to celebrate Nikki's birthday. In "The Party" (Chapter Eight), Darrell and Addi break down a pivotal episode that splits the tension right down the middle, balancing genuine warmth and celebration with full-on creature horror. The Hawkins Investigators Club gears up for big confontation underground and a birthday celebration that doubles as a true initiation into the group for Nikki. Your hosts dig into all these storylines, unpacking how the show...
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TSTP 92- Enter the Storm
The Stranger Things Podcast
A blizzard has swallowed Hawkins whole, and the gang is more fractured and in more danger than ever before. In "Enter the Storm" (Chapter Seven), Darrell and Addi break down one of the season's most intense and emotionally charged episodes yet, as Lucas and Max are on the move, braving the storm to reach higher ground and get a Code Red out to the rest of the team — all while the threat from the Upside Down closes in. Meanwhile, on the other side of Hawkins, Will, Mike, and Nikki find themselves completely snowed in at school, and the tension between Mike and Will over Nikki's place in the...
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TSTP 91- A Storm is Coming
The Stranger Things Podcast
A blizzard is rolling into Hawkins, and the cold outside is the least of everyone's problems. Chapter Six of Stranger Things: Tales From '85 opens with a chilling flashback to November 1984, right on the heels of the original series' second season, before snapping back to a winter that is quickly getting out of hand. The gang is scattered and the stakes are multiplying fast: Dustin heads off on a solo side quest, Max and Lucas find themselves pulled toward a desperate cry for help, and a bold move by one of the crew lands Will, Mike, and Nikki in detention. Outside the school walls,...
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TSTP 90- The Weekly Watcher
The Stranger Things Podcast
A secret photo, a tabloid newspaper, and an unknown monster lurking beneath Hawkins. This week's episode of Tales from '85 is packed with tension, teamwork, and an settling final reveal. In "The Weekly Watcher" (Chapter Five), Darrell and Addi break down one of the season's funnest episodes yet, where the Hawkins Investigators Club finds themselves in a race against the press after a polaroid photo of one of their Upside Down encounters lands in the hands of a tabloid editor. With Keith having already handed off Dustin's snapshot to The Weekly Watcher, the gang — with a crucial assist from...
info_outlineAfter four years of fighting monsters from another dimension, the the Hawkins heroes face their final battle—one that will determine not just the fate of Hawkins, but whether Eleven can ever escape the cycle of being hunted. Join hosts Darrell and Addi as we break down "The Rightside Up," the epic series finale that brings the Stranger Things saga to its emotional conclusion. We dissect the climactic showdown in the Abyss as El, Kali, and Max infiltrate Vecna's mind while the Party battles the Mind Flayer's physical form, analyze Holly's heroic leadership as she guides the kidnapped children to safety, and explore Vecna's tragic origin story revealed through Will's connection to the hive mind—discovering that Henry Creel was an innocent boy corrupted by the Mind Flayer. From Joyce's cathartic revenge with her axe to Hopper's devastating vision of Sara, from the explosive exotic matter collapse to that gut-wrenching final goodbye between El and Mike at the gate, we're covering every moment of this finale.
But the story doesn't end with Vecna's death—we jump forward to 1989 for the kid's high school graduation, where Dustin delivers an unforgettable valedictorian speech honoring Eddie Munson's legacy, and we witness each character's future unfold. We break down the emotional epilogue showing where everyone ends up: Robin at Smith College, Steve coaching baseball and teaching sex ed, Nancy at the Herald, Jonathan making films at NYU, and Will finding a fresh start embracing his identity. We also explore the biggest question the finale leaves us with—did Eleven really sacrifice herself, or did she and Kali pull off one final illusion to escape the government's hunt forever? Mike's D&D theory gives us hope, and we're sharing our take on this bittersweet ending. From Hopper's proposal to Joyce to that final shot of Holly and her friends starting their own D&D campaign, this series finale honored the journey while saying goodbye to the characters we love. Whether you're celebrating the victories, mourning the losses, or debating El's true fate, this breakdown covers it all. Thank you for being part of this adventure with us—always.
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