Stranger Things' New Spinoff Could Commit The Worst Prequel Sin

"Netflix recently released a number of character posters ahead of Tales from '85's release on April 23, and while all the Hawkins gang were present, including Eleven, there was also a completely unfamiliar face: Nikki Baxter, voiced by Marty Supreme star Odessa A'zion. 'Nikki is a 14-year-old transfer student from the East Coast - by way of all over,' showrunner Eric Robles told. 'She's kind and loyal, unafraid to use her intimidating size and punk-rock look to warn off any bullies that might try to cross her.'"

"That's all well and good - especially when you're little, friends can move away all the time - but how come we've never heard tell of her in the actual series? This character may be described as 'pivotal,' but how pivotal could someone be if they're never mentioned again after a couple of months?"

"It's a classic problem with prequels: you can't introduce a new character without trying to explain where they went in the original project. Where was Ahsoka Tano in Revenge of the Sith? Busy on Mandalore, according to canon, but you'd think Anakin would mention her when considering his future with the Jedi."

Stranger Things continues expanding beyond its final season through spinoffs including Tales from '85, an animated series set between Seasons 2 and 3, and a filmed Broadway production. However, these projects face a fundamental problem: Tales from '85 introduces Nikki Baxter, a new character described as pivotal, whose complete absence from the original series raises questions about her significance. This exemplifies a classic prequel problem where new characters must either be explained away or create narrative gaps. Similar issues plague other franchises, such as Ahsoka Tano's absence from Revenge of the Sith and Kim Wexler's unexplained disappearance in Breaking Bad, suggesting that prequels struggle to introduce meaningful characters without contradicting established canon.

Read at Inverse