Netflix's Stranger Things: Tales From '85 Season 2 just dropped, bringing with it a first look at a character never before seen in the popular sci-fi franchise. Set between Seasons 2 and 3 of the original live-action series, Tales From '85 follows the core group of kids, now known as the Hawkins Investigators Club, as they take on threats that are slightly less world-ending in scale. Backed by a cast of newcomer voice actors, the animated series offers a glimpse into the lives of Hawkins residents that the original show may not have had time to explore, including the somber backstory of one fan-favorite character.
In Season 2, Episode 1 of Stranger Things: Tales From '85 ("Chapter One: A Haunting in Hawkins"), a first look at Max Mayfield's biological dad is revealed, nine years after Max was introduced. Voiced in the series by Jolie Hoang-Rappaport (following the live-action portrayal of X-Men's Sadie Sink), Max is talking to her biological dad, Sam Mayfield, on the phone. Notably, her dad is not heard on this phone call, as viewers only hear Max's side of the conversation.
While he had been planning to visit her in Hawkins, Max's dad ends up giving her "bad news" about canceling the trip, citing a lack of funds. This fuels Max's conflicted emotions about her absent father for the rest of the season, as she halfheartedly asks him, "Maybe I'll see you at Christmas?"
While on the phone with her dad, Max reflects upon several old photos of herself with her biological father, giving audiences their first look at the previously unseen character. In Season 2 of the original Stranger Things series, Max moved to Hawkins with her mother and brother after her parents divorced, while her biological father remained in California. After arriving in Hawkins, Max quickly became entangled in the supernatural events surrounding Eleven, Mike, Lucas, and Dustin, and her brother Billy eventually succumbed to the Mind Flayer at the end of Season 3.
Since Max made her Stranger Things debut after moving to Hawkins with her family, audiences have never actually seen her biological father. However, the photos featured in Tales From '85 reveal that he bears a striking resemblance to her older brother, Billy Hargrove (played by Dacre Montgomery), sporting a thick mustache and wavy brown hair.
In the photograph, Max appears to be a toddler, compared to her current age of 13 in Tales From '85 Season 2, as her dad lovingly holds her up for the picture. The pair is dressed warmly despite their California roots, suggesting the photo may have been taken during an old family trip to a colder destination.
Another strip of photos featuring Max and Sam appears during the scene, with the pair striking several playful poses in a photobooth. Max wears bunny ears, suggesting the photos were likely taken around Easter, while her dad matches her energy before eventually pulling her in for a side hug in the final shot.
Given her biological father's absence from the original series, Max's stepfather, Neil Hargrove (played by Will Chase), has a more prominent presence in Stranger Things. He is portrayed as an aggressive and abusive father, particularly toward Billy, while also displaying sexist attitudes toward women. Neil and Susan, Max's mother, divorced between Seasons 4 and 5 (read how Season 5 was featured at this year's Universal Halloween Horror Nights).
In Tales From '85, Max's stepfather is neither seen nor heard from, likely reflecting the animated series' more family-friendly tone. Nearly every appearance by Neil in Netflix's Stranger Things involved either derogatory language or abusive behavior, making his absence from the children's series understandable, particularly given its younger target audience.
How Animated Stranger Things Show Benefits Original Netflix Series
Tales From '85 is a clear example of how an animated spinoff can expand a franchise without messing with established canon. The show has the freedom to explore adventures that the original Stranger Things couldn't, filling in gaps in the characters' histories while still leading into events audiences already know.
That approach is particularly valuable for characters like Max, whose background was only partially explored in the live-action series. Finally providing a glimpse at her biological father and showing the two interacting gives audiences additional context for Max's upbringing without requiring the original series to devote screen time to a storyline that wasn't central to its larger battle against Vecna.
While the original Stranger Things series focused on massive threats, the animated spinoff, as well as other projects in the pipeline, expands the franchise by exploring its characters' everyday lives and previously unseen relationships. In doing so, Tales From '85 adds new layers to familiar characters while making the world of Stranger Things feel more lived-in.
