Prime Video’s Official Answer To Stranger Things Will Age Better Than The Netflix Show

Prime Video’s underrated eight-part sci-fi mystery series is the streamer’s perfect answer to Stranger Things, and it will age better than the Netflix show, too.

When it first premiered in 2016, Netflix’s Stranger Things established itself as one of the streamer’s flagship shows. Over the years, the sci-fi series broke several records and gained a massive following. However, it suffered from something most long-running TV shows struggle with: a drop in quality. While Stranger Things season 1 was revolutionary (despite its nostalgia factor), dark, and featured the perfect mystery to entice viewers, its later installments didn’t have the same sort of magic.

As Stranger Things went on, its writing became more convoluted, and its character development left a lot to be desired. This kind of decline was not necessarily surprising, as many series that start strong keep adding unnecessary detail in an effort to improve themselves. Fortunately, Prime Video’s Tales from the Loop — similar to Stranger Things with its retro 1980s aesthetics, its focus on kids, and its small-town, sci-fi mystery — never suffered Stranger Things’ issues because it only ran for one season.

As an interconnected anthology series, Tales from the Loop avoided the narrative fatigue and loss of creativity that affect other long-running TV shows. Tales from the Loop’s style ensured that each episode could stand on its own, even though they all contributed to the show’s overarching story. By the finale, every clue littered throughout the series brought the entire show together, ensuring a second season wasn’t needed.

On the other hand, Stranger Things’ massive narrative involved several moving parts, as the show’s villains morphed from terrifying one-off creatures like the Demogorgons to telepathic, world-ending monsters like season 5’s final version of the Mind Flayer. This forced the show and its otherworldly plot to grow far beyond its original premise. This ultimately became Stranger Things’ downfall. As the Netflix original show went on, it became even harder to ignore its shortcomings.

Tales From The Loop’s Single Season Worked In The Show’s Favor

Today’s streamers have a reputation for canceling shows before they’ve had a chance to find an audience or complete their stories. Tales from the Loop, on the other hand, might have actually benefited from ending after its first season. Technically, Prime Video never officially canceled the sci-fi series, but there wasn’t any real reason to continue, either. It wasn’t a straightforward book adaptation; it was based on a collection of paintings by Swedish artist Simon Stålenhag, and there was no point in overextending the show’s original concept.

These days, science fiction TV shows are a dime a dozen, and not every one of them can become the next big thing — Tales from the Loop is a prime example, even though it showed a lot of promise.

It was a cool series with a unique (if mildly confusing) premise and a cyberpunk feel that could have thrived in the genre. Like Stranger Things, it featured complex sci-fi concepts like alternate realities and time-bending, as well as a large ensemble cast. With this kind of narrative structure, it would have been difficult to preserve the show’s momentum for several seasons. Whenever a show stretches beyond its natural lifespan, it rarely succeeds.

By ending early, Tales from the Loop avoided this trap entirely. It never had the chance to over-explain or unnecessarily complicate its mysteries, dilute its tone, or make its characters insufferable. The result was a series that retained its sense of wonder, mystery, and ambiguity. Tales of the Loop felt deliberately curated, rather than becoming bloated for no good reason.

Another advantage of Tales from the Loop only airing for one season is that it has made it more accessible. Stranger Things went on for five seasons. It’ll be harder for new viewers to find the time to watch the whole show, and rewatching it will require serious dedication. Tales from the Loop, however, has just eight episodes. If audiences are looking for a Stranger Things vibe without a long-term commitment, then the Prime Video sci-fi series is the perfect replacement for the iconic yet flawed Netflix show.

Release Date

2020 – 2020

Network

Prime Video

Directors

Andrew Stanton, Dearbhla Walsh, Jodie Foster, So Yong Kim, Charlie McDowell, Ti West

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  Robert Nahum Allen

  Logan the Bartender

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