Fans criticized the new episodes of Stranger Things

Viewers are dissatisfied with the overloaded plot and the bloated cast of the final season).

Following the release of the second part of the fifth and final season of the Netflix series Stranger Things on December 25, 2025, an unexpected wave of criticism has emerged within the fan community of the Duffer Brothers' project. Some fans of the cult show have expressed disappointment with the development of the plot and the overall direction of the final episodes. Warning: spoilers may follow.

While many viewers praised the performances of Sadie Sink (Max) and Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas), calling them one of the strongest dramatic duos in the series, and noted the chemistry between the characters played by Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin) and Joe Keery (Steve), critical comments have become increasingly frequent on social media.

The main complaints from the audience are related to overloaded storytelling and a convoluted script. According to viewers, the concluding episodes are filled with drawn-out explanations that slow down the pace and drain the emotional tension from the events. A user under the handle SammyJReacts noted that the second part of the season "had its moments," but the finale, in their words, is "best left unmentioned."

Other fans point to the repetitive structure of scenes. For instance, user DarkOfTheMovie wrote that a significant portion of the fifth season boils down to one of the characters laying out a detailed plan, after which the others call it crazy before eventually proceeding to execute it.

The excessively bloated cast has become a separate topic of discussion. Some viewers believe that the large number of characters on screen diminishes the dramatic impact of key scenes. In particular, users note that important emotional moments, including the scene of Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) opening up, lose their power due to the presence of numerous secondary characters. "The series now has scenes where fifteen people are just standing around," wrote user josh_snares.

Nevertheless, despite the criticism, Stranger Things remains one of Netflix's most discussed projects. The final episode of the series will be released on the streaming service on December 31, 2025, after which the story that began in 2016 will officially come to a close.