The rating of the fifth season of Stranger Things has sharply declined

Viewers are widely criticizing the second part of the final season of the Netflix show).

After the release of the second part of the fifth and final season of the Netflix series Stranger Things, the project's ratings have noticeably declined. The audience reaction, previously mostly positive, has shifted to a wave of criticism, reflected in the scores on major user review aggregators.

According to Rotten Tomatoes, the audience score for the fifth season has dropped to 66 percent. For comparison, previous seasons of the series demonstrated significantly higher ratings: 96 percent for the first season, 90 percent for the second, 86 percent for the third, and 89 percent for the fourth. Thus, the final season has become the lowest-rated in the show's history.

Decline in IMDb Ratings

The negative viewer reaction was particularly evident after the release of the seventh episode, titled "The Bridge." On the IMDb platform, the episode received a rating of 5.4 out of 10, making it the lowest-rated episode of Stranger Things across all five seasons. Moreover, within the first 12 hours after release, the episode's rating continued to decline, losing over half a point.

Main Viewer Complaints

Among the most frequently mentioned reasons for dissatisfaction, viewers cite the plot and dramatic choices made by the creators in the concluding part of the season. Specifically, criticism has targeted the farewell scene between Nancy (Natalia Dyer) and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton), which, in fans' opinion, felt tonally misplaced and disrupted the overall narrative flow.

The sudden increase in the plot significance of Holly (Tinsley Price), previously a peripheral character, has also sparked discussion. Viewers noted that her abrupt involvement in key seasonal events feels insufficiently justified.

Separate complaints were directed at the treatment of the series' central heroes—Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and Mike (Finn Wolfhard)—who, according to some of the audience, were pushed to the background in the final chapter of their own story.

The culmination of Will's (Noah Schnapp) storyline, related to his coming out, also drew a negative reaction. Viewers expected a more intimate and emotional scene, but the final version was perceived as overly public and lacking personal nuance.

Additionally, according to fans, the new plot revelation about the nature of the Upside Down and its connection to another dark world further complicated the series' mythology on the eve of the finale.

What's Next

At this point, only the final, eighth episode of the fifth season remains for viewers. According to preliminary reports, its duration will be approximately two hours. It is upon this episode that the creators are relying to tie up numerous plotlines and conclude the story that began in 2016.

The final episode of Stranger Things will be released on Netflix on December 31, 2025.