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Stranger Things Faces Fan Backlash as Ratings Slide and Unverified ‘Director’s Cut’ Claims Spread Ahead of Finale

The two-hour-plus finale arriving Jan. 1 will gauge if the backlash eases.

Overview

  • Audience sentiment has dropped sharply, with Rotten Tomatoes scores sitting in the mid‑to‑high 50s and Episode 7 landing around 5.8–5.9 on IMDb.
  • A fan campaign pushing #netflixreleasethevolume2files has fueled a petition topping 200,000 signatures urging release of purportedly removed scenes.
  • The deleted‑scenes narrative stems from an unverified Google document and anonymous sources reported via aggregators, with no independent confirmation.
  • Cast member Randy Havens publicly refuted the rumors, saying there is no Director’s Cut of the season.
  • Criticism centers on predictable plotting, underused relationships and side‑character sprawl, alongside disputes over a coming‑out scene and claims of review bombing, as a 128‑minute finale nears.