Overview
- Rotten Tomatoes’ audience score for Season 5 has fallen to about 56%, a series low following the Dec. 25 batch of episodes.
- Episode 7, The Bridge, is the show’s lowest‑rated installment on IMDb at roughly 5.4–5.7 after an unusually large wave of user reviews near or above 100,000.
- Discussion has centered on pacing, heavy exposition, and the placement of Will Byers’ coming‑out scene, while some high‑profile posts attacked the show as “woke.”
- The Duffer Brothers and Noah Schnapp detailed the scene’s long development and demanding shoot, with creators reiterating Will’s central role heading into the conclusion.
- Petitions alleging missing or “lost” content have drawn large signature counts, though Netflix has not confirmed any withheld footage; the feature‑length finale debuts Dec. 31 on Netflix and in select theaters.