Overview
- Rotten Tomatoes’ audience score dropped to roughly 56% from the low‑70s following the Dec. 25 release of Season 5 Volume 2.
- Episode 7, “The Bridge,” is the show’s lowest‑rated entry on IMDb at about 5.4–5.7 and has drawn an unusually high number of votes, reported at more than 100,000.
- Negative user reviews frequently cite ideological language and complaints about writing and pacing, while other viewers defend the scene as consistent with the character’s arc.
- A petition alleging missing or altered footage has gathered roughly 280,000–300,000 signatures, as actor Randy Havens publicly denied the existence of an alternate cut.
- The Duffer brothers say they aimed for an “inevitable” ending rather than shock, with the feature‑length finale set to debut Dec. 31 at about 2 hours 8 minutes, including limited theatrical screenings.