The final season of Stranger Things has been hit by a wave of negative audience reactions following the release of its second batch of episodes.
The Netflix series saw its Rotten Tomatoes audience score drop sharply after Vol. 2 premiered on Christmas Day.
The score has fallen to a series low of 57 percent.
The decline marks a significant change from previous seasons, which averaged audience scores of 86 percent or higher.
Season five had already received criticism when Vol. 1 was released last month. At that stage, the audience score reportedly sat in the 70s.
Some viewers complained that the writing felt weaker than in earlier seasons.
Several fans criticised the amount of exposition in the new episodes. Others said characters spent too much time bickering while surrounded by heavy visual effects.
One viewer wrote on X that every scene in season five felt like exposition. The criticism intensified after Vol. 2 arrived, with one specific scene becoming a focal point.
In the penultimate episode, titled The Bridge, Will Byers delivers a lengthy monologue in which he comes out to his friends.
The scene occurs as the group prepares to confront the villain Vecna. Since its release, The Bridge has become the lowest-rated episode of the series with 5.8/10 on IMDb.
Why the coming out scene divided fans
Some of the backlash followed a familiar pattern, with claims that the show had become “woke.”
Elon Musk commented that the scene was unnecessary and forced on viewers who wanted straightforward science fiction.
However, much of the criticism focused on how the moment was written and placed within the episode.
Many viewers argued that Will’s sexuality had already been clear since the show’s early seasons.
They said the issue was not that Will is gay, but that the coming out was delivered during a climactic moment. Some felt the monologue disrupted the pacing and tension of the story.
One social media user wrote that pausing the apocalypse for a speech felt awkward and unnecessary.
Several critics said the scene sacrificed momentum during a crucial part of the narrative. Others argued that the emotional beat could have been handled earlier or more subtly.
One outlet noted that the characters had faced extreme dangers together, making it implausible that Will’s sexuality had gone unnoticed.
USA Today also said the moment felt underwhelming rather than triumphant.
Comparisons were drawn to other shows that feature gay storylines. Some viewers pointed to HBO’s Heated Rivalry, which centres on a romance between two male hockey players.
They argued that the difference lay in tone and structure, saying Stranger Things paused its narrative to make a statement.
Despite the criticism, many fans defended the scene. Some said Will’s confession reflected the difficulty of coming out in the 1980s.
One viewer wrote that the moment felt deeply relatable and emotionally honest. Others argued that Will’s fears made sense given Vecna’s ability to exploit personal vulnerabilities.
Creators respond and look ahead
The show’s creators, Matt and Ross Duffer, have not commented directly on the backlash. However, they previously discussed the scene with The Hollywood Reporter.
Matt Duffer said the coming out moment took longer to write than almost any other scene in the series.
Originally, the scene involved Will coming out only to his mother, Joyce. The writers later decided it needed to include his friends.
Matt Duffer said the scene began to feel right once the group was involved. He also said they were nervous about showing the script to Noah Schnapp because of its personal resonance.
Ross Duffer said the performance captured something they could not replicate again. The brothers confirmed that Will will play a central role in the series finale.
They said the story began with Will’s disappearance and felt it should end by centring him once more.
The final episode of Stranger Things is scheduled to be released on December 31.
Featured image credit: Netflix
