Stranger Things Season 5 Divides Critics & Audiences On Rotten Tomatoes

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The fifth and final season of Stranger Things has arrived on Netflix, and while critics generally liked it—especially the last three episodes—it’s also received the lowest score from Rotten Tomatoes of any season. Currently, it has an 85% ‘Certified Fresh’ rating, indicating a noticeable difference in opinion between critics and viewers.

Despite generally positive reviews, the final season of Stranger Things has the biggest difference in opinion between critics and viewers. Critics gave it an 85% rating based on 147 reviews, but the audience score is only 56% from over 10,000 ratings – the lowest score any season of the show has received.

Viewers have expressed disappointment with recent storytelling, particularly a lack of meaningful consequences for characters and an overabundance of explaining rather than showing. This is evident in the reaction to the finale of Stranger Things season 5, which many feel was too cautious and didn’t take enough risks after ten seasons of building the story.

Beyond legitimate criticism, the show has faced a wave of negative reviews – seemingly motivated by homophobia – after Will came out as gay in season 5, episode 7. This likely played a part in the difference between critics’ and viewers’ scores, but it’s not the sole reason people are disappointed with the final season, which has a number of other issues.

Netflix has seen mixed reactions to new seasons of its hit shows a couple of times this year. The recent season of Squid Game received a 78% rating from critics, but only a 51% rating from viewers. Wednesday‘s second season had a similar, though smaller, difference in opinion – critics gave it 87% while audiences scored it 76%.

Despite the recent disagreements among fans, the future of the Stranger Things universe looks bright. An animated spin-off, Stranger Things: Tales from ’85, is planned for release in 2026, and another live-action spin-off with a new story and characters is also being developed. Any negative reaction to the final season is seen as a minor setback in the larger plan for expanding the franchise.

Despite the show’s overall success, many viewers were unhappy with how Stranger Things ended, and they had valid reasons for feeling that way. However, not everyone feels this way, and the show still received positive reviews. It’s possible opinions will shift as people have more time to process the finale.

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2026-01-02 18:18