🚨 SHOCKER: Stranger Things S5 Just Tanked Its Lowest RT Score EVER – 85%?! 😱 After 9 years of Upside Down madness, is this the final nail in Hawkins’ coffin… or a sneaky setup for the goriest twist yet? Fans are RAVING at 90% while critics whisper “stretched thin” – but what if the REAL Vecna bombshell is hiding in episodes 5-8? Will Eleven flip the script, or are we all doomed? Dive into the full frenzy (and spoilers) – you WON’T believe who survives! 👉

The long-awaited final chapter of Netflix’s blockbuster sci-fi horror series Stranger Things dropped its first four episodes on Wednesday, and the early buzz is a mixed bag of nostalgia, gore, and gripes. With Volume 1 of Season 5 now streaming, the season has notched an 85% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes – the lowest in the show’s nine-year run. Yet, amid the hand-wringing from some reviewers, audiences are flipping the script with a solid 90% approval rating, signaling that the Duffer Brothers’ epic farewell might just stick the landing after all.

It’s a score that’s sparked immediate debate online, from Reddit threads dissecting every Demogorgon callback to X posts mourning the “death” of the show’s untouchable streak. For a series that redefined streaming watercooler moments – think Game of Thrones-level finale hype meets E.T.‘s heart – this dip feels like a gut punch. But dig deeper, and it’s clear: 85% isn’t a flop; it’s “Certified Fresh” territory, and with two more volumes rolling out by New Year’s Eve, the full picture could shift faster than a portal to the Upside Down.

The Score Breakdown: From Fresh to Frayed

Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer for Stranger Things Season 5 currently sits at 85% based on 47 reviews, a notch below the franchise’s previous benchmarks. For context, the show’s inaugural 2016 season exploded onto the scene with a near-perfect 97%, earning instant acclaim for its blend of ’80s nostalgia, Spielbergian wonder, and Stephen King-esque chills. Season 2 held strong at 94%, doubling down on the kids-vs-monsters formula while expanding the lore of Hawkins Lab and the shadowy Mind Flayer. By Seasons 3 and 4, scores settled at 89% each – still glowing, but hinting at the challenges of scaling up a sprawling ensemble and globe-trotting plotlines amid pandemic delays.

This season’s debut marks the first time the series has dipped into the mid-80s, a fact that’s fueled headlines like “Reviews Turn Upside Down” and “New Series Low.” Critics’ consensus on the site reads: “Stranger Things plays its cards just right in Season 5, solidifying its pop culture classic status with genuinely captivating genre fare.” That’s no small praise for a finale burdened by sky-high expectations – after all, it’s been over three years since Season 4’s rift-rending cliffhanger left Hawkins in ruins and Max Mayfield comatose.

Metacritic echoes the tempered enthusiasm with a 69/100 from early reviews, placing it as the season’s weakest link in aggregate scores. But here’s the silver lining: Audience scores are holding at 90%, outpacing Season 4’s 89% and matching Season 2’s fan fervor. Verified viewers on Rotten Tomatoes are calling it “a hell of a ride,” with one user gushing, “The emotional gut-punches hit harder than any Demogorgon.” As more episodes hit – Volumes 2 and 3 on December 25 and the finale on December 31 – expect that metric to climb, especially if the back half delivers the promised “grand and gory” payoff.

What the Critics Are Saying: Hits, Misses, and Monster-Sized Stakes

The review embargo lifted just hours before Volume 1’s release, and outlets from The Hollywood Reporter to IndieWire wasted no time weighing in. Praise centers on the show’s unyielding ability to blend heart, horror, and homage – think a chainsaw-wielding Eleven channeling The Texas Chain Saw Massacre or a barbed-wire Demogorgon trap straight out of The Goonies.

Jen Chaney of TV Guide awarded a glowing 9/10, lauding the series’ “rare skill” in appealing across generations: “From tweens geeking over D&D to parents reliving their mixtape youth, it’s magic.” The Guardian dished out 4/5 stars, declaring the episodes “luxurious” enough to have viewers “standing on a chair, yelling with joy.” Empire Magazine echoed the sentiment, noting how the season amps up the “grander and gorier” elements as Hawkins teeters on apocalypse. Collider’s Perri Nemiroff gave it an 8/10, praising the Duffer Brothers for “ending on their own terms,” balancing culmination with fresh risks like unexpected hero arcs and mythology twists.

Liz Shannon Miller of Consequence highlighted the “epic” moments where “unexpected heroes rise,” making Volume 1 a “promising start” despite its exposition-heavy opener. Bob Strauss at The Wrap appreciated the “simplicity” allowing “rich behavioral, cultural, and mythically unnerving elements” to shine without bogging down the pace. Even USA Today‘s Kelly Lawler, in a mixed take, conceded it “feels like the Stranger we’ve come to know and love,” with thrills outweighing logical bafflers.

Not everyone’s on board, though. Detractors point to a “stretched thin” narrative strained by the show’s ballooning scale – now encompassing military overlords, a rift-torn town, and aging characters who’ve outgrown their bikes. Variety‘s Alison Herman critiqued the episodes for expanding the world while “declining to enrich its characters as they age,” leaving emotional beats feeling secondary to spectacle. Sam Adams of Slate went “rotten,” slamming the show as “sealed in an airless, impenetrable bubble,” disconnected from its once-vibrant roots. IndieWire‘s Ben Travers handed a C+, citing “execution” woes in the first volume, while Vulture‘s Roxana Hadadi lamented it as “less scary and less singular” at a peak-it-should-be moment. Angie Han of The Hollywood Reporter echoed the sentiment, noting “enormous stakes come at the expense of smaller details needed to make them land with appropriate emotional impact.”

IGN‘s full spoiler review captured the divide: After a “unwieldy, exposition-heavy” pilot, the Duffers “find their groove,” delivering “impactful character moments” and stakes rivaling blockbuster films. Chase Hutchinson of the Seattle Times was harsher, calling it “written for an audience only half paying attention,” punishing deep dives with “stilted” dialogue. Overall, the chorus agrees: It’s no Season 1 revelation, but it’s far from a fade-out flop.

Back to Hawkins: Plot, Cast, and the Road to Ruin

Set in fall 1987 – a year after Season 4’s cataclysmic gates ripped open – Season 5 thrusts our heroes into a fractured Hawkins, now a militarized quarantine zone laced with Upside Down vines and ash. The core ensemble reunites: Millie Bobby Brown as the telekinetic Eleven, grappling with faded powers and family fractures; Finn Wolfhard’s Mike Wheeler, leading the charge against Vecna; and Noah Schnapp’s Will Byers, whose severed Mind Flayer link still tingles with dread. Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas), and Sadie Sink (Max, fate TBD) round out the teen squad, joined by Natalia Dyer (Nancy), Charlie Heaton (Jonathan), Joe Keery (Steve), Maya Hawke (Robin), and Priah Ferguson (Erica).

Veterans like Winona Ryder (Joyce Byers), David Harbour (Jim Hopper), and Brett Gelman (Murray Bauman) anchor the adult side, with Cara Buono’s Karen Wheeler stepping up amid family vanishings. Jamie Campbell Bower reprises his nightmarish Vecna, whose psyche-torturing reign escalates into full invasion mode. New blood includes Nell Fisher as Holly Wheeler (Mike and Nancy’s kid sister, now a pint-sized plot driver) and sci-fi icon Linda Hamilton as the steely Lt. Col. Dr. Kay, a government hardliner clashing with the gang’s ragtag rebellion. Hamilton told Tudum she jumped at the villain role for the “entire cast and world” vibe.

Plot-wise, Volume 1 kicks off with “The Crawl” and “The Vanishing of Holly Wheeler,” penned and directed by the Duffers themselves. The Byers clan returns from California exile, uniting for a Vecna hunt amid Demogorgon ambushes and military lockdowns. Will’s lingering “sense” of the villain – like Season 3’s Billy possession – fuels paranoia, while Eleven trains to reclaim her edge. Early episodes tease callbacks (a Season 2 arc redemption?) and traps that blend DIY ingenuity with visceral horror, but critics note a slow-burn setup prioritizing world-rebuilding over immediate thrills.

Production wrapped after a year-long shoot starting January 2024, with the Duffers teasing a tighter eight-episode arc (down from Season 4’s doorstoppers) to avoid bloat. The finale table read on September 8, 2024, left castmates in tears – even they hadn’t seen the end. Ross Duffer admitted to Variety the post-finale void will sting: “No more safety net of going back.” Finn Wolfhard echoed the sentiment on Instagram: “Shot it for a year… I’ll miss my friends and characters terribly.”

The Bigger Picture: Legacy, Hype, and Holiday Drops

Stranger Things isn’t just a show; it’s a cultural juggernaut. Pre-release, it became the first series with four seasons simultaneously on Netflix’s Top 10 chart – a testament to binge-rewatch gold. The Season 5 trailer shattered records, amassing 100 million views in days, while merchandise from Eggo waffles to synthwave soundtracks keeps the ’80s fever alive. Launch day even crashed Netflix servers momentarily, as global fans swarmed for the drop – a glitch underscoring the show’s gravitational pull.

This split release – Episodes 1-4 now, 5-7 on Christmas, finale on New Year’s Eve (with select theater screenings) – mirrors Season 4’s strategy but cranks the suspense. All volumes hit at 5 p.m. PT (8 p.m. ET), syncing holiday binges with family drama – or feuds over spoilers. Netflix’s Ted Sarandos hyped it as a “cultural moment,” predicting viewership to eclipse prior records.

Yet, the 85% score invites scrutiny: Is it fatigue from a decade-spanning tale, or proof the Duffers are innovating under pressure? ScreenRant’s Kara Hedash cheers the “risks instead of playing it safe,” while The Week rounds up takes from “top-rank comfort viewing” to “disappointment.” Vicky Jessop of the London Evening Standard nailed the appeal: “Classic ’80s adventure fare… I gulped it down – more please,” with 4/5 stars.

Why It Still Matters: Beyond the Numbers

Numbers aside, Stranger Things Season 5’s reception underscores a truth about finales: They’re lightning rods for what came before. This isn’t Lost‘s polarizing puzzle-box; it’s a love letter to friendship, growth, and fighting the darkness – literal and figurative. The cast’s evolution mirrors ours: From kid actors to A-listers (Brown’s Enola Holmes empire, Harbour’s Thunderbolts), they’ve grown up on screen, powers or not.

Critics like Lili Loofbourow of the Washington Post affirm: “Most shows would lose themselves under cultural baggage, but Stranger Things (mostly) didn’t.” As the season unfolds, expect themes of sacrifice and sovereignty – Rightside Up vs. Upside Down – to resonate amid real-world rifts. Will it end better than Game of Thrones? Early signs say yes, if Volume 1’s “promising” momentum holds.

For superfans, the 85% is just noise; the real verdict drops with the finale. Until then, crank up the Kate Bush, stock the Eggos, and brace for the crawl back into Hawkins. It’s not perfect, but damn if it isn’t one last, blood-soaked hurrah.