The fifth season of “Stranger Things” contains three of the five lowest-rated episodes out of the entire series, according to IMDb, shocking many considering the show’s historic success rates.
However, these low ratings don’t necessarily reflect the season as a whole. Season 5, episode 4, “Sorcerer,” is the third-highest rated episode out of the entire series.
Following the release of the second volume of episodes on Christmas Day, the final episode was released on Dec. 31 on Netflix. Many fans have shared their reactions and criticisms of the second half of “Stranger Things 5.”
“I can’t speak for all fans, but I can certainly speak for myself. I was left disappointed by season 5, episode 7 for several reasons, but mostly because I felt the writing was sloppy,” said Sammi Kenbrandt, a past Carlmont student.
Common points of critique address the finale’s plot holes and predictability, as well as how the writers reduced Eleven’s character by making her ending centered around her boyfriend.
“Many fans were upset about how Eleven’s last goodbye to the world solely focused on her romantic relationship with Mike, overshadowing the other relationships Eleven has built. The fandom has also heavily criticized the battle with Vecna and the Mind Flayer, as many found it ridiculous that not one, but two immensely powerful, interdimensional beings were defeated by a group of adolescents and DIY weapons in a few minutes,” said Carlmont sophomore Issy Lee.
Others theorize that social media created unrealistic expectations, leading many to feel underwhelmed with the finale, despite the large battle and emotional closing.
“I think it was executed very well, but there was a lot of hype and expectations got very inflated, including mine,” said Carlmont junior Clara Lewis.
Feeling cheated out of the ending they wanted, many fans theorized about a surprise ninth episode that was believed to be released on Jan. 7, inspired by references to avoiding conformity within the show. This led to #conformitygate trending on social media, with over 50,000 posts on TikTok alone.
Even though this episode did not come to fruition, Netflix released a behind-the-scenes documentary, “One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5,” on Jan. 12. This revealed that the script for the ending of the “Stranger Things” series wasn’t written when they started production, angering fans online.
Despite all the criticism, the finale was still enjoyable for many. Although the final battle was arguably underwhelming, the bittersweet ending satisfied some viewers.
“Many of the scenes were incredibly heartfelt. I loved how Holly and her friend group’s last scene paralleled the very first scene we saw of The Party, which really cemented the 10-year-running show’s emotional farewell,” Lee said.
Regardless of one’s take on the final episode, it’s clear that the “Stranger Things” series as a whole will stay close to many fans’ hearts.
“While disappointed with the ending, I still love the universe it created, and the way it brought community and conversation among fans. All to say, it is art. And art is subject to opinion. That’s the beauty of it,” Kenbrandt said.
