The internet, a place often divided, has found an unusual consensus regarding Stranger Things Season 5, Volume 2: widespread disappointment. Following the release of the latest episodes, fan reaction has significantly soured, with much of the frustration centering on Episode 7, ominously titled “The Bridge.” This negative turn of events has drawn unsettling comparisons to the infamous decline of Game of Thrones, a parallel the Duffer Brothers had previously vowed to avoid for their beloved series.

The quantitative evidence of this discontent is stark. Stranger Things Season 5 currently holds a mere 66% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, a precipitous drop when contrasted with previous seasons which consistently garnered scores in the 86-96% range. IMDb ratings paint an even grimmer picture, with Episode 7 plummeting to a dismal 5.4 out of 10. This makes it the lowest-rated episode in the show’s entire history, surpassing even the widely criticized Season 2 episode, “The Lost Sister,” which scored a 6.0. The score for “The Bridge” continued to freefall, dropping over half a point within hours of its release, indicating a deep-seated fan dissatisfaction.

Multiple narrative and character choices have been identified as primary contributors to this critical downturn. Fans have voiced significant displeasure over a poorly timed breakup scene between Nancy and Jonathan, which occurs just before a perceived life-or-death confrontation, made all the more awkward by its setting in a room described as being filled with “pornographic goo.” Another point of contention is the sudden and heavy emphasis on Holly, a character who had previously been a minor presence but now appears to be driving significant plot developments, raising questions about her sudden centrality. The sidelining of the purported main protagonists, Eleven and Mike, has also not escaped fan criticism.

Perhaps most notably, the literal “Bridge” reveal itself, which suggested the Upside Down is connected to yet another dark dimension attempting to invade Earth, has largely failed to resonate. For many viewers, this twist felt less like an escalation of stakes and more like an unnecessary complication, introducing a “second Upside Down” without genuinely enhancing the core conflict. However, the scene that has garnered the most widespread mockery, potentially of the entire series, is the long-awaited coming out of Will Byers as gay. After years of subtle character development and hints, the moment unfolded publicly, in front of a dozen or so people, many of whom barely knew Will. This public and seemingly forced confession, dubbed the “Will the Wise” moment, felt less like an intimate, emotionally powerful reveal and more like a “press conference,” as actor Noah Schnapp reportedly described it, leading to it being perceived as awkward, absurd, and ultimately mishandled.

With only the finale remaining, the show faces the challenge of resolving numerous complex plotlines and setting the stage for a potential spin-off, all within a mere two-hour timeframe, a prospect that further worries many disgruntled fans.