‘Stranger Things’ Season 5 Smashes Netflix Records as New Number One

The show is building to a surprising finale on New Year’s Day, and viewers are united in what they want to see happen after a controversial second half of its fifth season. The decision to split the final season into three parts confused some fans, and while the first four episodes were well-received, episodes five through seven have faced criticism. Many longtime viewers feel the plot has become overly complicated as the series nears its end.

The first four seasons of Stranger Things were very popular with audiences, earning scores of 85

Fans Have One Demand for ‘Stranger Things’ Finale

As seen with Game of Thrones, a show can be fantastic for many seasons, but a disappointing ending can overshadow everything. Fans will endlessly complain about it online for years. Stranger Things is now at a critical point where its final season could either succeed or fail, and viewers are already hoping for a satisfying conclusion.

Look, I’m a big Stranger Things fan, and while Volume 2 had some cool parts, the finale really needs to deliver. Honestly, a lot of this volume felt slow. It was either characters just talking in circles about their feelings, or someone explaining a plan that felt a bit too convenient. I’m hoping they save the best for last!

Many viewers feel the latest season has been a mixed bag, with both great moments and disappointing ones. One fan, @01NCUBUS, perfectly captured this, saying the show sometimes feels surprisingly simplistic, but then scenes with Gaten Matarazzo and Joe Keery are so good they stand out as some of the best television around. Meanwhile, @elmikewill commented that the relationships between characters didn’t seem to be developing as fully as they could have.

Okay, so here’s the thing with the upcoming season of Stranger Things. I think the Duffer brothers really overextended themselves. The story’s gotten so tangled up in all the supernatural stuff that they aren’t giving the characters the space they need. It feels like important character moments and relationships are getting shortchanged – scenes just feel too quick or don’t really go anywhere because they’re rushing to get to the next plot point. It’s a shame, because the characters were always the best part!

The fifth season of Stranger Things is once again the most-watched show on Netflix. With the finale arriving in less than a week, it’s likely to stay at the top of the charts for at least another week, and even into the beginning of 2026. We’ll soon find out if the ending lives up to the show’s reputation as one of the best sci-fi horror series of the last ten years.

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2025-12-27 23:47