Stranger Things Season 5 Hits 85% on Rotten Tomatoes, Lowest in Series History as Final Episodes Loom

The final chapter of Stranger Things began with a whisper — not a bang. On November 26, 2025, the first four episodes of Season 5 dropped on Netflix, triggering not just a global binge-watch but a flood of critical reviews that landed the show at its lowest Rotten Tomatoes score ever: 85%. Certified Fresh, yes — but for a series that once soared at 97%, this feels like a quiet farewell, not a triumphant finale. The audience score, meanwhile, sits at a robust 90%, suggesting fans still feel the magic, even if critics are starting to notice the creaks in the engine.

A Series at a Crossroads

When Stranger Things premiered on July 15, 2016, it wasn’t just a show — it was a cultural reset. The first season earned a staggering 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, a perfect storm of nostalgia, heart, and supernatural dread. Season 2 climbed to 94%. Seasons 3 and 4 held steady at 89%. But now, with Season 5, the numbers tell a different story: the show is aging, and so are its characters. The 85% score isn’t a failure — it’s a milestone. It’s the moment a beloved franchise stops surprising us and starts asking us to say goodbye.

Critics Split on the Final Stretch

The Rotten Tomatoes consensus calls Season 5 "genuinely captivating genre fare," but the individual reviews tell a more layered tale. Eric Deggans of NPR praised the pacing, noting how the Duffers keep the story moving even as it loops back to familiar beats. "Many may not notice how much these new dangers feel like old storylines," he wrote — a line that cuts deep. Meanwhile, Alison Herman of Variety argued the season feels "stretched thin," expanding its scale without deepening its characters. That’s the heart of the critique: the show’s ambition has outgrown its emotional core.

But there’s warmth, too. Samantha Nelson at Polygon found joy in the reunion of Hawkins’ core group after Season 4’s scattered arcs. "The story is better because of this change," she wrote. And Liz Shannon Miller at Consequence highlighted Robin and Will’s heart-to-heart — a quiet, human moment that landed harder than any Demogorgon. "It’s genuine and human and real," she said. Those scenes, not the explosions, might be what fans remember most.

Why the Drop? It’s Not Just Fatigue

Three years passed between Seasons 4 and 5. That’s longer than the gap between Seasons 1 and 2. The cast grew up. The world changed. And the show’s tone shifted from "kids vs. monsters" to "teens vs. fate." The nostalgia that once fueled the series now risks becoming its crutch. Rebecca Nicholson of the Financial Times saw it differently: "A three-year break and the prospect of a clear ending has allowed the show to regain its focus." She’s right. Season 5 doesn’t feel rushed. It feels deliberate. But deliberate doesn’t always mean exciting.

Even the critics who praised it acknowledged the weight of the moment. Jack Seale of the Guardian wrote: "Stranger Things definitely needs to switch off its boombox, hang up its catapults and admit it's too old for these capers, but it's worth indulging it one last time." That’s the tone of the whole season: affectionate resignation. The show knows it’s running on fumes — and so do we.

What Comes Next? The Final Episodes

These first four episodes — labeled "Volume 1" by Netflix — are just the setup. Episodes 5 through 7 arrive on December 25, 2025. The finale drops on December 31, 2025. That’s not just a release schedule; it’s a countdown. And Rotten Tomatoes scores don’t stabilize until the full season is watched. The 85% could rise. It could fall. But the real question isn’t the number — it’s whether the ending will make us forget the dip.

Screen Rant’s Alex Welch put it simply: "Will likely fluctuate as more are added." And he’s right. Critics who saw only the first half didn’t get the payoff. The Duffers — Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer — along with producers Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen, have always saved their best for last. The finale could rewrite the narrative entirely.

The Legacy of Hawkins

When Hawkins, Indiana first appeared on screen, it felt like a place we’d always known. Now, after seven seasons, it feels like a memory. The show’s genius was never just in its monsters — it was in how it made us care about kids who talked like they’d watched too many Spielberg movies. That charm still flickers. The humor, the warmth, the quiet moments between Mike and Eleven, Dustin and Suzie — they’re still there.

But the world has moved on. So has the audience. And that’s why this season matters less for its score and more for its honesty. It doesn’t pretend to be the show it was in 2016. It doesn’t try to recapture lightning. It tries to close the door gently.