Fans have reacted strongly to the most recent episodes of Stranger Things season 5. Three episodes in Volume 2, which debuted on Netflix on Christmas Day, bring the plot closer to the decisive conflict with Vecna. Now, one of those episodes has become part of the franchise’s history—but not in a positive manner. “The Bridge,” the seventh episode of Stranger Things, had the second-lowest rating to date.
It has an audience score of 73% and a critic score of 84%, according to Rotten Tomatoes. This puts it slightly above “The Lost Sister” from season two, which is still the show’s most poorly received episode. Rotten Tomatoes provides rating data based on over 2,500 audience ratings for the entire season as well as critic evaluations.
The abrupt breakup between Nancy Wheeler and Jonathan Byers was one of the episode’s main talking points. Several viewers thought the breakup was hurried or ambiguous. Some fans even doubted whether it actually occurred. “Yeah, Natalia and Charlie didn’t seem to know that Jancy broke up in that scene,” said an internet commenter. “ I’m not taking it too seriously until I see the epilogue because they didn’t mention a breakup.”
The Duffer Brothers later announced the characters’ official breakup. Will Byers’ poignant admission in the episode was another moment that attracted notice. The moment received harsh criticism from some, while others applauded it for its candor. “Trust Netflix to promote the gay agenda, regardless of the pricetag,” one social media user said in a furious response. “They’ve destroyed Stranger Things. What does his being gay have to do with beating Vecna?” The Online discussion was triggered by the remark, with many fans defending the plot and the character’s development.
A few performances were particularly noteworthy despite the conflicting responses. Sadie Sink’s performance as Max, particularly in sequences with Caleb McLaughlin, continues to garner high appreciation. Season 5 of Stranger Things currently has an overall Tomatometer score of 84% and a Popcornmeter score of 65%. Some viewers are concerned about the show’s outcome as the finale approaches, particularly in light of the analogies to prior contentious series endings.
