Stranger Things Season 5 Doubles Down on the One Trend That Could Sink the Finale—and Netflix Can’t Ignore It

Stranger Things 5 just got here and the Rotten Tomatoes number is already doing the yo-yo. The show is still a juggernaut, but critics are cooler this time. Not shocking if you have been tracking the trend.

The score is sliding... and spiking

Season 1 started at a ridiculous 97%. Season 2 eased down to 94%. Seasons 3 and 4 both sat at 89%. Season 5 initially opened at 87% when it dropped. Then today it shot up to 94% before settling at 93%. Translation: the meter is still moving.

Part of that is Netflix being Netflix. Season 5 is rolling out in three parts, and only four episodes are available right now. Any early score is basically a mid-season grade, not the final report card.

So why the lukewarm reception?

Most critics like Volume 1, they just are not raving. The common notes: less emotional punch, plot threads drifting without payoff (yet), and character arcs that feel like they are purposely holding back for later. It plays like a setup, not the blowout people expected after Season 4 went full chaos-and-gore.

"Stranger Things season 5 is like watching a Ponzi scheme happening in real time."

The tension is there, but Volume 1 is more a long inhale than a scream. The Duffers might be saving the bigger swings for the back half. And they are not exactly underselling what is coming. Matt Duffer told The Times Season 5:

"has the most violent death of any season."

Given Season 4 broke bones like glow sticks, that is a statement. Another critic summed up the whole gamble nicely:

"Whether this finale becomes a triumph or a slow fade depends entirely on how confidently the remaining episodes close these threads."

Fair point. And again, we have only seen the appetizer. The rest of the meal is still in the kitchen.

Can Volume 2 swing the narrative?

Absolutely possible. This show has a habit of tightening up once everyone finally ends up in the same place, and the emotions usually hit harder in the back stretch. Stakes are maxed out too: this is the last round with Vecna. Even if the next drops do not blow Volume 1 away, the season could still hover around that 90% range overall. That is not exactly a collapse for a final season. Fans are not panicking; they are bracing for the heartache, the spectacle, and whatever insane thing the Duffers have queued for the last bell.

Where things stand right now

• Rotten Tomatoes snapshot: S1 97%, S2 94%, S3 89%, S4 89%, S5 opened at 87%, jumped to 94%, currently 93%.
• Season 5 rollout: three parts. Volume 1 is four episodes streaming now. Three more episodes arrive Christmas Day 2025, and a feature-length finale lands on New Year's Eve 2025.
• Volume 1 vibe: tension-heavy, scaled-back gore compared to Season 4, emotional fireworks mostly delayed.
• What the creators are teasing: Matt Duffer says this season includes the most violent death the show has ever done.
• Series basics: created by Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer; 5 seasons; IMDb 8.6; overall Rotten Tomatoes around 92%.
• Production: 21 Laps Entertainment; Monkey Massacre Productions (seasons 1–4); Upside Down Pictures (season 5).

Do you think Season 5 stays above 90%, or does the score take a hit once Volume 2 lands? Drop your prediction in the comments.

Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 1 is streaming on Netflix.