Stranger Things Season 5 Premieres Strong, But Lands Series-Low Rotten Tomatoes Score — Over 10% Below Season 1

Stranger Things is back... sort of. Netflix just dropped Volume 1 of the final season, so we get a hefty chunk of the endgame now and the last batch later. Early reactions are in, and the mood is... mostly upbeat, with a few loud groans.

The score so far

At the time I am writing this, Season 5 sits at 86% on Rotten Tomatoes. That number will almost certainly move as more reviews roll in (and again when Volume 2 and the actual finale arrive). Still, 86% is a series-low for Stranger Things: Season 1 scored 97%, Season 2 hit 94%, and both Seasons 3 and 4 landed at 89%.

What the critics are saying

• One outlet stamped Volume 1 with 4 stars, calling the wait worth it and praising the big-scale action, twisty storytelling, and a nasty cliffhanger that begs for Volume 2.
• IGN: 8/10, noting that the Duffers take a minute to lock in but ultimately steer the show confidently toward its conclusion.
• BBC: 4 stars, saying fans will not walk away disappointed and that anticipation for the rest is now sky-high.
• The Atlantic: largely negative on the first four episodes, describing them as grim and low on joy, but open to a turnaround if the closing stretch finds more humanity.
• Vulture: mixed-to-negative, arguing that a handful of strong, well-acted set pieces are not enough to shake the feeling that the show is less scary and less singular at the very moment it should be peaking, Mount Doom-like.

'After a three-year wait, Volume 1 of the fifth and final season of Stranger Things does not disappoint, with blockbuster set-pieces, riveting twists, heartbreaking performances, and a cliffhanger that will make you wish it was Christmas Day already. Roll on Volume 2.'

'I found the first four episodes largely joyless and grim... If Stranger Things can locate more of its humanity in its last few episodes, it will be much easier to swallow everything else it is trying to sell us.'

The bottom line (for now)

Volume 1 is streaming on Netflix right now, the big finale is still to come, and the critical consensus is strong-but-not-peak for this show. The set pieces and performances are getting love; the pushback is about tone and whether the series still feels special enough as it sprints for the exit.

If you want a blow-by-blow, there is already a Stranger Things Season 5 Part 1 ending explained out there. Otherwise, brace for Volume 2.