The fifth and final season of Stranger Things is now available on Netflix, and its release highlights a growing concern for the streaming platform. Given the show’s huge popularity and the dramatic cliffhanger at the end of season 4, this final installment has generated an enormous amount of excitement and anticipation among viewers. It’s arguably the most eagerly awaited original series Netflix has ever produced.
Because many Netflix viewers watch shows all at once, some may have already finished the first part of Stranger Things season 5. Early reactions on sites like IMDb have been good. However, looking at other ways to measure how well the show is doing, Stranger Things season 5 appears to be part of a concerning pattern happening with Netflix shows.
Stranger Things’ Rotten Tomatoes Score Has Been In Steady Decline
There’s a noticeable trend with the TV show Stranger Things and its ratings on Rotten Tomatoes. While viewers still love the show, professional critics are giving each new season lower scores than the last. This decline in critical reception is continuing with the release of season 5.
| Stranger Things Season | Critical RT Score | Audience RT Score |
|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 97% | 96% |
| Season 2 | 94% | 90% |
| Season 3 | 89% | 86% |
| Season 4 | 89% | 89% |
| Season 5 | 87% (as of November 27) | 92% (as of November 27) |
The first season of Stranger Things was a critical hit, earning a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Season 2 remained highly praised with 94%, but seasons 3 and 4 saw slightly lower scores at 89%. The final season, season 5, received an 87% rating, making it the lowest-rated season of the series, though still generally positive.
While 87% is a fantastic score – meaning nearly nine out of ten critics enjoyed the latest season of Stranger Things – there’s a small dip in ratings. This might actually be a good thing, suggesting the show is ending at just the right moment before its quality declines.
Why Stranger Things Season 5 Has The Worst Critical RT Score Of The Show
©Netflix / Courtesy Everett Collection
Considering the decreasingly positive reviews for Stranger Things – particularly the lower scores for season 5 – it’s worth looking at why. In a review of the first part of Stranger Things season 5, critic Ebaster noted that while the show is impressively ambitious in its scope and complex storyline, this also makes it feel overly complicated.
The latest season of Stranger Things felt less focused because the characters were divided into smaller groups, each discovering important but separate details about the upcoming war with the Upside Down. Comicbook.com noted that this separation, and the resulting repetitive storylines for some characters, slowed down the show’s momentum.
Slate was among the few publications to give the show a truly negative review, criticizing its focus on “stagnant characters and complicated backstory.” Many other negative reviews echoed this sentiment, arguing that the show’s expanded scope and plot overshadowed its characters, making the fifth season feel less emotionally resonant.
Despite some negative reviews, they’re relatively few. Many of the criticisms of Stranger Things season 5 actually come within generally positive reviews. This isn’t to suggest the season will have the same disappointing ending as Game of Thrones, but rather that critics seem to be losing a little bit of interest in the show over time.
Will Stranger Things Season 5 End On A High Note?
Image via Netflix
It’s still uncertain if the final season of Stranger Things will avoid the pitfalls of shows like Game of Thrones. The first part of the season, with just four episodes, premiered on Netflix in November. The remaining three episodes will arrive on Christmas Day 2025, followed by a longer finale episode a week later on New Year’s Eve.
So far, reviews cover only the first four episodes of the new season of Stranger Things. Because those reviews point to problems with emotional depth, a confusing storyline, and characters that don’t fully develop, it’s likely that later episodes will address these issues and improve the overall experience.
As the show nears its end, the characters will probably unite to fight Vecna, and the final showdown promises to be more dangerous and heartbreaking than anything we’ve seen before. This will finally bring the scattered storylines together, focusing more on the core characters of Stranger Things.
If the creators of Stranger Things successfully wrap up the story in the final two parts of season 5, the show is likely to end on a satisfying note, as fans anticipate. Even if those final parts receive similar reviews to the earlier ones, the show’s ending is still expected to be well-received by the vast majority of critics – around 90% of them.
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2025-11-27 17:09