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Stranger Thingsseason 5, Volume 2, dropped on Christmas Day, and although Volume 1 was met with plenty of fanfare, Volume 2 has unfortunately meant a hit to the overall sentiments about and ratings for season 5—a major hit, actually.
SPOILER—This post includes spoilers from Stranger Things Season 5Volume2.
Stranger Things Volume 2 comprised episodes 5, 6 and 7, the latter being the penultimate episode of the entire series. Particularly following the news that the Stranger Things finale will only have a two-hour (and a few minutes) run time—much shorter than many were expecting—there was quite a bit riding on Volume 2 to do some heavy lifting.
The Duffer Brothers, along with several other Stranger Things stars, had also teased an emotional, action-packed and eventful volume, with the Duffers even promising a “dark” Christmas. Because of these comments, audiences were expecting some major character deaths and massive reveals.
Episodes 5-7 certainly weren’t devoid of any updates. Jonathan and Nancy broke up, for one, and audiences learned that the Upside Down is actually a wormhole, connecting Hawkins to Dimension X. Max also woke up from her coma (which turned out to be a Vecna trance), and Will Byers came out as gay.
Yet, many fans have taken to the internet—be it on Rotten Tomatoes or social media—to express their displeasure with how this brand-new volume turned out.
Rotten Tomatoes offers a solid measure for just how sour a turn Volume 2 has been. Currently, season 5 has a 73% audience score, which is a full 13 percentage points lower than the show’s next-lowest rated season (season 3). By comparison, season 1 has a healthy 96% audience score.
Many reviews that have poured in since Volume 2 was released are downright scathing, with one 1/2-star review reading, “Worst season by far. It would be better written if they just made the whole script via chatGPT,” and another 1/2-star review simply beginning, “Volume 2 is a disaster.”
There is a range of complaints reflected in these reviews and in comments across social media, from issues with how Will’s coming out was handled to grievances about the characters seeming to have plot armor this season, as no major character deaths have happened yet.
@cherieecola i’m so mad i rep this show way too hard for them to release that #strangerthings #strangerthings5 #st5 #willbyers #fyp
♬ When It’s Cold I’d Like To Die – Moby
@joshhernst like can we just have the last episode pretty please #strangerthings5
♬ original sound – OutofContextFamilyGuy
It’s possible that opinions will shift as audiences have a bit more time to sit with the new episodes, and the finale has the opportunity to address some fans’ concerns. Still, there’s little getting around the fact that Stranger Things may very well be facing its worst reception to date.
