Stranger Things fans have slammed a season five episode, which has become the lowest-rated in the Netflix show’s history
Kimberly Nhundu Under 35s Screen Time reporter
17:44, 28 Dec 2025
Stranger Things enthusiasts have named the ‘worst’ episode of the entire series just days before the finale drops.
The second instalment of season five launched on Boxing Day and left audiences underwhelmed. The first volume of the series, comprising four episodes, concluded with a cliff-hanger as Will (Noah Schnapp) realised he has super powers.
The subsequent three episodes featured Max’s (Sadie Sink) eagerly awaited comeback, alongside the shocking discovery that the Upside Down isn’t an alternate dimension as the group had theorised. Instead, it’s actually a wormhole linking Hawkins to another world called the Abyss.
Various minor character deaths and thrilling sequences also unfolded. However, the seventh episode failed to captivate audiences.
Titled ‘The Bridge’, this episode has earned the honour of being the worst-rated in Stranger Things ‘ entire run, based on IMDb scores, reports the Mirror.
The Bridge is the lowest-rated episode in Stranger Things history(Image: IMDb)
With 47,000 reviews contributing to its 5.8 out of 10 score, it has surpassed the previous lowest-rated episode. The former worst-performing episode was season two’s seventh instalment, ‘The Lost Sister’, which managed a marginally better 6/10 rating.
Remarkably, both episodes spotlight Eleven’s (Millie Bobby Brown) sister Kali/Eight (Linnea Berthelsen), who has left fans divided.
Supporters have been discussing the episode’s poor reception on social media. One X user, previously Twitter, wrote: “If this last episode of Stranger Things isn’t good I’m gonna crash out because episode 7 was pure nonsense.”
One viewer predicted: “We’re on our way to experience one of the worst finale episodes ever,” with another agreeing: “This is the Game Of Thrones scenario I fear, not even the two hours + runtime is saving this disaster.”
A fourth fan chimed in: “It’s a poor episode. Can’t say I’m shocked.”
Another viewer took to Reddit to express: “This is what the show has been building towards for 10 years. The second to last episode. And it was pretty slow and unimpactful.”
Episode four is the highest-rated episode in season five(Image: NETFLIX)
The criticism isn’t solely directed at episode seven. Fans have expressed disappointment with the Duffer Brothers’ writing throughout the entire season, with some speculating that significant scenes must have been axed just before airing.
However, some viewers argue that the harsh reviews for ‘The Bridge’ are largely due to a section of the fanbase being upset about the storyline involving Will and Mike (played by Finn Wolfhard).
It’s been evident throughout the series that Will is gay and harbours feelings for his best mate Mike. This sparked a new ship within the fanbase dubbed ‘Byler’, which viewers hoped would materialise in the latest season.
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But after Will’s coming out scene, where he hinted at his feelings but Mike didn’t seem to reciprocate, this seems unlikely.
Another fan suggested: “This episode was s*** but I won’t be surprised if this review bombing was mainly due to homophobes and Bylers [supporters of the Byler ship], which is incredibly ironic Imao.”
Prior to the release of season five, volume two, viewers had hailed episode four, known as ‘Sorcerer’, as the standout instalment of the concluding series.
It remains to be seen whether episode eight, ‘The Rightside Up’, will match or surpass the midseason finale’s rating.
Stranger Things season 5 volumes 1 & 2 are streaming now on Netflix. The series finale will be available to stream on January 1st, 2026, from 1am GMT.