
The first part of Stranger Things Season 5 is receiving a lot of criticism. It currently has the lowest ratings of any season on Rotten Tomatoes, and many viewers are calling it the worst installment of the show so far. Critics and fans alike agree the new episodes are a significant letdown.
TikTok and X are full of posts criticizing the first volume, with many people complaining about the writing, how the story unfolds, and the overall mood. The general consensus is that it didn’t quite hit the mark.

The first part of Stranger Things Season 5 has received an 84% score from critics and an 85% score from viewers. While still positive, these numbers are a bit lower than previous seasons. For comparison, Season 4 earned 89% from both critics and fans, Season 3 scored 89% and 86%, Season 2 had 94% and 90%, and the very first season achieved a high 97% from critics and 96% from the audience.

What TikTok And X Users Are Saying
TikTok users are reacting to the new release just like fans on X – they all seem to agree it’s a complete disaster.
Viewers are disappointed with the recent writing and feel the new episodes don’t capture the spirit of the original series. Many describe the current quality as generic and typical of mass-produced content.
The fifth season of Stranger Things feels like a significant drop in quality, resembling the formulaic approach often seen in Marvel productions. The dialogue is weak, the pacing and editing feel rushed and influenced by TikTok trends, and the plot is poorly constructed. It’s surprising how some of the actors managed to deliver lines in certain scenes. The season relies too heavily on revisiting old nostalgic elements and creating artificial suspense.
— jams (@jam__you) November 29, 2025
The acting is also receiving criticism, with many viewers finding it uninspired and unnatural. The dialogue feels clunky and unrealistic, often with characters talking over each other. Visually, the show is also being panned for its unpolished effects, strange camera work, and dull color scheme, all of which distract from the story.
The show’s characters aren’t safe from criticism either. Storylines that have been built over time are suddenly dropped, popular characters are given less to do, and new characters don’t seem to add much. Fans were already unhappy with the way Season 2 was handled, and the first part of the latest season only intensified those feelings.
A major issue with this season is that it tries to create emotional moments that don’t feel genuine. The new abilities, quick endings to storylines, and overly dramatic dialogue all come across as forced and insincere – like the show is taking shortcuts instead of building things naturally.
Many viewers believe the upcoming fifth season of Stranger Things will not hold up well over time. Common criticisms of recent episodes include feeling overly long, prioritizing emotional moments over plot progression, and relying on predictable character arcs and plot devices. Specifically, some feel the show has fallen into the trap of making characters unrealistically powerful and protected, simply to extend the story.
— Fake Wizard (@RealLifeFakeWiz) November 27, 2025
Many viewers found the finale disorganized, hard to follow, and unnecessarily long, seeming like it was stretched out simply to meet Netflix’s requirements for how long people watch.
There’s also all the woke messaging which never existed like this back in the ’80s.
A Season Compared To Game of Thrones

The worst part is how fans are now comparing the show to the final season of Game of Thrones. It feels like all the excitement built up over the years is leading to a disappointing ending that doesn’t stay true to what people loved about the series.
That comparison alone tells you how far the show has fallen.
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2025-12-03 05:02