Stranger Things 5 Vol. 1 is melting down across the fandom. The new batch of episodes is now the lowest-rated season on Rotten Tomatoes, and audiences aren’t shy about calling it the worst the series has ever produced. Both critics and fans say the final season stumbles hard.
TikTok and X are flooded with rants, clips, and breakdowns dragging the writing, pacing, and tone. The reaction is consistent across the board: Vol. 1 missed the mark.
Stranger Things 5 Vol. 1 sits at an 84% critic score with an 85% audience score. For context, every previous season ranked higher — Season 4 at 89% from both critics and fans, Season 3 at 89% and 86%, Season 2 at 94% and 90%, and the original season towering at 97% and 96%.
What TikTok And X Users Are Saying
TikTok reactions echo everything fans are posting on X, and they are similar to our review: it’s a total dumpster fire.
People complain the writing doesn’t feel up to par and the new episodes are nothing like the show they fell in love with. The tone shifted into something that looks and sounds like “Marvel slop.”
Stranger things s5 has turned into marvel slop. shit dialogue, crappy tiktok-y pacing and editing, and even worse plot. i honestly don’t know how some of these actors got through some of these scenes. Recycled nostalgiabait from past seasons, manufactured tension…jesus
— jams (@jam__you) November 29, 2025
Acting is also being called out. Fans say it looks tired, stiff, and weighed down by bad dialogue where everyone finishes each other’s sentences. Even the visuals are getting roasted. The coloring, rushed CGI, and awkward camera moves take people out of the story.
@logolorewithdaw Why do all the characters in this season sound so unnatural when they cuss? #strangerthings5 #strangerthings #dialogue ♬ Kids – Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein
Characters don’t escape criticism, either. Longtime arcs are thrown out the window, favorites get sidelined, and new additions feel pointless. Fans were already frustrated back when the Duffers dragged Season 2 into the mix again, and Vol. 1 only made it worse.
@ch._.tahyt Stranger things season 5 SUCKED #strangerthings5 ♬ Chopin Nocturne No.2 Op.9-2(1391533) – 314P
One of the biggest complaints is how the season tries to force “emotional beats” without earning them. The new powers, the rushed resolutions, the melodramatic speeches — all of it feels like a shortcut.
Stranger Things 5 is going to age like MILK.
— Fake Wizard (@RealLifeFakeWiz) November 27, 2025
– These episodes did not earn their run time
– Precious time is wasted on "muh feelings."
– Mary Sue-ification
– "Power Was Inside You All Along" trope
– Ridiculous, Nuclear-level Plot Armor for heroes and villains (so they can pad out…
People are calling the finale messy, confusing, and padded with runtime just to hit Netflix’s viewing-minutes quota.
There’s also all the woke messaging which never existed like this back in the ’80s.
@miaavella28 maybe it’s just me but it’s so bad imo – #strangerthings #strangerthings5 #fyp #trending #viral ♬ Kids – Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein
A Season Compared To Game of Thrones
The final insult is the comparison fans keep making: Stranger Things is turning into Game of Thrones. Years of hype leading to a messy finale that abandons what made the series great.
That comparison alone tells you how far the show has fallen.
@inmyfactualopinion I’m not surprised. The show has been on a consistent decline since season 1 #strangerthings5 #strangerthings #strangerthings4 #vecna #television ♬ original sound – Ricardo
