Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 2 dropped on Netflix on Christmas Day and instantly sent fans into debate mode! Episode 7, titled “The Bridge,” is now officially the second-lowest-rated episode in the entire show, sitting just above the infamous Season 2 Episode, “The Lost Sister,” which landed a 6.0 rating on IMDb. Many viewers expected Volume 2 to be a rollercoaster leading to the Vecna showdown and the emotional Lumax hospital reunion featuring “A Never-Ending Story,” but instead, they found themselves asking why Nancy and Jonathan suddenly called it quits.
The Duffer Brothers confirmed that Nancy Wheeler and Jonathan Byers are officially over, but the lack of clarity within the episode has people heated. Critics gave Episode 7 an 84 percent rating, while audiences were more hesitant at 73 percent, and yet the online backlash is louder than ever, with a 6.9 rating on IMDb. Some are calling the tonal shift “a series low,” especially following the incredible hype of Season 5 Episode 4, “The Sorcerer.” Others say that the chemistry between Sadie Sink and Caleb McLaughlin is the only thing saving this chapter from going completely downhill.
Fans can’t help comparing this moment to finales like Game of Thrones, where the ending nearly overwrote an entire legacy. If this is only the second-lowest point, everyone is bracing for what the final stretch could look like. Buckle up, Hawkins lovers, because the final episode of Stranger Things will come on December 31, and it might test every fan’s loyalty one last time.