poisonous errors and criticisms

Il Volume 2 of season 5 of Stranger Things has finally arrived and with it episodes 5, 6 and 7, waiting for the big finale scheduled for January 1, 2026.”The real mystery of Stranger Thngs is figuring out who approved this season” wrote a user on Stranger Things 5 Volume 2, in fact, is coming overwhelmed by numerous criticisms and controversies by enthusiasts, dissatisfied (rightly or wrongly, we will see shortly) with what was shown. In particular, one episode in particular ends up in the eye of the storm, the number 7, The Bridge. Obviously there will be heavy stuff in this article SPOILER about the plot of the series, so read at your own risk.

Galeotto episode 7: how many criticisms for season 5 Volume 2 of Stranger Things (SPOILER WARNING)

Let’s start by talking about the obvious elephant in the room. At the end of episode 7 of season 5 of Stranger Thingsthe last of Volume 2, Will finally confesses his homosexuality to the gang. An element that we would define as the proverbial open secret, since it is now clear and obvious to everyone. The fans, or at least a good portion of them, didn’t like it at all, considering it forced, out of context and essentially useless for the purposes of the plot. A criticism that we do not particularly feel like sharing, since the nature of the boy can be deduced from the very first episode of the first season.

On IMDB, episode 4 of this season had gotten a roaring rating 9.5 ratingthe second highest of the entire series, behind only number 7 from season 4 and tied with number 4 also from last season. An indicator of how well the new episodes were getting. For this Volume 2, however, a slight drop for numbers 5 and 6, currently 8.2 and 8.3 in terms of approval. But nothing to do with “the offending episode”, number 7, sunk with a terrible 5.5. The lowest of the entire series, behind even the “very famous” episode 7 of season 2, the infamous The Lost Sister. If the ending of Volume 1 managed to maintain a good response from the public, creating anticipation and a desire to delve deeper into the plot, the narrative continuation seems to have paid a certain price. In the dock, the reiteration of dynamics and solutions already widely testedas well as the lack of that freshness that had characterized the first seasons.

So, what was wrong with Volume 2 of Stranger Things 5?

It’s difficult to find a single and unambiguous culprit for the “failure” of this season so far. Or, better yet, of this round of episodes. Mainly, as mentioned, the reiteration of some narrative choices was felt a little too much, while other plot twists appeared and disappeared without a trace in the space of a few minutes. An example? The “hole” which has opened in the wall of the Upside Down and which, in theory, is sucking everything into the cosmic void. Well, that seems to have totally disappeared from the radar, completely ignored by the screenwriters.

Many fans would later complain about a general flattening towards certain characters. Nancy would have been reduced to a typically American “speck” in the “I’ll shoot first and ask questions later” style; Jonathan and Mike would now be considered completely irrelevant to the plot; Eleven herself, theoretically at the center of the narrative since the very first season, saw her psychological development arrested and never resumed. They add to this several scattered “flaws”.like the radio with Running Up That Hill of Kate Bush who mysteriously no longer attracts the attention of the Demodogs during the pursuit of Lucas, Robin and company. Or one of the latter who is kicked away without too much effort by a teenager, making Bob’s death in season 2 lose meaning.

At this point all that remains is to wait until January 1, 2026 to see the series finale of Stranger Things (which will last over 2 hours) to find out if and how any holes will be filled. Hoping they don’t stay open like the cap of a certain telescope…

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