- By Khushi Surana
- Fri, 02 Jan 2026 05:18 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Almost 10-year-old sci-fi series Stranger Things has officially come to an end. On January 1, 2026, the 3rd and final volume of Stranger Things Season 5 was released, sending fans into a state of reminiscing and heartbreak. The last season of the series is getting widespread appreciation and with praise comes criticism. The fans enjoyed the show, but a scene of Noah Schnapp, who played the role of Will Byers, drew major hate towards the creators of the show, the Duffer Brothers. The unexpected criticism got so intense that the Duffer Brothers had to come forward to explain their point of view on the scene.
Duffer Brothers recently addressed the backlash they have been receiving for a particular scene in Stranger Things Season 5. In an interview with Variety, they were asked if they expected the ‘homophobic’ hate the show has received online, Matt Duffer said, "No is the honest truth. Because it is, as Ross said, something we’ve been building for a really long time. I always say, Ross and I are many things, but subtle is not one of those things!"
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Explaining Matt's statement, Ross Duffer said, "We’re proud of the episode, and we’re proud of the scene, and proud of Noah, who gave a really brave, very vulnerable performance. I’ve been texting with him a lot, but texting with him specifically after that scene and after that episode aired. And he’s in a really good place. He’s very proud of the scene, and we’re proud of the scene."
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Stranger Things Season 5 Ratings
On IMDb, all the episodes of Stranger Things Season 5 are rated 7.9 or above, except for chapter 7, which was rated 5.6, marking the worst-ever rating in the history of Stranger Things. On average, every episode is rated above 6.5.
Stranger Things Season 5
The fifth and final season of Stranger Things was released on the OTT platform Netflix in three different volumes. The first volume of the season premiered on November 26, 2025. Its second and third volumes were released on December 25, 2025 and on January 1st 2026, respectively.
The show was created and produced by Duffer Brothers, Matt and Ross Duffer. The show features an extensive cast which includes Winona Ryder, Millie Bobby Brown, David Harbour, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Natalie Dyer and many more.