Stranger Things Season 5 fans are becoming increasingly concerned as Episode 7 'The Bridge' scores a terrible 5.4/10 on IMDb, which is even lower than Game of Thrones Season 8's iconic 'The Bells', which records 5.9/10. This fuels fears that the finale will be a franchise-ending catastrophe.
Fears of a rushed, disappointing climax are circulating on social media and forums, similar to sentiments about Game of Thrones. Viewers blame past episodes for prioritising heavy exposition over high-stakes thrills.
Episode 7's Record-Low Rating Sparks Meltdown
'The Bridge' is the lowest-rated Season 5 episode ever, falling short of established standards and drawing comparisons to the disputed Game of Thrones finale. After four seasons of build-up, fans on Reddit and X interpret it as a sign of more serious problems, including emotional fluff, meandering narratives, and a lack of dramatic resolution.
Moreover, the soundtrack reduction has fuelled fears that the series finale would end in a whimper, similar to GoT, where years of work were lost.
The last episodes prioritise speech dumps and significant events above monster mayhem or difficult life-or-death situations, according to critics and casual viewers who have noted a shift in tone.
Many think the Upside Down story is headed toward a weak conclusion unworthy of Hawkins' reputation, given the absence of significant character deaths to heighten the tension.
Holly's Harrowing Upside Down Fall
The episode begins with Holly Wheeler fleeing Vecna through a strange desert, where she notices a crimson glow emanating from a ground fissure. She breaks it apart and falls into the Upside Down, her screams echoing across Hawkins Lab, where Nancy, Jonathan, Steve, and Dustin gathered after escaping a melting room. Vecna yanks her skyward, raising the stakes for the Wheeler family.
Furthermore, Will Byers provides a critical explanation: Eleven's remote touch on the Abyss established 'the Bridge,' which allowed a weakened Henry/Vecna to retreat, heal, and return stronger. In his merging plan, Henry targets children with malleable brains, such as Will (who was previously used to increase power) and Holly.
Will's Emotional Plan Reveal
At a turning point, Will uses a slinky and a torch to demonstrate Vecna's rift-pulling strategy: a radio tower will pierce it, allowing Eleven to ambush Vecna's mind. Nancy discovers Brenner's sensory tank in the cold, Upside-Down lab. Max offers to assist El, and Kali joins in for a sibling confrontation.
Hopper proposes a helicopter Abyss assault (which is rejected), but Steve's 'beanstalk' improves it: Eleven and Kali kill Vecna, bomb exotic materials to collapse the Bridge, and eliminate species.
Infiltration and Henry's Ritual
The team rushes the military installation with Murray's truck and Mr Clarke's equipment, then vanishes into the Upside Down amid shooting. Holly awakens in Vecna's lair among captive children. Henry manipulates her against Max, but she resists and strikes Mary and another with a radio before collapsing injured downstairs.
As night falls, candles form a circle around a table where Mr Whatsit (Henry) and the youngsters, including tied-down Holly, clasp hands. Henry's world-merge begins, with eyes rolling white and heads snapping back.
Fan Fury Over 'Expository Slow Burn'
Critics attack the episode's focus on Will's monologue, rescues, and planning over action, calling it 'filler' that mirrors Thrones' hurried S8 pacing concerns. With no severe losses, worries rise that a 'low-stakes' ending will waste the buildup, despite Duffers' vow of no bloodshed. As the disparity widens, supporters wonder whether it will succeed or fail.
Observers say that the series has built up so many unresolved tensions. Most notably, the fate of the protagonists and the entire danger of the Upside Down, that a 'safe' or narrator-heavy ending may feel like a letdown to those eager for resolution.
With one of the most renowned Netflix shows of the previous decade coming to an end, the only certainty is that the finale will be examined and compared long after its debut, whether it receives recognition or reignites the controversies that once surrounded Game of Thrones.
