Stranger Things has been a constant cultural phenomenon since its launch, breaking every record and pleasing every critic with its stunning mix of 80s nostalgia, supernatural horror, and drama. Besides, season 5 has been the most-awaited event in TV history, leaving everyone curious about how the saga of Hawkins would end. But its recent ratings have come as a shocker. 

The reception of Stranger Things Season 5 Episode 7 has not all been positive. The penultimate part of the show, The Bridge, invited different reactions, thus leading to an unusually low milestone rating for the series.

Based on the data from IMDb, Stranger Things 5 Episode 7, The Bridge, received a score of 5.5 out of 10 and 5.7 user ratings just after its release, which made it the lowest-rated episode in the history of the show. It shockingly managed to beat the earlier infamous Season 2’s The Lost Sister, earning only 6 out of 10. 

Rotten Tomatoes saw a sharp decline in audience scores after the release of Volume 2, despite critics giving it a relatively higher score. With over 5000 audience reviews, the public rated episode 8 with a blatant 57% on Popcornmeter, though critics gave it an 84% Tomatometer rating. 

Meanwhile, Season 5, Episode 4, Sorcerer, led by Will Byers, currently boasts the show's highest ratings, which is 9.6 out of 10, tying with Season 4’s Chapter Seven: The Massacre at Hawkins Lab. People online were vociferous about their discontent and argued that the tensions and payoff in the penultimate episode of the final season of Netflix's grand sci-fi blockbuster were disappointing, joyless, and artificial. 

Various critics and viewers claimed that it had a dramatically slow pace, the dialogues were nothing but explanations, and the overall story was poorly told. Some even compared the fate of Stranger Things with HBO's phenomenal epic Game of Thrones, which held the highest ratings, until its tragically poor last season presented fans with one of the worst finales in TV history. Despite its flaws, the final season in Hawkins remains emotionally charged and explosive with one more episode before the curtain call. 

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Wonder what went down in Season 5, Episode 7 that brought about its review-bombing?

In The Bridge, the heroes from Hawkins plot a desperate plan to get rid of their ultimate threat, Vecna and the Upside Down, once and for all. The Upside Down mechanics, revealing itself as a gateway to the Abyss, is already unfolding, raising the stakes of the entire conflict. 

Besides, the episode divulges emotional moments, such as Max waking up in the hospital in a touching scene, followed by Eleven, Hopper, and Kali reuniting, as well as Will Byers' coming-out scene. These pivotal scenes add moving beats to the narrative as the threat becomes more serious. 

There is no sunshine and rain as they must devise their grand plan to beat Vecna. Hopper floats the idea of flying a helicopter into the Abyss, while Dustin plans to drop a bomb on the exotic matter and blow up the Abyss. And Kali or 008 proposes a fatal plan. 

Now, Eleven is faced with a grim choice of sacrificing herself in order to obliterate the Upside Down and defeat evil. The die-hards are now on their waiting game for the 8th and final episode, arriving on December 31, 2025. Despite poor ratings of Stranger Things' 7th episode, the final chapter could bring back the lost glory of the season. 

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Have you watched Stranger Things Season 5, Episode 7 yet? Comment your thoughts below.