Hawkins is on the verge of ending. Will decides to tell everyone he doesn’t like girls…

Stranger Things Season 5’s penultimate episode, “The Bridge” (Episode 7), has sparked intense debate among fans since its Christmas Day release as part of Volume 2 on Netflix. While critics have maintained solid approval for the final season overall, with an 84% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes, audience reception took a sharp dive following this installment. The episode, heavy on exposition and character resolutions amid escalating Upside Down threats, drew complaints about sluggish pacing and a lack of forward momentum heading into the finale. Many viewers felt it prioritized emotional payoffs over action, leaving the story feeling stalled at a critical juncture.At the center of the controversy is Will Byers’ long-awaited heartfelt coming-out scene, delivered powerfully by Noah Schnapp as a culmination of his character’s multi-season arc. For some, it was a moving and authentic highlight, praising Schnapp’s nuanced performance. Others, however, criticized its timing and execution as awkward or forced, igniting fierce shipping wars between Byler (Will/Mike) and Mileven (Mike/Eleven) supporters. This divide contributed to evident review bombing on IMDb, where “The Bridge” plummeted to one of the series’ lowest ratings—briefly becoming the worst-ever before stabilizing as the second-lowest behind Season 2’s polarizing “The Lost Sister.” Audience scores for the season dropped to around 57-72% on Rotten Tomatoes, reflecting broader gripes like repetitive dialogue and unresolved buildup, underscoring how the show’s devoted fanbase can amplify both praise and backlash in its emotional swan song.