Stranger Things is currently being review bombed online, mainly over Season 5 and especially Volume 2, with a sudden spike of low user scores that go beyond normal mixed reviews. The backlash centers on both creative choices (writing, pacing, character focus) and anger over Will Byers’ coming‑out storyline and his relationship with Mike.

What “review bombed” means here

  • A large wave of very low ratings (often 1–3 stars) appears in a short time window, dragging down scores on platforms like Rotten Tomatoes, IMDb, and other aggregators.
  • Many of these negative reviews repeat the same talking points, suggesting coordinated or emotionally driven pushback rather than independent, detailed critiques of the whole season.

Main reasons fans are upset

  • Will Byers’ storyline: A visible chunk of backlash focuses on Will’s coming out and the fact that the show does not fully fulfill the Will–Mike (“Byler”) romantic endgame that some fans expected.
  • LGBTQ+ themes: Some negative reviews attack the prominence of Will’s sexuality or frame it as “forced messaging,” while others are angry that queer viewers were “strung along” without the romance payoff they wanted.
  • Writing and pacing complaints: Other viewers, including some who are not focused on shipping, argue that Season 5’s writing is weaker, too exposition-heavy, and bloated with characters compared with earlier seasons.

Fandom split and forum discussion

  • Fan forums and Reddit threads show a clear divide between:
    • People furious about the handling of Will/Mike and representation.
    • People who mainly dislike structural issues: pacing, too many subplots, “Marvel-style” quips, or lack of stakes.
  • Some users argue the “review bombed” label dismisses legitimate criticism, while others point to clusters of near-identical one‑star reviews posted within hours of release as evidence of bad‑faith pile‑ons.

“This show was once about mystery, fear, childhood innocence… now it’s just messaging and fan service,” is a common sentiment in critical fan posts, contrasted with fans who say Will’s arc is long‑overdue and one of the few grounded parts left.

Is all criticism just review bombing?

  • Not all low scores are coordinated attacks; many viewers give mid‑range ratings and write detailed breakdowns of what they think went wrong (tone shift, sub‑genre drift, or sidelining certain characters).
  • The tricky part is that sincere disappointment and targeted culture‑war style reactions are happening at the same time, making the overall reception look harsher and more chaotic than for previous seasons.

Quick HTML recap for your “Quick Scoop” layout

Since your post rules mention returning tables as HTML, here’s a simple HTML skeleton you could adapt:

html

<h1>Stranger Things Review Bombed: Quick Scoop</h1>

<h2>What’s going on?</h2>
<p>Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 2 is facing a wave of low user scores often described as review bombing across major platforms.</p>

<h2>Why the backlash?</h2>
<ul>
  <li>Controversy over Will Byers’ coming out and lack of a full Will–Mike romance payoff.</li>
  <li>Complaints about weaker writing, pacing, and too many characters.</li>
  <li>Clashing expectations between long‑time fans and the show’s current tone.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Forum buzz</h2>
<blockquote>
  Some fans say the season “betrayed” years of build‑up, while others argue it’s being unfairly targeted for including LGBTQ+ themes.
</blockquote>

<table border="1">
  <caption>Stranger Things Season 5 Reaction Snapshot</caption>
  <tr>
    <th>Aspect</th>
    <th>Positive Takes</th>
    <th>Negative Takes</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Will’s Story</td>
    <td>Emotional, overdue queer representation.</td>
    <td>“Baiting” or mishandled coming‑out scene.</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Writing & Pacing</td>
    <td>Big, cinematic scale and payoffs.</td>
    <td>Too much exposition and bloated subplots.</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>Overall Tone</td>
    <td>Epic finale feel.</td>
    <td>Lost earlier seasons’ tight mystery/horror vibe.</td>
  </tr>
</table>

<p><em>Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.</em></p>

TL;DR: Stranger Things is being heavily hit by low user scores right now, driven by a mix of real creative complaints and intense, often polarized reactions to Will’s LGBTQ+ arc and ship expectations.