Fan storm builds before 'Stranger Things' finale

Online petition demands unseen footage as episode logs lowest IMDb score yet

Netflix series 'Stranger Things' heads towards its final episode amid fan unrest, with speculation over unseen footage, a record low IMDb score for a key instalment, and renewed scrutiny of star Millie Bobby Brown's appearance driving fierce online debate.

Part two of Season 5 arrived on Boxing Day, ahead of a feature-length finale due on December 31, but some viewers claimed elements were missing, prompting a document alleging tampering and a petition for unseen footage that drew 280,000 signatures.

Randy Havens, who plays teacher Scott Clarke, addressed the rumours on Instagram after the petition surged, while the show's writers clarified that confusion over the fate of a popular couple stemmed from misread scenes rather than missing material.

At the same time, episode 7 of the final season, titled 'Chapter Seven: The Bridge', has recorded the lowest IMDb score in the series so far, reportedly standing at 5.7 from 50,000 user reviews, below the show's usual ratings.

The previous low was season two's 'Chapter Seven: The Lost Sister' at 6.0, and the wave of one-star reviews has prompted speculation of coordinated rating activity, with attention focused on a storyline involving Will Byers coming out as gay.

Meanwhile, remarks by Brown about plastic surgery rumours have resurfaced amid debate over her season 5 appearance, including a British Vogue interview in which she said speculation her face left her depressed for days and amounted to bullying.

Showrunners Matt and Ross Duffer have said the finale is intended to feel inevitable and satisfying rather than shocking. The series will conclude on December 31, premiering on Netflix, with a simultaneous limited theatrical release in select cinemas.