Record views on Netflix as the fifth season finale sets history

Staff Report: PNN

The decade-long journey of the popular series ‘Stranger Things’ has come to an end. The fifth and final season’s last episode was released early Thursday morning (Bangladesh time). Anticipation was so high that Netflix experienced technical issues immediately after release.

Since Wednesday night (Bangladesh time), users worldwide reported problems accessing Netflix. The streaming platform went offline for several minutes when the finale was released. After multiple refresh attempts, the situation gradually stabilized.

Viewers affected saw a message indicating temporary technical issues preventing the request from being completed. Similar messages had appeared during the release of earlier episodes in this season.

Despite these challenges, the series’ popularity was remarkable. The second batch of the fifth season, released on Christmas, set a record for the highest number of viewers on Netflix for the day.

Within the first week, this season set a record for the highest opening views for an English-language series on Netflix, marking a milestone in streaming history. In addition to online viewing, selected theaters in the U.S. also screened the finale on big screens, with hundreds of shows and thousands of tickets sold in advance.

The series’ co-creators, the Duffer Brothers, expressed on social media that their goal was to conclude the decade-long journey with fans. Thanks to the audience’s love and interest, ‘Stranger Things’ has become more than just a series; it is a part of global culture.

Although Netflix servers briefly went down, the story of Hawkins will remain in viewers’ memories for years.