Stranger Things” is closing out its five-season run with one ratings bang after another, as Volume 2 adds another wave of strong viewership

The buildup has been exhausting, but for all its rough edges, this chunk of Stranger Things 5 has successfully set the table. Read our review.

Prepare for Stranger Things Season 5 finale and read about Volume 2’s detailed recap including Upside Down secrets, Will’s powers, Henry’s plan and major cliffhangers before December 31 on Netflix.

Luckily, the wait is nearly over. The two-hour series finale of Stranger Things will release on December 31 at 8 p.m. ET on Netflix. The episode will also be released in select theaters on December 31 and January 1, so be sure to check out local showtimes if you want to experience the Upside Down on the big screen.

Stranger Things' Season 5 has been review bombed on Rotten Tomatoes, as Will's coming out became the lowest-rated episode on IMDb.

Second place went to Emily in Paris Season 5 with 13.3M views, which is basically on par with its debut week. Third place went to Dave Chappelle’s new comedy special The Unstoppable…, which had 9.2M views.

When Lin-Manuel Miranda hosted the second episode of Season 42 on October 8, 2016, the 1980s-set supernatural show had only just became a monster hit. Season 2 was still a year away, but SNL had Stranger Things creators the Duffer Brothers ( Mikey Day and Alex Moffat) present a sneak peek at what comes next.

Netflix reports that it achueved its highest Christmas Day viewership of all time this year, with the second volume of “Stranger Things” leading the charge. While an exact viewership total for Dec. 25 was not provided — and while that total would also include Netflix’s two NFL games and other holiday viewing — “Stranger Things” Season 5 was the most-watched title of the day worldwide thanks to the release of three new episodes.

Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, "Frankenstein," Marvel Comics and more are reference points for "Stranger Things 5"

We've talked for many years about where we wanted these characters to end up. And specifically, Nancy has her little love triangle. Anytime we talked about her being with Jonathan at the end, or with Steve, felt wrong. It felt like she needed to go on her own, and so did Jonathan.