Global outage frustrates fans as Netflix crashes moments after Stranger Things series five release
When Netflix crashed just moments after releasing Stranger Things series five, it felt like a plot twist straight out of the show itself. Fans eagerly waiting for the final season of the hit sci-fi series were left unable to stream the first episodes, sparking frustration across social media platforms.
Downdetector, an outage tracking service, recorded over 14,000 reports from users in the United States, while viewers in India also reported connection errors and freezing, with 200 complaints registered during the peak of the disruption. Fans were left unable to access the highly anticipated episodes of a season that had been three years in the making.
In a statement to Reuters, Netflix confirmed that some members had experienced streaming issues on TV devices but reassured users that the service had recovered within five minutes for all accounts. This brief outage was the latest in a series of disruptions Netflix has faced during major events. In the past, the platform has encountered crashes while streaming high-profile events such as the Mike Tyson v Jake Paul boxing match and the live reunion of the reality show Love is Blind in 2024. The platform also briefly crashed when the final two episodes of Stranger Things season four were released in 2022.
Ross Duffer, co-creator of Stranger Things, took to Instagram to address the situation, revealing that Netflix had increased its bandwidth by 30% in an effort to avoid crashes during the release of the final season. This technical hiccup did little to dampen the excitement, however, as all previous seasons of Stranger Things had made it to Netflix’s top 10 charts the day before the new season’s release, a first for the streaming service.
Set in the 1980s, Stranger Things follows the residents of Hawkins, a small fictional town in Indiana, after a young girl with psychokinetic abilities opens a portal between Earth and another dimension known as the Upside Down. The fifth season, which dropped its first four episodes on Wednesday, is one of the most highly anticipated releases on the platform. Co-creators Matt and Ross Duffer have teased that the season will feature “the most violent death of any season,” adding to the tension and drama surrounding its release.
The new season will also introduce a time jump to account for the fact that the young cast has outgrown their characters. Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Noah Schnapp, Caleb McLaughlin, and Gaten Matarazzo, who have been at the heart of the series since its debut nearly a decade ago, return to their roles. They star alongside adult actors such as Joe Keery, Natalia Dyer, Winona Ryder, and David Harbour.
Sadie Sink, who joined the cast in season two, has become a fan favourite and is also returning for the final season. Reflecting on the emotional experience of filming her last scenes, she described it as akin to “saying goodbye to your childhood,” highlighting the deep connection the cast has with the show and its legacy.
While the Netflix crash initially disrupted the excitement surrounding the release of the new season, fans quickly returned to their screens once the service was restored. Stranger Things continues to captivate viewers worldwide, and the final season promises to deliver the intense action, drama, and suspense that fans have come to expect over the past nine years