Since the release of Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 2 on Christmas Day, December 25, 2025, the internet has erupted with debate, speculation, and no small amount of frustration. While some fans celebrated the penultimate batch of episodes, a loud contingent has voiced their disappointment—especially with episodes 5, 6, and 7. What began as scattered grumbling online has now crystallized into a sprawling fan movement, complete with a Change.org petition, viral hashtags, and a new controversy dubbed “Cutgate.”
At the heart of the uproar is a widespread belief that crucial scenes were cut from the final season’s second volume. As reported by TV Insider and Parade, fans allege that the aired episodes are missing key moments—particularly involving Will Byers and his relationships with other main characters. The petition’s organizer, identified as Wennii J, claims, “I believe [there] was more to the episodes, and we didn’t see [the deleted scenes] either due to Netflix or the team of Stranger Things cutting them.” Wennii J’s plea has resonated: what started as a modest campaign ballooned into a viral phenomenon.
By December 28, 2025, the petition had already surpassed 90,000 signatures. Within a day, that number rocketed past 110,000, as confirmed by TV Insider. But the real shock came on December 29, when the Change.org campaign, now titled “Restore the Unseen Footage of Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 2,” showed a staggering 267,672 verified signatures, according to Parade. The petition lists Netflix Canada and the series’ co-creators, Matt and Ross Duffer, as decision makers, and is marked as “awaiting response.”
So, what exactly are fans demanding? The petition and its supporters argue that “key character moments were removed late in the process,” and that what aired on Netflix doesn’t match up with trailers, behind-the-scenes images, or even cast interviews. The campaign’s text, as cited by Parade, reads: “We want the unseen footage of Stranger Things. I believe it was more to the episodes and we didn’t see them either due to Netflix or the team of Stranger Things cutting them. This has been a long 10 years process and this is what we get. They must have cut out a lot of scenes from Volume 2 and from our loved characters.”
Supporters of the petition have taken their grievances beyond mere signatures. They’ve coordinated hashtag pushes, posted short-form videos, and circulated a widely-shared Google document. This document purports to catalog the missing scenes, including a “fake-out death” for Will, longer conversations between Will and Mike, and deeper interactions between Will and Vecna/Henry. As one passionate supporter wrote in the petition’s comment section, “The fans deserve a decent ending to a series we've loved for so many years. Release the footage. I've loved this show ever since I was 10 years old.” Another lamented, “It's genuinely disappointing to see how this final season is turning out... Now it just feels soulless and we deserve to see how this story was truly supposed to end, with all of our beloved characters.”
The movement has been dubbed “Cutgate” by fans—a nod to what they see as executive meddling or last-minute changes that altered the show’s intended conclusion. The Google document, referenced in TV Insider, goes so far as to accuse Netflix and the Duffer brothers of “horrible executive meddling,” suggesting that entire plot lines and character arcs were edited out or changed mid-filming. The complaints are not limited to story content: some viewers have also taken issue with the cinematography, special effects, and even continuity errors in the new episodes.
But what evidence do fans have? Most of the claims hinge on perceived discrepancies between promotional materials and the final product. For example, supporters point to scenes glimpsed in trailers or behind-the-scenes photos that never appeared in the finished episodes. Others cite cast and crew interviews that seemed to promise more substantial character arcs or emotional payoffs. The most repeated grievances center on the pacing of Volume 2—many feel it “jumps past emotional bridges, then lands on big beats without the quieter scenes they expected in between,” as Parade summarized. The result, they argue, is a finale that feels rushed and emotionally unearned.
Of course, it’s standard practice in the television and film industry to shoot more material than ends up in the final cut. Scenes are often left on the cutting room floor for reasons ranging from runtime constraints to narrative clarity. As Parade notes, “That doesn’t automatically mean that ‘Cutgate’ is legitimate, however.” While it’s possible that additional scenes were filmed and subsequently cut, there’s no official confirmation that a “restored cut” or extended version exists—or that the omitted material would significantly change the story’s outcome.
Adding to the confusion is the lack of an official response from Netflix or the Duffer brothers. As of December 29, the Change.org petition remains “awaiting response,” and neither the streaming giant nor the show’s creators have commented publicly on the demands. This silence has only fueled further speculation and conspiracy theories among the fanbase. In the absence of answers, supporters have filled the vacuum with their own “proof” threads and elaborate timelines, attempting to reconstruct what they believe was lost.
The context for this fervor is important. Stranger Things has been a cultural touchstone for nearly a decade, with its first season debuting in 2016. The series followed the disappearance of Will Byers, the emergence of the Upside Down, and a long battle against otherworldly threats like the Mind Flayer and Vecna. The stakes have always been high, but so have fan expectations—especially for a show that has accompanied many viewers from childhood through adolescence into adulthood.
Interestingly, the Duffer brothers have previously addressed the topic of post-release changes. In a July 2022 ABC News report, Ross Duffer remarked, “I think what we're going to do is we'll go and George Lucas it,” referring to minor continuity tweaks rather than major story overhauls. Matt Duffer added, “It's not, like, story, but you're essentially patching in shots. Netflix is—I don't think they've ever allowed people to patch on opening week and even weekend. And we said, 'Well, why not?'” This history suggests a reluctance to make significant narrative changes after an episode’s release, which cuts against the idea of a secret, last-minute rewrite.
As the dust settles, fans are looking ahead to the series finale, scheduled for December 31, 2025, at 8 p.m. ET. Titled The Rightside Up, the final episode is expected to bring the saga to a close. Whether Netflix will address the petition or release any unseen footage remains to be seen. For now, the “Cutgate” controversy stands as a testament to the passion—and sometimes the impatience—of the Stranger Things fandom. One thing is clear: for better or worse, this show’s ending will be debated for years to come.
