Stranger Things 5 part 2 could crash Netflix—but fans are prepared this time

How the time flies! It's really been a whole month since the first batch of episodes of Stranger Things 5 were released on Netflix. Part 1 definitely kicked things off with a bang, and now everyone's ready to dive into the second batch of episodes in Stranger Things 5 part 2 to see what's next for the Hawkins gang.

The first part ended with Will channeling Vecna's powers and saving his friends from the Demogorgons at the military base. That was a sight to see, wasn't it? Meanwhile, Eleven and Hopper finally discovered what's behind the metal door in the military base in the Upside Down. It was none other than Kali/Eight.

How Dr. Kay and the rest of the military captured her is unknown, but Stranger Things 5 part 2 will likely explain this. This was just a small part of what happened in the first half of the season. There were many other exciting things that unfolded as well. Now, it's time to return to the world of Stranger Things to see how the story continues.

Fans have waited long enough, and tonight is the night. All three episodes of Stranger Things 5 part 2 are set to drop on Netflix on Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. PT/8:00 p.m. ET. However, there's one major concern hanging over the highly anticipated release. Netflix might not be ready for the sheer number of viewers about to hit play at the exact same time.

Remember what happened when Stranger Things 5 part 1 dropped on Nov. 26? Netflix faced a massive surge of viewers, with fans all over the world rushing to watch the first four episodes at once. This kind of traffic overloaded Netflix’s servers, causing the streaming service to crash and be down for a bit.

We had thought everything would run smoothly after the Duffer Brothers claimed that Netflix had increased its bandwidth by 30% to prevent the crash. Yet, even with the increased bandwidth, the unprecedented demand proved to be a real test for the streaming giant. Fans encountered buffering issues and error messages, turning what should have been a seamless binge into a tense waiting game. It was all fans could talk about on social media.

Fortunately, it wasn't a long wait, and Netflix quickly resolved the issue. But when you’ve been waiting for three long years for the final season of Stranger Things, even a brief hiccup can feel like an eternity. With the second batch of episodes dropping tonight, it's possible a crash could happen again. While this sucks, at least there won't be any surprises this time. We know there's a good chance this will happen, so we don't have to be that panicked. We'll be mentally prepared and ready to wait it out.

Perhaps Netflix learned its lesson and has even increased its bandwidth beyond what it did for part 1. That would be great, but we'll just have to wait and see if it’s enough to handle the massive global rush of viewers tonight.