I’m far from the biggest Stranger Things fan in the world. I was never swept up in the hype of its young breakout cast and obsession with ‘80s nostalgia. But the Netflix Original evolved into such a cultural touchstone over the years that it became impossible to avoid.
Creators The Duffer Brothers built a world and a concept that millions of people came to care about and expect big things from, especially after the final season was announced to be split into multiple parts and several feature-length episodes. Surely this conclusion was set to be wonderfully acted, undeniably epic, and present stakes unlike anything we’d seen before. Right?!
Unfortunately, reception to the final season has been relatively lukewarm across the board. I don’t believe it’s nearly as disastrous as Game of Thrones was during its final months, but if you take even a single look at social media, it’ll show thousands of people expressing how disappointed they were in the finale. It was neither the final showdown with Vecna fans wanted nor the emotional farewell these characters deserved, leaving loose threads and failing to satisfy most major arcs. It was all a bit mid.
What Is The Stranger Things Conformity Gate?
In fact, the finale was so underwhelming that fans immediately began spinning up obscene fan theories that The Duffer Brothers were secretly tricking us and were poised to release a new, actual finale on January 7. Well, that day has passed and it’s nowhere to be seen.
The theory, known across social media as Conformity Gate, suggests that there was actually a secret ninth episode of the final season waiting to be released that will reveal that everything that actually happened during the show’s final moments is in actuality a fourth-wall breaking trick enacted by Vecna, who actually wasn’t killed in the finale at the hands of Joyce Byers.
I think the fandom was so disappointed by the finale that they secretly constructed a reality in which Stranger Things didn’t end in such a way, and the creators are waiting to pull the rug from beneath us at the most inopportune moment. But the truth is more likely that it was just badly written and didn’t live up to expectations. I have to admit that some of the evidence put forth by the Conformity Gate theory was incredibly compelling though. So much so that I was close to believing it.
This is not the first time this has happened. The ending of Sherlock brought with it The Johnlock Conspiracy, a similar theory in which a hidden episode made Sherlock and John lovers. Likewise, a major motivator in Conformity Gate was the belief that Mike and Will would be an endgame romantic pairing.
Fans pointed out a number of alleged inconsistencies in the final episode. Despite the school colours being green and yellow, graduating students instead wore an orange much like you’d see in prison jumpsuits, while several characters were seen wearing glasses rather similar to Vecna.
Apparent mistakes on the set were also brought up, such as doorknobs moving when compared to final seasons, WSQK radio changing colours, and even a series of books which apparently spelt out ‘U DID NOT STOP ME’ in morse code. A message from Vecna that he’d apparently trapped everyone in some sort of parallel dimension before tricking them into this false victory. A fantastic idea if true, but also one hell of a stretch that reeks of copium.
It’s Time To Move On From Stranger Things
The idea that this secret episode would drop on January 7 was fueled by a TikTok video uploaded by the official Stranger Things account in which Hawkins science teacher Mr. Clarke is sat in front of a clock reading 1:07pm. Once again, a stretch. But when you combine this evidence together into a single video and present it to someone as fact, I understand why it might feel real.
Why a secret episode is befitting of a series all about descending into a world in which our reality is continually distorted. I’ve scrolled past videos with millions of views along with tens of thousands of likes with people treating Conformity Gate as a sure thing. That the finale was for some reason bad on purpose simply so this episode would swoop in and save the day. I honestly don’t think The Duffer Brothers are that smart…
One question I have is whether all of those pregnant women in the Upside Down were just left to die? Did they explode or something? I guess we’ll never know.
I’d love for Conformity Gate to exist, and this theory is arguably the most interesting thing to emerge from Stranger Things’ final season because it presents so much creativity from the fandom and how much they care about this universe and these characters. They were just let down by what they expected to be a world-shattering conclusion, only to be met with what ended up being a dry and predictable finale that played things too safe and tried to offer a happy ending for all concerned, at the cost of any real stakes or drama.
Imagine how the creators feel right now watching this viral trend unfold, seeing fans believe that a secret episode must be waiting in the wings because what they actually delivered was so bad. Bringing us back to the Game of Thrones comparisons I mentioned earlier, it seems like the minds behind Stranger Things stopped believing in it before most of its fans did, and so the story began to suffer and strive to reach a conclusion that pleased nobody.
It’s a huge shame, but it also isn’t worth clinging to a vague hope that some sort of secret episode is set to swoop in and save the day. Move on, there’s already a spin-off about that red glowing rock in the works (yes, really).
- Release Date
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2016 – 2025-00-00
- Network
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Netflix
- Showrunner
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Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer
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Millie Bobby Brown
Jane ‘Eleven’ Hopper
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Finn Wolfhard
Mike Wheeler
