I'm far from the biggest Stranger Things fan in the world. I never succumbed to the hype of its young breakout cast and passion for '80s nostalgia. But the Netflix Original evolved into such a cultural touchstone over the years that it became impossible to ignore.
Creators The Duffer Brothers created a world and a concept that millions of people came to care about and expect big things from, especially after announcing that the final season would be split into multiple parts and multiple feature-length episodes. Certainly the conclusion was wonderfully acted, undeniably epic, and current stakes unlike anything we've seen before. Right?!
Unfortunately, the reception to the final season has been relatively lukewarm across the board. I don't believe Game of Thrones was as devastating as it was in its final months, but if you look at social media alone, you'll see thousands of people expressing how disappointed they were in the finale. This was neither the final showdown with Vecna fans nor the emotional farewell these characters deserved, leaving loose threads and failing to satisfy several major arcs. It was all a bit mediocre.
What is Stranger Things Conformity Gate?
In fact, the finale was so shocking that fans immediately started spinning vulgar fan theories that The Duffer Brothers were secretly cheating on us and were set to release a new, real finale on January 7th. Well, that day has passed and it's nowhere to be seen.
A theory known on social media as Conformity Gate suggests that there was a secret ninth episode of the final season waiting to be released that revealed that everything that happened in the show's final moments was actually a fourth-wall-breaking move by Vecna, who wasn't actually killed by Joe in the finale.
I think the fandom was so disappointed by the finale that they secretly created a reality in which Stranger Things doesn't end like this, and the creators are waiting to pull the rug out from under us at the most inopportune moment. But the truth is it's more likely that it was just poorly written and didn't meet expectations. I must admit that some of the evidence presented by the conformity gate theory was incredibly compelling. So much so that I was close to believing it.
This is not the first time this has happened. The end of Sherlock spawned this Johnlock plot, a similar theory in which a hidden episode made Sherlock and John lovers. Likewise, a major driving force in Conformity Gate was the belief that Mike and Will would be the endgame romantic couple.
Fans pointed out several perceived inconsistencies in the final episode. Although the school's colors are green and yellow, the graduating students wear orange as seen in prison jumpsuits, while many characters are seen wearing glasses similar to Vecna.
Obvious mistakes were also introduced to the set, such as moving doorknobs compared to the final seasons, changing the color of WSQK radio, and a series of books that clearly read 'U DID NOT STOP ME' in Morse code. A message from Vecna that he apparently lured everyone into some parallel dimension before lulling them into this false victory. A brilliant idea if true, but a hell of a stretch that also reeks of copium.
It's time to move on from the unknown
The idea that this secret episode will drop on January 7th was sparked by a TikTok video uploaded by the official Stranger Things account showing Hawkins science teacher Mr. Clarke sitting in front of a clock reading 1:07pm. Once again, a stretch. But when you combine this evidence into one video and present it to someone as fact, I understand why it might seem real.
Why The Secret Episode is perfect for a series that's about landing in a world where our reality is constantly distorted. I've scrolled past videos with millions of views and millions of likes with people treating Conformity Gate as a given. That finale was bad on purpose for some reason so this episode swoops in and saves the day. I honestly don't think the Duffer Brothers are that smart…
I have a question were all those pregnant women in the Upside Down just left to die? Did they explode or something? I guess we'll never know.
I love that Conformity Gate exists, and this theory is the most interesting thing to come out of the final season of Stranger Things because it shows so much creativity from the fandom and how much they care about this universe and these characters. They were only disappointed by what they expected to be a world-shattering conclusion, only to end up with 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 now seeing this viral trend, 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 comparison we 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 try to reach a conclusion that didn't please anyone.
It's a great shame, but it's also not worth clinging to the vague hope that some sort of secret episode is set to swoop in and save the day. Go ahead, 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
- directors
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Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer, Andrew Stanton, Frank Darabont, Nimrod Antle, Uta Breiswitz
- The authors
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Kate Trefry, Jessie Nixon-Lopez, Jessica Mecklenburg, Alison Tatlock
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Millie Bobby Brown
Jane 'Eleven' Hopper
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Finn Wolfhard
Mike Wheeler
