TV

Stranger Things fans think the secret ending theory proves how ‘bad’ the finale was

Stranger Things teases 'one last fight' in series finale trailer
Netflix

Today is January 7, and for Stranger Things fans it's the big day to see whether or not their theory of a secret finale episode will drop in the coming hours...

The Netflix sci-fi series finale dropped on December 31, titled "The Rightside Up", but since then, some viewers believe all is not what it seems, pointing to plot holes in the storyline and inconsistencies.

This has all led to fans theorising "#ConformityGate" and is the idea that both Volume Two and the finale were "contorted versions created by Vecna, in which the audience, Mike, or both are under Vecna’s curse," according to one social media user who described the characters as "watered down versions of themselves.”

But why January 7? Well, people are pointing to a Netflix advert teasing an announcement on this day, and noted how in the show Joyce went "crazy" for six days when Will was missing, and so this would be a similar time frame.

However, this theory is still a theory, and there is a chance that there is no secret episode coming, and fans on social media are noting how people's excitement for a new episode indicates they weren't satisfied with the finale.

One person said, "Imagine the ending of ur show is so nothing burger that fans start thinking it's fake."


"The Duffer Brothers right now watching their fans hype up a secret finale that doesn't exist," a second person posted.


A third person added, "The thing about this little conspiracy theory is that I kinda dig the idea, but it’s way too cool and conceptual for the Duffers to ever think of it, and commercially it’s a really bad decision so Netflix would never go for it."

"I actually genuinely want there to be a secret ninth Stranger Things episode because that would be way funnier than there not being one," a fourth person commented.

Another person shared, "The writing of Stranger Things season 5 being so bad that the fandom genuinely thinks the whole season was just a Vecna vision put on the audience, and we’re getting a secret ninth episode revealing what actually happened."


"The entire Stranger Things fandom currently in a collective psychosis coming up with a theory called Conformity Gate as a coping mechanism because the Duffers writing was genuinely THAT bad," someone else said.

Well, we don't have too long to wait to see if the theories are true.

Elsewhere from Indy100, Stranger Things fans push ‘Conformity Gate’ theory - but what is it? and Duffer Brothers address plot holes in Stranger Things finale.

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