Following the Stranger Things season five finale, rumours of a secret, unreleased final episode have taken hold online, with fans convinced the ending they were given may have been little more than a decoy.
Perceived plot holes, narrative inconsistencies and, most notably, Eleven’s bleak and ambiguous fate have all fuelled a growing theory: what if the “final” episode we watched was never meant to be the real ending at all?
Instead, many viewers now believe the finale released on Netflix was a calculated misdirect, with the true conclusion still being held back.
The speculation gained further momentum when users noticed something curious on Netflix itself. Typing the phrase “fake ending” into the platform’s search bar returns Stranger Things as the top result. The coincidence has sent fans into overdrive, with many questioning whether Netflix is quietly playing along.
As the theory spread under the viral Conformity Gate banner, the show’s official social media accounts made a subtle but noticeable update. Their bios were changed to read: “ALL EPISODES OF STRANGER THINGS ARE NOW PLAYING.”
The update on TikTok and Instagram was quickly picked up by fans, with many interpreting it as a deliberate response from Netflix to the rumours.
Meanwhile, Stranger Things star Noah Schnapp, who has played Will Byers since season one, has made it clear he believes the story is complete. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter released on January 6, Schnapp said he felt the series ended exactly as it should.
“I remember crying a lot at the final table read. They had us read it for the first time all together and I just think it was perfect,” he said.
He added that creators Matt and Ross Duffer fully closed the story:
“They really left nothing more to be told.”
Show creator Matt Duffer also addressed Millie Bobby Brown’s intentionally ambiguous ending for Eleven.
“The characters can’t know and the audience can’t know because then it puts Eleven in danger and her sacrifice was for nothing. So there’s a point in not knowing. The boys obviously choose to believe. I’m not sure what the majority of people are thinking, but dipping my toes a little bit into social media, it seems like people are choosing to believe and are going to Mike Wheeler route,” he said.
Many had speculated that a secret episode would drop at 8pm EST in the US. However, with that window now passed, it appears the Conformity Gate theory may finally be losing steam.
The comment section on Stranger Things’ most recent official post has since been flooded with reactions, including “I believed until the last minute 😢” and “Honestly? Even if episode 9 doesn’t drop, this whole thing was very fun.”
For now, it seems the collective theorising, sleuthing and wishful thinking has reached its natural conclusion. All good things must come to an end — even Stranger Things.
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