Stranger Things fans have one major complaint about Conformity Gate theory

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2026 has started off in a peculiar way. A rumor called “The Conformity Gate” spread online, leading some Stranger Things fans to believe a final episode would be released on Netflix on January 7th. Now that date has passed, and fans are voicing their disappointment.

If you’ve been on social media lately, you’ve probably seen the hashtag #ConformityGate trending. It started because some fans were unhappy with the ending of Stranger Things Season 5 and believe the entire finale was a cleverly crafted illusion created by the villain, Vecna.

The idea quickly spread on social media, especially on TikTok, where many videos claimed to prove that Episode 9 of Season 5 actually exists and is the show’s true ending. Even a playful video from the actor who plays Vecna fueled the belief that it was real.

Unfortunately, the rumored episode never happened. However, a large number of fans who follow the “Conformity Gate” theory watched on January 7th, supposedly causing a brief outage on Netflix. Those who didn’t believe the theory were left with one main issue.

Conformity Gate theory sparks backlash

A lot of viewers disagree with the extremely negative reactions to the Stranger Things Season 5 finale, believing it wasn’t nearly as bad as some claimed and didn’t warrant the elaborate theories that sprung up afterward.

Fans are buzzing about a potential connection between the #StrangerThings5 release date (January 7th) and a recent event called #ConformityGate. Many believe it’s too much of a coincidence and speculate it could be a huge plot twist for the show’s final season – possibly the biggest in TV history!

— Armani Cherry (@chromesofhearts) January 4, 2026

Some people have compared the reaction to this finale to the controversies surrounding other TV show endings, implying the negative response might be exaggerated. This discussion started on Reddit, where one user commented that the finale was so bad, it felt like viewers were collectively losing their minds.

Someone else pointed out that many viewers strongly disliked the episode, calling it the worst they’d ever seen and reacting very strongly. Another commenter joked that these upset viewers clearly hadn’t seen shows like The Umbrella Academy or Sherlock.

The finale of Sherlock received a lot of criticism for focusing on flashy moments and complicated plot twists instead of giving its characters satisfying conclusions. Similarly, the ending of The Umbrella Academy left viewers surprised and confused with a cryptic post-credits scene.

The Game of Thrones finale is famously disliked, but many fans believe the criticism aimed at the ending of Stranger Things isn’t deserved. One fan commented, “I actually thought the ending was heartwarming and doesn’t deserve all the negativity.”

Several people felt the finale was decent, with one giving it a 7 out of 10. While acknowledging some valid criticisms, they didn’t consider it a bad ending overall. Another commenter pointed out that even highly-rated shows can have weaker finales, and some fans are overreacting.

Another person agreed, saying the story’s emotional core and character development were solid. However, they felt the plot was weak and became increasingly forced upon further consideration.

Overall, the finale was decent but not outstanding. It wasn’t as amazing as shows like Breaking Bad, nor as disappointing as Game of Thrones – it was just average. While it wasn’t quite as good as previous seasons of Stranger Things, it wasn’t terrible either, so there’s no real reason to be upset about it.

Despite the fact that the supposed date has passed, many fans still hold out hope for Conformity Gate. There’s even an online petition on Change.org asking Netflix to “release the secret episode,” though it currently only has a small number of signatures – just 11.

Stranger Things Season 5 documentary leads to new theory

Some fans think the documentary about the making of Stranger Things Season 5 is secretly a hidden episode.

One TikTok user declared they couldn’t ignore the growing evidence suggesting the situation was finished, and quoted a line from Lucas – “I don’t believe in coincidences” – to emphasize their point.

He then points out a different idea surrounding the documentary. For those who don’t know, One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5 will be released on Netflix on January 12th, but voice actor Gregory Lawrence has hinted that this release date might be a deception.

He points to the 1994 film Wes Craven’s New Nightmare, a horror movie where Freddy Krueger breaks out of the fictional world and starts terrorizing the people who actually make the Nightmare on Elm Street movies.

I’ve been thinking about Vecna, and a lot of fans believe he’s going to target the cast of the Stranger Things documentary, just like he did with others in the show. It’s also really cool that Robert Englund, who played Freddy Krueger, actually plays Henry Creel’s dad on the show – that’s a neat connection!

He suggests the recurring number seven in various theories might not refer to January 7th, but instead be a reference to the seventh film in the Nightmare on Elm Street series.

Okay, so I was thinking about the number seven on the D&D dice at the end of the season, and it hit me – what if ‘One Last Adventure’ isn’t about the characters in the show anymore? What if we see Vecna actually break out of the Upside Down and into our world, and the final episode is about the cast and crew of the show battling him? It would be insane, but honestly, I’d be so into that!

“It would be odd, but I think it would be brilliant.”

Others who believe in the theory have pointed out that Holly’s memory seems to include watching the movie ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ on Halloween, suggesting that event is part of her recollection.

Someone else pointed out that Millie Bobby Brown had hinted the finale would be self-referential, but they didn’t feel that came across in the actual ending.

Someone else commented, “I just rewatched the trailer, and there’s absolutely no Vecna or Jamie in it! This could really be happening!”

Now that projects are officially moving forward, you can find details on the upcoming Stranger Things spinoffs and a complete list of our TV shows planned for release in 2026.

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2026-01-08 14:21