‘Stranger Things’ Conformity Gate Explained as Fans Become Convinced a Secret 9th Episode Is Coming

The “Stranger Things” fans are not handling the end of the series well – and now some are convinced a secret ninth episode is days away from dropping.

On New Year’s Eve, “Stranger Things” came to an end with Vecna being bested by Team Hawkins, El sacrificing herself (or did she?!) in order to afford the rest of her friends and family a chance at a normal life, and the kids all graduating from high school.

The final 45 minutes wrapped up the show with an episode-length epilogue that gave all the characters an ending. Joyce and Hopper got engaged, Mike made a pitch that maybe El wasn’t dead after all, and all the kids went on to live their lives with commitments never to lose touch. But that kind of an ending didn’t wrap up every loose end, feature every character introduced in the last two seasons or answer questions in an acceptable way – so the Conformity Gate Theory was born.

Here’s what you need to know about it and how likely a secret ninth episode dropping really is.

What is the Conformity Gate Theory?

The Conformity Gate theory cropped up on TikTok and social media at large pointing to a number of Easter eggs and clues in the 45-minute epilogue of the “Stranger Things” series finale indicating things might not be as wrapped up with a bow in Hawkins as viewers thought.

These clues range from people at the graduation standing like Vecna/Henry stood throughout the series, the D&D books lining up to say “X A LIE” – hinting to what happened in Dimension X/The Abyss not playing out like everyone saw – and bafflingly even the Wheeler family all looking like Ted, the only conformist in the family.

When would this secret episode drop?

Most versions of the theory are pointing to January 7 – just days away – as the drop for this secret ninth episode. Why? As with most theories of this type, a heavy dose of numerology reaching is involved.

The number seven has a lot of prominence in the series and the finale. Among the biggest clues and Easter Eggs gleaned was the fact that the dice seen at the very end of the finale’s credits had landed on a 7 – likely a callback to the series premiere when Will admitted to Mike at end of their final D&D session before he was taken to the Upside Down that he only rolled a 7 and the Demogorgon got him.

Another fun reason for the 7th is that it’s Orthodox Christmas Day, which would continue the trend of Season 5 hogging holiday time with episode drops.

Is any of this real?

While Netflix and the Duffer Brothers have yet to officially shoot down the theory, it is very unlikely the show is holding back a hidden ninth episode to drop on the first Wednesday of the new year AFTER dropping Episode 8 in theaters on New Years Eve and New Years Day.

Likely it’s a number of fans grappling with a show they loved for years and years ending – and ending in a way that some were unsatisfied with. We all have our “Game of Thrones” or our “Lost.” This too shall pass.

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