It’s been a week since the series finale of Stranger Things dropped on Netflix. Many of the fans have spent every day since trying to find clues that a secret episode — dubbed ‘Conformity Gate’ — exists.
It’s gained so much traction over the past few days that fans began placing bets, mostly for pennies, in the event that their Joyce Byers level detective skills were correct. The consensus was that something would drop on Jan. 7 — an episode, something teasing the future episode — but Wednesday came and went.
On the gambling app Polymarket, a market titled, “New ‘Stranger Things’ episode released by…?” was created. Jan. 7, Jan. 31, and Dec. 31 were given as options. The most popular share being Jan. 7 with over $14.1 million, despite a less than 1% probability. In total, at the time of this writing, the market has received over $15 million in bets.
‘Conformity Gate’ spawned out of displeasure for the series finale that saw El sacrifice herself while The Upside Down was being destroyed from the inside out. Some were let down because they felt she deserved better while others were upset with the season as a whole and its plot holes.
Despite Stranger Things being over, Matt and Ross Duffer — the show’s creators — have two “spin-offs” in development. The first is an animated series set between Seasons 2 and 3 of Stranger Things, while the other has to do with the rock that Henry Creel discovered in the caves. Neither series will feature the original cast.
Stranger Things Fans Reaction to ‘Conformity Gate’
Fans crashed Netflix at 8 p.m. ET for the secret episode but there wasn’t one. Taking to social media, they shared their views on the whole ‘Conformity Gate’ conspiracy.
“This theory was great either way, because now its gonna haunt the duffer brothers knowing their finale was so bad we had to theorise [sic] and crash netflix for an alternate ending that didnt [sic] exist #conformitygate,” one X user wrote.
“Well at least we went crazy together #conformitygate,” wrote another, accompanied by a GIF of Mike and Will.
Others are pleased by the way the finale wrapped up one of the biggest shows on Netflix.
“I enjoyed the Stranger Things finale and this season,” another fan wrote. “I think a lot of people expected more, but for me this show was nostalgia bait, a dash of goosebumps, and a nod to hammy 80’s films where actors chewed scenery, so I think it ended as strong as it began. It’s been tons of fun.”
The post ’Stranger Things’ Fans Bet Over $14 Million on Conformity Gate — But It Doesn’t Exist appeared first on VICE.
