Netflix has officially put an end to weeks of speculation surrounding the finale of Stranger Things, confirming that the show concluded with episode eight of its fifth and final season and that no surprise episode exists.
The confirmation comes amid widespread online debate dubbed “Conformity Gate,” a fan theory suggesting the series secretly held back a final episode that would overturn the ending. As of the morning of 7 January, Netflix updated the bios of the show’s official social media accounts to read: “ALL EPISODES OF STRANGER THINGS ARE NOW PLAYING.”
Despite mounting fan theories, cast members and creators have consistently indicated that the ending shown is the definitive conclusion. Speaking on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Jamie Campbell Bower, who plays the antagonist Vecna, described the finale as conclusive. “Even as the actor that plays Vecna, like, it just – it feels right,” he said, referring to the character’s death. “You know, the show is so much about friendship and love and hope and joy. And of course, like, the person who is not that has to go, you know?”
The theory gained momentum as fans dissected minute details from the epilogue, from the positioning of extras at a high school graduation scene to the placement of background characters’ hands, which some claimed mirrored Vecna’s alias Henry Creel. Others cited perceived continuity errors involving props as proof that an alternate ending existed, despite the show’s creators maintaining that multiple endings were never filmed.
A cryptic Netflix post reading “Your future is on the way,” posted alongside the date 7 January, further fueled expectations of a surprise episode. However, no additional content was released.
While some fans continued to support the theory, others pushed back sharply. “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,” one user wrote on X. Another added, “It’s hilarious how the Duffers inability to write a satisfying conclusion and reliance on the ‘we left it to the viewer’s interpretation’ crutch has now led to a fanbase somehow rabidly believing there is a secret final episode that just clearly does not exist.”
Much of the controversy centred on the fate of Eleven, played by Millie Bobby Brown. The finale suggests she sacrifices herself to destroy the Upside Down, only for the final moments to show her alive in the future, following Mike’s declaration that he chooses to believe she survived. Series co-creator Ross Duffer said that “she lives on in their hearts, whether that’s real or not,” while several fans and cast members, including Sadie Sink, have said they believe Eleven is dead.
Although Stranger Things has ended, the franchise is far from over. Netflix will release a behind-the-scenes documentary, One Last Adventure, on January 12. An animated series titled Stranger Things: Tales of ’85 is also in development, set between seasons two and three of the original show.
In addition, an unnamed live-action spinoff is in the works. Matt Duffer told Variety that the new project will answer unresolved questions, including Vecna’s origins. “I do want to explain, just because people’s expectations go in certain directions: The spinoff is going to delve into that and explain that, and you’re going to understand it,” he said. “But it’s a completely different mythology.”
Matt Duffer added, “So it’s not a deep exploration of the Mind Flayer or anything like that. It’s very fresh and very new, but yes, it will answer some of the loose threads that are remaining.” He also confirmed that none of the original cast will appear. “No common characters,” he said. “We’re actually really excited, and it’s very exciting to work with a clean slate: completely new characters, new town, new world, new mythology.”
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