Before you read, spoilers ahead!
Since the highly anticipated finale of Stranger Things has been released, the show has been a hot topic of discussion on the internet. It received a variety of reactions, ranging from highly positive to overly critical, leading to the emergence of a popular new theory: “conformity gate.” Many fans even believed a secret extra episode could come out on January 7, one that would reveal the shocking plot twist. Even though no new episode has yet to come, the theory continues to grow, rapidly gaining believers.
A fan kicked off the Conformity Gate theory on January 1. According to them, everything in the last 18 months of the epilogue is not true but rather an illusion created by Vecna, meaning he is still not dead. There are little details spotted by fans which seem unnatural. There are characters who hold hands as Henry Creel did, characters hinting that everything is fake, along with some weird elements placed in the background that have mysteriously changed. Also, there are many things that do not add up, such as Will stating they used to get milkshakes from Melvand’s, a convenience store, or him saying that a fond memory of his was getting lost in the woods, which if you have watched the show, was clearly a horrible memory of his. All in all, nothing seems to be adding up and there are too many coincidences that hint to a fake ending, and these fans do not believe in coincidences.
In the released finale, the group’s ultimate plan to destroy Vecna and rescue the missing children is formed.They enter Upside Down, fight off the military, and face great losses and challenges.
When they carry out the final step to destroy the Upside down, Eleven makes the ultimate sacrifice, where she returns to the Upside down, sacrificing herself so the military will stop tormenting her and all those around her, also leaving fans wondering whether she lives or not.
Eighteen months later, everything seems like it is close to being perfect. Dustin is the valedictorian of his class, Hopper has proposed to Joyce, Lucas and Max are a couple, and it seems like the whole group has moved on. Mostly everyone seems to be happy, maybe even a little too happy.
And that’s why a lot of fans believe that it’s not the true ending. A great number of fans felt that it was too “easy” for them, especially when compared to other seasons, where there were bigger sacrifices and tougher battles to fight..
Senior, Valentina Lozano states that “I really liked the finale of Stranger Things, I’m not sure if the theory is true or not but with all the evidence, maybe there will be another episode, I just think there are too many coincidences.” Another senior, Hazell Ortiz, says, “I think Conformity Gate could be real, this ending seemed way too easy, especially considering how difficult their fights were in the previous seasons and how many people they lost.”
Perhaps there will not be an additional episode, but that does not mean this theory cannot be true. The Duffer Brothers may have intentionally written the finale this way so that these types of theories are constantly being made, meaning that Stranger Things will forever live on.
Whether the theory is real or not, fans of Stranger Things are not ready to let this incredible show go just yet. Until Netflix gives their answer, theories like this one are not going anywhere.