Stranger Things fans have come up with a theory that says a secret final episode of the show is coming out this week. Now, other fans in the community are warning people not to get upset when it turns out to be false.
The theory started after Stranger Things Season 5’s finale left many fans unhappy. It is called the “Conformity Gate” theory and has spread quickly on social media, especially on TikTok. The theory claims that the long ending we saw in the final episode was fake. Fans believe it was created by the villain Vecna, who is still alive. According to the theory, the real ending is yet to come.
According to IGN, fans point to several “clues” to support their theory. In the graduation scene at Hawkins High, students have their hands positioned the same way Henry Creel does. Characters like Nancy, Mike, and Karen have shorter hairstyles. The “WHATZIT?” board game appears in the scene, which references how the kidnapped children knew Henry as Mr. Whatsit.
The theory gets even more detailed with supposed hidden messages
There are more clues that fans are talking about. They noticed a blank yellow poster in the background during the graduation scene. The final shot shows Dungeons & Dragons books that seem to spell out “X A LIE.”
Fans connect this to The Abyss, which was once called Dimension X, the world where the Mind Flayer and demo monsters come from. Some characters like Vickie were missing from the epilogue, and fans say it is because Vecna does not know they exist, so they are not part of his fake ending. The theory even includes a supposed release date for the true final episode, which is January 7, 2026.
While the Conformity Gate theory sounds like harmless fun, some Stranger Things fans are now warning others not to get mad when nothing happens. One fan posted on the show’s subreddit telling people not to blame the Duffer Brothers, who created the show. The fan said nobody is at fault except the fans themselves who believed these theories.
Many fans are unhappy with how Stranger Things ended. Some did not like the final battle with Vecna and the Mind Flayer and wonder why the demo monsters were not there to help. Interestingly, the creators almost gave Vecna redemption but ultimately decided against it. Others are not happy with how unclear Eleven’s ending was. Some fans have pointed out plot holes that they think hurt the final season, like what happened to the military.
Many fans want the Conformity Gate theory to be true because they simply did not like the ending. The disappointment has been so strong that nearly 400,000 fans signed a petition demanding Netflix release missing footage from the show.
The Duffer Brothers have given several interviews after the finale was released and explained their choices. They have confirmed that a spinoff will answer one big question from Season 5. For fans who want more content, there is also a Stranger Things documentary called One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5, which comes out on January 12.
Published: Jan 6, 2026 01:45 pm