David Bridges
Highlights
- Fan Theories: A group of Stranger Things fans speculate about a secret ninth episode that would alter the finale.
- Clues: Various clues are believed to hint at this episode, including social media posts and visual details.
- Logic vs. Speculation: The likelihood of Netflix releasing an unpromoted episode seems low given its marketing strategy.
- Coping Mechanism: Fans may be using these theories to cope with the conclusion of Stranger Things.
A group of Stranger Things fans are taking a page from the Snyder cut—or at least, wishing they could. In the week since the release of the eighth episode of Stranger Things 5, “The Rightside Up,” reactions have ranged from pure delight to utter disappointment. Some on the pessimistic side of the spectrum have come to believe the theory that a secret ninth episode would be released on January 7 that flips everything in the finale on its head. Well, that hasn’t happened and, obviously, is never going to happen.
As with many online theories, this is a deep rabbit hole, but here are the basics. Some fans believe that clues both in the final episode and beyond point to the entire episode being one big illusion perpetrated by Vecna to convince everyone that he lost, when he actually hasn’t yet. A new finale, called “Conformity Gate,” will then be released that magically makes everyone who watches it super happy with all the choices. Some of these clues range from the time on a clock in a social media post, everyone at graduation having their hands folded, the length of a YouTube clip, and much, much more. (Those are but a few examples, but a quick search of the hashtag “#ConformityGate” on any social media platform is a good place to continue if you so desire.)
And while some of the supposed clues do share similarities, such as references to the numbers “1” and “7” (the supposed date of release), logic really should take over here. Why would Netflix spend millions of dollars promoting a series finale being released on New Year’s Eve, put it in theaters, send its cast and crew out to talk about it, tout the viewership numbers, and release a behind-the-scenes documentary, only to undercut all that by releasing an unpromoted secret episode that was only discoverable by looking at TikTok clips? It literally doesn’t make one hint of sense.
Now, is it fun to think about a secret version of something we love being released out of nowhere? Sure. We love a good surprise ending as much as the next person. And, as referenced earlier, in some instances, fans have demanded alternate, unreleased versions of things—like the Snyder cut—get released, and it’s worked.
In reality though, much like Mike’s story about Eleven to his friends in the show’s closing moments, this is all just a coping mechanism. A way to put off the reality that Stranger Things ended how it ended, and everyone will just have to deal with it. All the clues and coincidences are exactly that.
However, just to be 100% sure, io9 reached out to Netflix about this theory, and we were directed to the Stranger Things social bios, both of which currently read “ALL EPISODES OF STRANGER THINGS ARE NOW PLAYING.” Gate closed.
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Ethan Carter
