Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
This article contains spoilers for the “Stranger Things” finale.
After 10 years, “Stranger Things” ended with a controversial series finale that left many fans confused and frustrated. From this tumultuous reaction to the finale came a new movement known as “Conformity Gate,” but what exactly is it? In short, the term refers to a widely spread theory online that the finale was a fake and that we will actually get a secret ninth episode to conclude the series on January 7, 2025. But there’s a little more to it than that.
If you use social media as an indicator, the “Stranger Things” finale was a historic mistake that should have led to creators Matt and Ross Duffer being hauled into court to face merciless justice. Of course, social media isn’t always the most reliable measure of how the majority of viewers feel. Many audience members who liked the show enough felt that the finale of “Stranger Things” was almost perfectand some might even have been fully satisfied with how the show ended. But there’s no doubt that hordes of fans are confused, if not downright furious, about the finale, and out of that fervor was born “Conformity Gate.”
The move basically uses small moments from the finale as evidence to suggest that it was just a fake ending, and that the Duffers and Netflix were pulling smoke and mirrors on us, much like Vecna with one of her illusions. Additionally, the theory suggests that Netflix will announce, or even surprise release, a ninth episode on January 7, 2025, which will truly bring the series to a close. Is this just wishful thinking among a crazy fan base, or is there legitimacy to Conformity Gate? Let’s take a closer look at the evidence.
What is Conformity Gate and why is it called that?
The finale of ‘Stranger Things’ was a huge hit in theaters but faced a torrent of criticism online, with fans furious at Eleven’s ambiguous fate and the way the series took place with the obvious death of the characters. Moreover, ‘Stranger Things’ finale left a lot more questions unanswered than expected by viewers. However, according to Conformity Gate followers, all these lingering threads will be resolved when the secret ninth episode arrives to tie up all the loose ends created by the “fake” series finale.
What does “compliance” have to do with anything? This refers to the way some fans view the characters of “Stranger Things” as having conformed to boring, simple, predictable story endings, which are at odds with the ostensible endings telegraphed by the writers throughout the series. “Stranger Things” was about challenging conformity and fighting the forces of oppression, most notably in the case of Millie Bobby Brown’s Eleven and her escape from a life of torment at the hands of the American government and supernatural forces of evil. There was also Noah Schnapp’s Will and his coming-out story, reflecting the more general struggle against the Upside Down and its assorted horrors.
However, as Conformity Gate believers see it, the finale gave every character a conformist ending. Not only did Mike and Will not end up together (as many fans had hoped), but each character (other than Eleven) seemed to simply ride off into the sunset with happy endings. Sadie Sink’s Max Mayfield even recalls rote endings during the final game of Dungeons & Dragons, telling Mike, “That’s it? Comfort and happiness? Could you be more mundane?” Well, according to fans, this is further proof that the entire finale episode was fake.
What evidence is there for Conformity Gate?
Conformity Gate suggests that the last 40 minutes of the “Stranger Things” finale were just a mirage projected by Jamie Campbell Bower’s Vecna, who didn’t actually die but accomplished her mission to merge Dimension X with Earth. Fans point to the scramble of letters on the spines of Dungeons & Dragons books, which can form the phrase “XA Lie.” This is apparently proof that Dimension X was never destroyed and that Vecna is still alive and projecting an illusion. Then there is the fact that some accessories have changed color, notably the tension dialreflecting how certain elements of Vecna’s previous illusions would be slightly off-kilter and thus act as signs for Holly Wheeler (Nell Fisher) and Max to follow.
More evidence supposedly comes in the way the characters stood during the 40-minute epilogue, which fans said mirrored how Vecna/Henry Creel himself would behave. There’s also the fact that users searching for the term “false ending” on Netflix noted that “Stranger Things” is the only show that appears in the results, although this is likely due to the volume of online discussion surrounding false endings and the show, which likely prompted Netflix’s algorithm to associate the two.
Does this mean we will get this secret ninth episode? Certainly not. There has been absolutely no official confirmation of this “Conformity Gate” stuff, and the Duffer Brothers have always stated that this is the official end of the series. Will may have rolled a seven on his D&D game, and Netflix could announce a new slate on January 7, 2025, but it’s likely that “Stranger Things,” like Upside Down, is gone for good.
