Fans of Stranger Things really can’t believe the iconic series has come to an end.
Since Netflix released the final episode of the beloved series on December 31, 2025, fans online have been sprouting theories that the fifth and final season didn’t really end, and that the streamer was sneakily keeping one more episode up its sleeve for a dramatic, surprise release.
But before we get into the theory and the streamer’s response, please note that this article does contain spoilers so read at your own risk!
What is the Stranger Things ‘Conformity Gate’ theory?
The theory — which was dubbed “Conformity Gate” by the Stranger Things fandom — is that the final episode was actually a lie and the happy themes were really an illusion created by Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower). TV conspiracy theorists believed that creators Matt and Ross Duffer secretly had plans to release another episode which would answer all the glaring questions and soothe the minds of superfans.
The theory gained so much traction that it even resulted in a Change.Org petition with more than 392,210 signatures.
“We want the unseen footage of stranger things. I believe it was more to the episodes and we didn’t see them either due to Netflix or the team of stranger things cutting them,” the petition reads.
“This has been a long 10 years process and this is what we get. I believe we as fans should stand up and take the initiative to get the footage and make the decision. We should sign this petition, trend hashtag, and make videos together to get Netflix and the duffer brothers to notice us. WE WANT ANSWERS!!”
How did Netflix respond?
While some fans were holding onto hope, the Stranger Things social media accounts have appeared to have quashed the rumour.
“ALL EPISODES OF STRANGER THINGS ARE NOW PLAYING,” the account wrote in its X (formerly Twitter) bio.
What’s next for Stranger Things?
Truthfully, we can understand the audiences trepidation about saying goodbye to Stranger Things once and for all. The series first appeared on our screens in 2016, when we were introduced to Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), Will (Noah Schnapp), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) and, a little bit later on, Max (Sadie Sink).
While they were all children in season one, we’ve watched them grow up on screen and now — almost 10 years later — the cast are all adults ready to move on with their lives. But with such incredible storytelling and cultural relevance, it’s been a little bit harder for audiences to move on from.
The good news is that while Stranger Things has come to an end, it’s not the last we’ll see of the cast or the Stranger Things universe as a whole.
The Duffer brothers have been working on an animated version of the show called Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 which takes place between season two and three. So far, it’s set to drop mid-2026 — so not long to wait!
Welcome back to Hawkins in the stark winter of 1985, where the original characters must fight new monsters and unravel a paranormal mystery terrorizing their town,” the synopsis says.
The Duffer brothers have also confirmed that a live-action spin-off is in the works. While they say there is no over-lapping characters from the existing series, the spin-off will answer remaining questions.
“No common characters,” Matt told Variety.
“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.”
If you’re more interested in the behind-the-scenes Stranger Things goss, there’s something for you in there too. On January 12, Netflix will release a documentary about making the final season of Stranger Things called One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5.
You can check out the trailer below.
So, while Conformity Gate might not be real, at least there is plenty more Stranger Things content to come!
You can catch Stranger Things seasons one to five on Netflix.
