Stranger Things is over. The main characters’ stories all came to a conclusion, whether fans liked their ending or not. But there is a growing number of people who bizarrely believe that the Stranger Things 5 series finale was not the end. There’s a Stranger Things theory gaining steam across social media that people are calling “Conformity Gate.” Some fans believe that the ending was an illusion constructed by a somehow still-alive Vecna. They think that the episode is showing a false reality that will be revealed in a surprise episode on January 7.
There are several reasons why some fans think that Stranger Things 5 is not over and that Conformity Gate is real. First, someone spotted a supposed message on the spine of the crew’s D&D guides. The letters “X a lie” seem to line up and some viewers think that the defeat of Vecna was a deception. Call us crazy, but we thought he looked pretty darn dead when Joyce chopped his head off. Furthermore, the Mind Flayer, who was the real mastermind, also looked dead, too. But okay…
Others also thought that the Hawkins High School Class of 1989 graduation was weird enough to support the Stranger Things Conformity Gate theory. First, there are several people who have their hands clasped in front of them like controlled figures. Henry stood like that under the influence of the Mind Flayer and so did Billy, apparently. It seems like it is also just a way that people would sit at a relatively formal event. Well, it was formal until Dustin went full Eddie Munson during his glorious graduation speech…
And wearing orange gap and gown ensembles is a symbol for incarceration or containment versus freedom. This does marginally make sense because, well, prisoners do often wear orange and it is a symbol for caution/contained areas. But orange is also simply a part of the school’s colors. Maybe they wanted to do something bright and vibrant after going through hell for years.
There are a few other strange things (hehe) that people believe are suggesting that Conformity Gate is the real deal and the show’s finale was a farce. From Hawkins seeming a little too quiet/perfect to Will rolling a 7 for January 7 (and not a callback to the first episode…), fans simply don’t want to let go.
But, come closer to your screen readers, because we have a message for you. While it is sad to think about a world with no more Stranger Things episodes, you must accept that the show is over. Conformity Gate is not real. And whatever Netflix is teasing for January 7 is more than likely them telling you all the things that are releasing in 2026.