5 signs Stranger Things 'fake ending' theory is real and show isn’t over

Stranger Things may have finished its fifth and final season, but an elaborate viral theory claims that the show has one more secret episode to go.

Stranger Things has developed a rabid online fanbase who tore apart every frame of the show in the lead-up to the finale, trying to figure out clues to what was going to happen.

In the process, though, an online fandom around the idea of ‘Conformity Gate’, suggesting that there are numerous signs pointing towards the idea that on January 7, Netflix are set to either announce or release a ninth episode of season five.

This is in part due to their announcement that there will be a #WhatsNext event on that day, at which many expect them to unveil their upcoming slate of TV and films.

Beyond that, though, there are several signs fans are pointing to as proof that episode eight was a fake ending shown to the party by Vecna.

“I don’t believe in coincidences… not anymore”

Lucas says the line episode two of the fifth season (Netflix)

This was a line said by Lucas in the first volume of season five when he figures out that Vecna had a plan centred around taking Holly, with everything leading to the anniversary of Will’s disappearance.

One popular fan theory thread suggests that this was Lucas breaking the fourth wall to tell us something.

Fans online, however, have taken this as a sign to look deeper into every possible ‘coincidence’, and spotted several inconsistencies in the season – something they believe is a sign it was all a vision from Vecna.

Stranger Things actually placed importance on inconsistencies in the season.

Holly and Max get to the next memory because she spots an inconsistency, so you can't blame fans for noticing them in other parts of the show (Netflix)

In most shows, you can chalk an inconsistency up to being a mistake: the final season of Game of Thrones, for example, does not imply there is a Starbucks Westeros.

When Holly is making her way through Vecna’s memories, though, her remembering the colour of the Merry-Go-Round had changed was a core part of her and Max getting further.

This sets up one clear idea: when you’re in one of Vecna’s memories or visions, there will be inconsistencies.

The Squawk handle changing colour seems innocuous, but fans think it’s a hint

Fans think this is proof that they're in a vision projected by Vecna (Netflix)

The handle of one of the doo-hickies in the radio tower changed from black to red, something which has been a surprisingly core part of ‘Conformity Gate’.

Many fans online have pointed to this as a sneaky hint that the world around them is changing, with one tweet saying: “no bc im still tweaking about the f**king dial colours HOW does that happen accidentally. Its not a prop/costume continuity error its an entire set piece changing that happening “accidentally” is insane to me.”

Occam’s Razor would suggest that there is just a crew member somewhere who got lazy and won’t be getting another job, but for fans, it is a core sign of the ‘inconsistencies’ of the season.

‘Birthday Gate’ has been going on for seasons

Is this an 11 year old or a 12 year old? No one seems to know (Netflix)

Between Conformity Gate and Birthday Gate, it’s all getting a bit confusing, but the two are linked.

When Will was originally taken in season one, the missing child posters listed his age as 11. This was later changed to 12 as the series went on, with no one acknowledging the change.

For fans who believe that there is no such thing as a coincidence, this major change in the show seems to point towards the idea that something isn’t right.

The number seven plays a big role in the theory

The final shot of the series shows the number seven (Netflix)

These may sound incredibly loose, but the fact that the event is taking place on January 7 is genuinely linked to the show.

In the very first episode, Will rolls a seven to be killed by Vecna in their Dungeons and Dragons game, and is kidnapped on the way home.

The end of the show, where a copy of the player’s manual is shown, has a number seven off to the side.

Ultimately, the theory is almost certainly untrue, but if you’ve been seeing ‘Conformity Gate’ everywhere on Twitter and have no clue what it means, this is why fans are convinced a secret episode nine is out there.