The Conformity Gate Spiral Explains What ‘Stranger Things’ Fans Can’t Admit About the Finale

Stranger Things ended its decade-long run with a feature-length finale on New Year's Eve that managed to temporarily crash Netflix's servers, while also dominating movie theaters. Despite mixed reactions to said finale, this is probably the best sendoff Matt & Ross Duffer's sci-fi sensation could have hoped for. Yet there were some fans who believed a secret episode was in the works, leading to the "Conformity Gate" theory. For those not in the know, "Conformity Gate" puts forth the theory that Stranger Things' heroes haven't actually graduated from high school and pursued their dreams, instead being trapped in an illusion by the skinless sorcerer Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower).

So great was the theory that people believed January 7 would be the date of the true finale...and yet, there was no secret episode to be found. To these fans' credit, they managed to once again overwhelm Netflix's servers, yet the theories all point to two simple facts: some fans simply don't want to let the series go, and some have channeled lingering disappointment over the finale into an absurd fan theory. It's not the first time a highly popular TV show or movie has led to fan theories spreading like wildfire, but "Conformity Gate" is another example of how modern fandom has grown a disturbingly large sense of self-entitlement.

'Stranger Things' Fans Came Up With "Conformity Gate" To Process The Series' Ending

The irony of "Conformity Gate" is that fans believe Vecna trapped Will (Noah Schnapp) and friends in an ending that seemed rather too perfect, yet their theories are merely a smokescreen masking the fact that they aren't ready to let the series go. It's understandable; anyone who's watched Stranger Things has spent the better part of a decade with these characters, watching them grow up and face down monsters as well as come to terms with who they are. Yet their journey had to come to an end one day, and the finale even reflects this by bringing things full circle and having Will playing one last game of Dungeons & Dragons with his friends.

Another thing that fans might not be able to quite process is that as Stranger Things has grown, so have they. Some viewers probably graduated from high school around the same time as the finale, while others entered adulthood or started new careers. Coming to terms with major change can be frightening, and sometimes people process that by finding comfort in movies, TV or other forms of media. By witnessing Will and his friends entering adulthood, some fans might have felt panicked and turned to the comfort of "Conformity Gate" to assure them there were more adventures on the way.

The Theory of a Secret 'Stranger Things' Episode Mirrors Other Fandom Upsets

While some fans saw "Conformity Gate" as a way to avoid the fact that Stranger Things's ending mirrored the end of a chapter in their lives, other fans saw it as a chance to "correct" the mistakes the finale made. Some fans took it a step further, launching a petition on Change.org that demanded Netflix release the actual finale. It's not the first time that fans have tried to demand that a movie or television series continues or releases a different version. Despite the release of Zack Snyder's Justice League, there are still hardcore fans who demand that Warner Bros. "restore the Snyderverse". Game of Thrones had a similar petition demanding that its final season be remade with "competent writers". Even blockbusters aren't safe, with petitions demanding that Star Wars: Episode VII — The Last Jedi be stricken from canon or that writer/director Rian Johnson needs to make a public apology.

These petitions, while being a gross display of entitlement, also showcase a major issue with fandoms: most fans cannot accept that a creator's choices might not align with their personal tastes. Most people who want Zack Snyder to direct more DC films are fans of his approach, rather than the one James Gunn and Peter Safran are taking with DC Studios. People who hate the Game of Thrones finale are probably disappointed that Bran (Issac Hempstead Wright) becomes king or Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) dies. Some Star Wars fans have apparently taken offense to the idea that Luke Skywaker (Mark Hamill) struggles with his regrets and failures.

"Conformity Gate" falls into the same vein as fans probably wanted a different ending for the younger characters rather than what they got.

'Stranger Things' Will Continue — Just Not in the Way Fans Think

While Netflix isn't dropping any secret episodes of Stranger Things, it is planning to continue the franchise with the animated spinoff Stranger Things: Tales from '85. Set in the time period between Seasons 2 and 3 of Stranger Things, Tales from '85 will showcase the main characters facing off against a new set of monsters from the Upside Down. In addition, a spinoff of the live-action series is in the works, and the stage play Stranger Things: The FIrst Shadow — which not only delves into Vecna's origins but helped shape a large part of the final season of Stranger Things — is currently playing.

There's also the fact that Netflix has plenty of other supernatural themed shows that not only fit into the same vibe as Stranger Things, but often exceed it in terms of storytelling. Rather than clinging to outlandish fan theories or making petulant demands online, fans should turn to these series or the upcoming Stranger Things spinoffs if they want something to take their mind off the finale.