The ‘Stranger Things’ Wild Conformity Gate Theory Has Ties to Another Beloved Netflix Series

6 days ago 16

Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler in the series finale of 'Stranger Things'

Mauricio is a Mexican guy who gets attached to cancelled TV shows, likes to read Marvel comics about underdog teams, and has been told one-too-many times he looks like Penn Badgley, specifically in his stalker-y roles. He discovered his passion for pop culture with Power Rangers and the Star Wars Special Edition re-releases. Professionally, he's got a degree in International Finance and has been in the real estate business for almost 10 years now (yikes!). Magically, he's 83% Ravenclaw and 17% Slytherin. Musically, he thinks Jack Antonoff is a multiversal being with the key to create bop after bop.

He specializes in over-analyzing his favorite shows like Glee, Lost, Community, Ugly Betty, and Grey's Anatomy; as well as his favorite actors' performances, like Olivia Colman, Olivia Colman, and Olivia Colman. Just kidding, other faves include Anna Kendrick, Rachel Bloom, Lee Pace, Maggie Smith, Elizabeth Olsen, and Olivia Colman.

The internet has been going wild during the last few days because of the Stranger Things finale. The theory that has become known as Conformity Gate dives into implied clues indicating there might be a secret ninth episode to close the Hawkins saga. Although these conjectures have been gaining momentum in the past few hours, Netflix hasn’t given any indication of them being true. The only confirmed fact is that the streamer is holding a big announcement on January 7. But, with this apparently being a company-wide message, chances are slim for fans who are still holding out hope.

Still, this hasn’t stopped the rumor mill, and the wildest of theories yet has surfaced on TikTok. Some fans claim the documentary releasing on January 12, One Last Adventure: The Making of Stanger Things Season 5 will be, in fact, the final episode – going full meta by making Jamie Campbell Bower’s Vecna face the show’s cast in a final battle. It might sound crazy, but not unheard of, as this has already been done in Wes Craven’s New Nightmare. This path also reminds us of another beloved Netflix show that wasn’t granted the same endurance as Stranger Things – The OA.

Brit Marling as Prairie, wearing a grey dress and standing in front of a man with their arms outstretched in 'The OA'

From the very beginning, The OA was stranger than Stranger Things. The dubious recounting of Brit Marling’s Prairie, about the time when she was abducted to be experimented on, slowly evolved into a multiversal extravaganza. Dance moves that unlocked portals to other dimensions were mixed with Slavic mythology to bring this unique story to life, thanks to creators Zal Batmanglij and Marling herself. In what was supposed to be the second season finale, the show went full meta and had Prairie and Jason Isaacs’ Hap jump over to the real world, inhabiting the bodies of their actor counterparts – Marling and Isaacs themselves.

This season-ender automatically became the series finale when The OA was canceled by Netflix in August 2019. Thus, the audience was left wondering what woes Prairie/Marling would’ve faced living in our world in Season 3. Conversely, Stranger Things has lived a long and prosperous life. So, exploring this angle in a fan-rumored ninth episode/potential meta documentary, would be a way to end the show in an unparalleled way. Bringing back the gang for one last adventure – as their real-world selves fighting Vecna’s might – would honor their growth as actors through the characters that launched them to fame.

What Sustains This ‘Stranger Things’ Meta Theory?

The documentary-as-the-ninth-episode is easily the most far-fetched theory, but some clues here and there exist to sustain it. Starting with numerology, Conformity Gate supporters are claiming number seven is a key component. Will (Noah Schnapp) gets a seven when he rolls the dice while playing Dungeons & Dragons. The Netflix announcement will take place on January 7. This date is that of Orthodox Christmas – and that aligns with the episodes of Season 5 being released on renowned holidays.

Then, there’s the existing ties between Stranger Things and the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. Part of the sequences in which Holly (Nell Fisher) revisits her memories, show her watching the third film in the franchise – A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors – which foreshadowed her vital role in fighting Vecna’s control of the other children. Pairing number seven with this franchise, the seventh entry is the aforementioned Wes Craven’s New Nightmare. This movie is a meta explosion that blurs the barriers between fiction and reality by having Heather Langenkamp fight the evil entity possessing Robert Englund. Further mixing these two worlds, Englund portrayed Henry Creel’s father – Victor Creel – in Season 4 of Stranger Things. Is this just a set of coincidences? Maybe. But, as Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) previously stated, we don't believe in coincidences anymore.

The kids gathered together playing Dungeons & Dragons in the finale of Stranger Things.

Solidifying this theory are the cast and crew’s comments about Season 5’s meta qualities, particularly Gaten Matarazzo speaking to Cosmopolitan and the Duffer Brothers in an interview with Creative Screenwriting. And while they could’ve only meant how self-referential the final season would feel, they stand as the precedent that could back up the meta theory. So, up to now, Wes Craven’s New Nightmare and The OA are the pieces of media that share this translation of their fictional narrative into the real world. Whether Stranger Things will follow the same path remains to be seen. For now, one thing is sure – the level of speculation that the show’s finale is causing, only reflects how beloved Stranger Things was and still is. Hope dies last and, for the fans who want to keep the show alive, everything will become clear come January 7.