All the convincing evidence that a secret Stranger Things episode is coming this week

Stranger Things might have come to a somewhat unsatisfying ending, but there’s a sneaky theory that Netflix is sitting on a secret episode that will change everything. While most of us are mourning (or moaning about) the season five finale, a hardcore group of true believers are convinced we’ve all been played. Welcome to conformity gate.

#conformitygate #comformitygate #StrangerThings5 IT IS HAPPENING JAN.7th THE REAL STRANGER THINGS FINALE , THIS IS JUST TOO MUCH OF A COINCIDENCE GUYS , THIS WOULD BE THE GREATEST PLOT TWIST IN TV HISTORY. pic.twitter.com/HekrZZwlCY

— Armani Cherry (@chromesofhearts) January 4, 2026

The core of conformity gate is simple: Season five, episode eight wasn’t the end. From “illegal” episode registrations to Truman Show references, here is all the evidence that the finale we watched was actually just a massive, Vecna-induced fever dream.

The ‘false memory’ glitches

If the finale was a dream, there should be cracks in the reality, and people think they’ve found them.

On of these cracks is based on song choice. In the finale, Robin pulls out London Calling by The Clash to play for Holly. However, the show has spent five seasons establishing that Mike’s “save me” song is Should I Stay or Should I Go. Therefore, people say the wrong album is a “false memory” bleeding through the trance.

Also, a season five promo poster appears to show the Mind Flayer physically connecting the heads of Mike and Vecna, fueling the “Mike is the host” fire.

Dustin’s ‘conformity’ speech

THE WAY EVERYONE IS SITTING IN THE SAME POSE. #conformitygate pic.twitter.com/stSexgdrZI

— 💙 FIZZY BIRB 💛 (@fizzybirb) January 2, 2026

Most Read

I film my straight boyfriend sleeping with other men, and I see no problem with it

Sorry in advance: Here are all the unhinged pics and clips of Beavo’s mum on OnlyFans

There’s another son making OnlyFans content with his dad, so we asked him simply: Why?

The name comes from Dustin’s valedictorian speech, where he pays tribute to Eddie Munson by shouting “screw conformity”. A closer look at the crowd reveals that every student is sitting perfectly upright in identical orange robes. People have pointed out that orange is the color of prison jumpsuits, suggesting the characters are “prisoners of Vecna”.

 The gang are also all shown with their hands clasped in the exact, specific way Henry Creel held his before being banished to the Abyss.

The exit signs

Several scenes in the finale feature prominent, glowing “EXIT” signs. Will on a date at a bar, Joyce and Hopper on a date, Max and Lucas on, you guessed it, a date.

Ok, so… Hear me out…

In the epilogue, everyone who is on a “date” has an exit sign in the back of shot. A red exit.

Will on a date at a bar
Joyce and Hopper on a date
Max and Lucas on a date

3 “happy” endings.

3 “dates”

3 RED EXIT SIGNS#conformitygate #StrangerThings5 https://t.co/nJhxtdS51R pic.twitter.com/lZzzk7WtCP

— bearwith (@_bear_with) January 4, 2026

People believe this is a direct homage to The Truman Show, a film about a man living in a fake, constructed reality who eventually finds the door out.

#eyeintheskygate #conformitygate
hello???????? hello????? pic.twitter.com/0e4GgKod6G

— dylan ♰ (@bylertiism) January 2, 2026

It’s legally unfinished

EPISODE 5-8 ARE NOT REGISTERED THE WAY THEY LEGALLY HAVE TO BE TO BECOME OFFICIAL EPISODES !!!! everybody go watch @/cleanslatekait ‘s tiktok RIGHT NOW this is the biggest proof of #conformitygate yet pic.twitter.com/qBj0TUe2dT

— liv💙💛 (@christenswnt) January 4, 2026

This is where things get technical. According to some viral deep-dives, the final episodes of season five aren’t “legally” registered as episodes yet.

To be an official series finale, a production usually needs three things: A final episode ID, legal release status, and entry into the distribution and measurement system.

People claim that while seasons one through four were registered this way, the season five finale currently lacks these markers. This has led to the theory that what we watched was actually a “giant promo” or a placeholder for the real ending.

The magic number 43

so scandinavian netflix had an ad with all these dice adding up to 43. there are 43 days between the start of vol1 and january 7th. also, if there is another episode coming january 7th, it would be the 43rd episode of stranger things #conformitygate #StrangerThings5 pic.twitter.com/2QixbTPhTA

— katelyn (@siixthirtiy) January 4, 2026

If episode nine is coming, when do we get it? People are pointing to 7th January, and the math is actually kind of spooky.

Basically, Netflix Scandinavia ran a Stranger Things ad featuring dice that added up to the number 43. There are exactly 43 days between the release of season five volume one and 7th January. If a secret episode drops on the 7th, it would be the 43rd episode of Stranger Things in total.

Is it the greatest plot twist in TV history, or are we all just mad because we didn’t want the show to end? We’ll find out on 7th January.

For all the latest Netflix news and drops, like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook.

Featured image credit: Netflix