There is a wild fan theory

“Chapter Eight: The Rightside Up” was released on December 31 on Netflix and in select theatres across the United States and Canada, as the worldwide sensation reached its poignant finale.

But devoted followers are seemingly unable to bid farewell and have hinted that a spin-off series might be on the horizon.

A wild theory has taken TikTok and other social media platforms by storm, and it suggests that Vecna presented both viewers and characters with a completely fabricated sequence of events.

Supporters of this theory, dubbed ‘Conformity Gate’, argue that Mind Flayer hadn't truly been vanquished and that the programme's uplifting conclusion wasn't genuine.

The concept was broken down by user Forthew!n, who argued that “it's basically a lot of Easter eggs that seem to point to proof that everything isn't OK in Hawkins after all. It's the way that everyone at the graduation had their hands like Henry Creel's, or the way the Dungeons and Dragons books lined up to say "X A LIE" (as in what happened in Dimension X was all a lie).”

Supporters of the theory believe that the hypothetical additional episode, with the proposed release date on January 7, will “pull back the curtain and reveal that it was all a lie and that we'll get the REAL ending”.

The number seven appeared prominently during the finale's closing credits, with viewers also recalling Will Byers' (Noah Schnapp) declaration that he rolled a seven, meaning the Demogorgon had “got” him.

However, if you are a Stranger Things fan don't get your hopes up just yet.

The existence of such an episode has been confirmed by neither The Duffer Brothers nor Netflix.

And there were even fans who dismissed the theory, with one Reddit user, Lizzx_0501, questioning: “It does just simply not make sense. Why would they do a full season just to make it a wrong ending? Like the money spent? Does it mean that everything that happened from the start is under Vecna's spell or when does the conformity happen?”

“Did Henry enter that cave? Did he take 12 kids? Did Kali and El die? ? If we are going to get one more episodes it would not be enough. Unless it Vecna wins at the end or his mind infected the whole Hawkins after his death.”

While another fan added that: “I want to believe in all this badly, because so much of this just doesn't make any sense to me on so many levels. And a redo would make so much sense. But I fear we may have just severely overestimated the Duffer brothers and Netflix. Although I'm going to need them and cast to explain what the hell this was then.”

A comprehensive document compiled by a X (formerly Twitter) user defines Conformity Gate as “the idea that the finale and Volume Two were actually a contorted version created by Vecna, in which the audience, Mike, or both are under Vecna's curse”. They further added: “This would explain why all characters end up as conformed, watered down versions of themselves.”

The fan emerged shortly before Netflix's official reveal of a documentary offering behind-the-scenes insights into the years of dedication and artistry that shaped the series' concluding chapter.

Netflix announced: “A decade after rewiring pop culture, Stranger Things returns for its final chapter. One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things Season 5 is a sweeping behind-the-scenes chronicle that follows the cast, creators, and crew as they bring the final season to life-and say goodbye to the show that changed them forever.”

One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5 will stream worldwide on Netflix from January 12.