Conformity Gate: When theory-making goes too far

Art by Ondine Mitchell

**SPOILERS FOR THE FINALE OF STRANGER THINGS**

Ever wonder why so many Stranger Things fans basically became conspiracy theorists after the season one finale? Well, since the uproar for the series’ end has pretty much died out by now (much to Netflix’s dismay, after a lot of promotion), the epidemic of people analyzing cryptic clues hidden in episode "The Rightside Up” has been somewhat forgotten. However, instead of focusing on the lackluster finale and animated show that is being made in an attempt to continue milking the franchise, let’s focus on the mass psychosis that happened online known as the “Conformity Gate” theory.

For some context, this all started right around the show’s end. Fans everywhere had seen the credits roll for the last time, whether they were watching Stranger Things from their home or the movie theater. As expected, people were going to post about their final thoughts. However, what wasn’t expected was the inescapable barrage of one statement: The last episode of the beloved show was an illusion created by Vecna. 

Essentially, many viewers found multiple inconsistencies and plot holes in the finale and decided that this was a product of all of the main characters being trapped in a false reality, the happy ending being completely fabricated in the (somehow alive) villain’s mind. You might be wondering what possibly happened in the episode that was so far out of canon that it warranted these beliefs. 

Unfortunately, a lot of these could be seen as somewhat of a stretch, but nonetheless in this article they have been compiled together in order to further try and understand the viral theory.

1. THE SEVEN

Everyone remembers the first scene of Stranger Things, with the main “Party” (Mike, Will, Dustin, and Lucas) playing DND in Mike’s basement. When the kids are fighting a Demogorgon in game, it’s up to Will to defeat it. When he rolls the dice, he gets a seven. This, however, also shows up at the end of the finale. Because of this symbolism, many fans believed that the Conformity Gate episode would come out on January 7th. 

2. THE GRADUATION SCENE

Near the end of the movie, the heartfelt scene of all of the “kid” main characters graduating (somehow, even Max) was meant to be a fan favorite. Instead, this backfired when Stranger Things fanatics started picking apart some odd occurrences and plot holes that were apparent in the scene. An example was a clip showing the entire class sitting uniformly, their hands clasped. The pose of the students was compared to the way Vecna was shown sitting in season 5. This was explained by believers of the Conformity Gate theory as an obvious connection to Vecna and a sign that something wasn’t right.

Apparently, the costume choices were also a “giveaway,” since the students were portrayed wearing orange graduation gowns when the school colors are supposed to be green and yellow. Fans proposed that the orange graduation gowns were a clue given to the audience and a metaphor for how the entire cast were prisoners in Vecna’s mind. 

Image from Netflix's Stranger Things

3. THE BOOKS

At the closing part of the finale, when the main party (and Max) put away their DND binders for the last time, they were put in a very deliberate order that some theorists found suspicious. If you look closely at the letters that were being put together, they clearly say “X A LIE.” This could have easily been a production coincidence, but it was allegedly referring to “DIMENSION X IS A LIE.” (Dimension X, sometimes referred to as “The Abyss”, is where the Mind Flayer and Vecna are located.)

4. PLOT HOLES

There were multiple smaller instances of strange and inaccurate things happening in the finale that, instead of being blamed on the writing, were added to lists everywhere on reasons that the beloved show wouldn’t be over. These included, first of all, color changes on the sets. 

Early on in season 5, objects changing colors in different shots and incorrect settings were presented as reasons the reality wasn’t real at all. One example is how, in Vecna’s mind world, characters Max and Holly realize that the roundabout at her school is significant because it’s the wrong color. This was heavily utilized by Conformity Gate believers, as they noticed, for example, that the color of the WSQK radio towel dial changed from grey to red.

Some other minor cases of inconsistencies include: in one scene, Karen Wheeler didn’t have the scars she had gotten from the Demogorgon. In another, both Vicky and the Vecna clock were absent in the entirety of “The Rightside Up,” (excluding Vicky’s one extremely short cameo around the beginning), the fact that Hawkins was rebuilt extremely fast, and the fight against Vecna was only around 10 minutes. 

In my opinion, although not unusual, the ending fights being around ten minutes long in-universe were a bit underwhelming. Adding to the underwhelming finale, the fact that most characters (mainly Hopper) did not seem to be too affected by the death/disappearance of El in the end seemed hard to believe for many.

5. THE NETFLIX ANNOUNCEMENT

The main thing that really “confirmed” the theory for viewers was the fact that Netflix was actually teasing something unannounced for the 7th. People were waiting for this new content, posting online about it, when it actually turned out to be a “Next on Netflix” campaign about new shows and movies that would be released in 2026. Stranger Things, unsurprisingly, wasn’t mentioned at all during this. Without this evidence that seemed to pull the entire thing together, Conformity Gate ended up being pretty much debunked.

Ultimately, the Stranger Things Conformity Gate theory was an extreme example of fans disliking the way that a show ended, and being so disappointed that they convinced themself that the entire episode must just be a fake-out, with the true, canon episode releasing as a surprise. Still, if you happen to believe the theory even now, there is unfortunate news for you. The Duffer Brothers, in an interview, ended up discrediting the 9th episode entirely by publicly stating that it wasn’t true, and dismissing even the possibility. However, the ending was up to the viewer’s interpretation, so whether you believe Vecna is alive or not, we will probably never know for certain.