When one thinks of life-changing TV shows, a very popular title comes to mind. “Stranger Things,” by the Duffer Brothers, has been an ongoing series for roughly a decade. Which was and continues to be the talk of pop culture fanatics, from plots to characters. This coming-of-age piece grew with its audience, allowing them to draw a personal connection to the show. The age group it seems to have hit hardest is amongst 2025 and 2026 graduates, seeing as the finale closes out with the main four, including Max, graduating high school, leaving the realization that childhood is coming to an end.
A lot of fans have been left to grieve the last season of the show, with some people still in denial that it has ended, but there really is nothing more to “Stranger Things.” Because of this refusal, popular conspiracy theories have been highlighted by social media, including “Conformity Gate,” the claim that Eleven was never real, and the idea that the main four are still playing their Dungeons & Dragons campaign in Mike Wheeler’s basement.
The concept of the Conformity Gate that fans were strongly circling is the idea that the ending was a hoax, a mind game that Vecna played over everyone. This concept stems from multiple pieces. Fans were quick to point out similarities between multiple characters, like Lucas looking the same way as Henry Creel in the season’s posters, the high school class’s hand positions similar to Henry’s, and in Will’s coming-out scene, he references getting milkshakes at Melvald’s, which, during the kids’ time, is a general store. But, as revealed in Henry’s past, shown through memories in the show and the Broadway play, “First Shadow,” the store used to be a diner. These little inconsistencies led fans to believe a secret episode would be released on Jan. 7. Watchers soon became very disappointed when that didn’t happen.
Additionally, there might be an unknown reason for the different feeling season five left. According to TMZ, after nine years of marriage, from Jan. 2015 to Feb. 2024, Leigh Janiak, director and writer for the “Fear Street” trilogy, filed for divorce against Ross Duffer. Janiak had been helping with the writing and directing, though not officially credited, but the absence of her skills was definitely noticeable.
Also, with “Stranger Things” ending and the failed idea of a continuation, fans started creating their own finales and posting them on social platforms, with many people agreeing with similar ideas. The specific claim of “Eleven was never real” stemmed from this. The arguments of this conspiracy were that after Will was found “dead” in season one, Mike went into a psychosis-like state, making up Eleven and the adventures the boys would take in defeating the D&D monsters. This statement was also denied by the Duffer Brothers.
The other opinions aren’t limited, but a popular one that was more significant in the earlier seasons, is that the main four are still playing their campaign in Mike’s basement on November 6, 1983, that Will Byers never went missing, and that it was simply the storyline of their game that night. But like all the other theories that have been put to rest, this is just one added to the pile.
While all the fan theories would’ve been intriguing to watch play out, and they would’ve added a level of depth to the show that it didn’t already have, some enthusiasts have taken the ideas way too far, even developing over-the-top beliefs. Creating conspiracies and alternative endings is a great way to express love for shows, films, and books, but taking it too far leads to denial and being underwhelmed when it doesn’t live up to the set expectations.
