In the age of the TikTok fan theory, Conformity Gate is no surprise – but it's distracting from a fitting Stranger Things finale

Stranger Things is an ode to matching each other's freak 'til the end.

It's been a week since the Netflix sci-fi show rolled the dice one last time, with some disgruntled viewers convinced this couldn't really be the end of the road for the Hawkins party.

Once the Duffer Brothers' show rang in the new year with the series finale 'The Rightside Up', fans claimed that some clues pointed to a secret episode releasing on Netflix on January 7. Known as Conformity Gate, this (now debunked) theory suggests that the show's bittersweet ending concealed a sinister truth. Actors looking at the camera, continuity errors, and color schemes all played into speculations of a Hawkins 'snow globe' ruled by mega-villain Vecna, who somehow survived being beheaded.

Conformity Gate quickly gained momentum on social media, where an innocuous callback to the show's first episode and the teens' graduation gowns – supposedly meant to look like prison jumpsuits – were hailed as proof that Hawkins was still under Vecna's thumb, and that a 'real' epilogue would arrive on January 7.

The January 7 theory has since been shut down, but some aren't letting go, still waiting for another episode. It is fitting for a series that has always celebrated the power of storytelling to have its fandom step in with a continuation of the original tale. The finale played it a little too safe, according to some, while the Byler shippers who had their hopes set on a Will and Mike romance were equally disappointed. Ensuing theories not only fill the blanks to one's liking, but offer a community for viewers who were less than impressed with the culmination of the show.

But how far is too far when it comes to theorising? And how tricky does it become navigating social media when a quick AI-generated clip could turn the tables on a story that's supposed to be done and dusted?

Leaving the door open

One of the first global streaming sensations wrapping in the era of TikTok and AI, Stranger Things has flooded our social media with an unprecedented amount of fan-made content. Ranging from detailed explainers to imaginative edits, the online reactions to the show have been huge. As has the backlash.

As Netflix gears up to release a Stranger Things documentary that could provide some closure, the response to the finale invites us to reflect on how a series that's a nostalgic love letter to the 1980s could converse with a chronically online, parasocial way of consuming art. As much as Conformity Gate is a testament to the fandom's deep appreciation for the show, it also detracts from the enjoyment of the final episode and overlooks the series' inspirations.

In a move that can be frustrating, the grand finale leaves loose ends about its own mythology and then some (Where are the Demogorgons? And Max's mom? What about those pregnant women? Did the military just vanish?). With the emotional investment that comes with a decade-long series, being left with what are perceived as plot holes clashes with our idea of what makes a 'good' ending.

Audiences are more disillusioned and nonchalant than ever – sometimes understandably so – due to the sheer abundance of movies and TV, and the fans' deep dives that dissect them. As fans, we're also uncomfortable with the uncertainty of a flawed, opaque conclusion.

When revisiting some of our favourites from decades past, however, it's evident that leaving things open to viewers' interpretation isn't a new phenomenon – think the simplification of Pennywise/It in Stephen King's adaptations for the screen, where the origins of the malevolent cosmic entity aren't questioned. The anticlimactic defeat of the big bad in the '90s miniseries and modern movies is more akin to the final Mind Flayer battle than we realise, following the high-adrenaline but relatively low-stakes formula that Stranger Things has borrowed and made its own.

This doesn't mean we shouldn't be allowed to keep digging for answers to the questions the show left unanswered, but that a door closing in a way that isn't immediately rewarding isn't inherently bad. We've been down this road before, and the sci-fi drama is far from being the worst offender in the history of polarising TV finales.

It is happening again

15 years ago, Lost had us in a chokehold with a controversial epilogue about what really happened on the island. 2010s sitcoms like The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother also left fandoms up in arms when Penny had motherhood sprung upon her and Ted rekindled his romance with Robin after Tracy's death. HBO behemoth Game of Thrones went out with a half-hearted, underwhelming conclusion and more than its fair share of continuity blunders.

While not all of these can be redeemed, time has worked wonders for at least some of TV's divisive finales. The interpretation of Lost, specifically, still fuels our pop culture conversations, on and offline. With think pieces and theories being spun more than ten years after the sci-fi drama ended, the flash-sideways timeline has moved from being a point of contention and dissatisfaction to being embraced by new and longtime fans alike.

It's not impossible to imagine Stranger Things being the subject of a similar re-evaluation to Lost once the Conformity Gate bubble has burst and the rosy retrospection the show has often tapped into inevitably kicks in. (We may have to hold our breath for November 6 for that, as some have indicated Stranger Things Day as the date the secret episode will drop.)

Despite season 5's more prominent quantum physics nods and the revelation that the Upside Down has been a wormhole the whole time, Stranger Things lore is straightforward and character-driven. The Netflix show is more interested in doing right by its protagonists and honoring their bonds on a terrestrial, even ordinary, level, and 'The Rightside Up' – a satisfying, if imperfect, farewell – does just that.

Whether the episode makes a 'Best TV endings' list in ten years' time or stays a Marmite conclusion, it's undeniable it has generated a cultural moment that feels hard to replicate. This was no easy feat to accomplish in a time of reduced attention span and "What's next?", as per Netflix's own slogan. Our Internet discourse will continue evolving, but Stranger Things remains a cross-generational, viral precedent for the streaming era, wherever you stand on its final bow.

Stranger Things season 5 is streaming on Netflix now. You can read more with our deep dives into the Stranger Things season 5 finale ending explained or our Stranger Things season 5 finale review.