Stranger Things fans have come up with a theory that suggests the real, secret series finale will air this week – and now the community is having to issue a warning to avoid being upset when it turns out to be false.
Warning! Spoilers for Stranger Things Season 5 Episode 8, “The Right Side”:
Following the divisive Season 5 finale of Stranger Things, the so-called “Gate of Compliance” theory spread like wildfire on social media, especially TikTok. It claims that the long epilogue we saw in the last episode was an illusion created by the villain Vecna, who remains alive and well. So the theory works anyway.
“Clues” supporting this theory include the placement of students' hands in the same way as Henry Creel did during the Hawkins High graduation scene, shorter hairstyles worn by people like Nancy, Mike and Karen, and the appearance of “WHAT?” board game (the kidnapped children knew Henry as Mr. Whatsit).
The Duffer Brothers could have made Stranger Things the greatest show ever if the “Gate of Conformity” theory was real. This may be cinema's greatest illusion, a dream sequence. What if Mike is making up his own ending or Vecna is creating an illusion? Nothing about the ending feels right. pic.twitter.com/hsOItizWj9
— Fzy (@leofzy) January 5, 2026
If this seems like an exaggeration to you, there's more to it. Fans are fussing over a blank yellow poster seen in the background of the graduation and the final shot of the Dungeons and Dragons books, which appear to have “XA LIE” written on them. The Abyss was once known as Dimension X, the world from which the Mind Flayer and all the demo monsters originated. Oh, and if you're wondering why all these characters (where's Vicky?) were mysteriously absent from the epilogue, Vecna doesn't know they exist, so they're not part of his illusion. The theory even includes a proposed release date for the actual final episode of Stranger Things: January 7, 2026.
this correspondence gate theory is INSANE, if this doesn't happen we will actually be better writers than dumbasses #conformitygate #StrangerThings5 pic.twitter.com/xskLExHXIe
— Adnan (@AdnanLovesCats) January 4, 2026
The Gate of Compliance theory sounds like harmless fun, but now some Stranger Things fans are warning each other not to get upset when it turns out to be absolute nonsense.
“Don't be mad at the Duffer brothers tomorrow,” one concerned fan told a Stranger Things fan on thread posted on the show's subreddit (Matt and Ross Duffer are the creators and showrunners of Stranger Things). “It's no one's fault but the fans themselves. People were caught up in the theories leading up to the finale and then were disappointed with the show when it didn't live up to their expectations.
“What more could you ask for? They left Al's ending open to interpretation and made a beautiful ending for all the characters. We don't need to know what happened to Erica, or Mr. Clark, or the random military man who had four seconds of screen time. Just use common sense, everyone is back to their normal lives.”
“Of course there were inconsistencies, but be grateful that we got the same ending. Of course, the Duffer Brothers said some things in interviews, but I just ignore it. All I can say is that there is no final, final episode. None of your gates are real. The gates to the show are closed.”
This has a lot to do with some fans' dissatisfaction with how Stranger Things ended. Some are unhappy with the final battle with Vecna and the Mind Flayer. I wonder why the demo monsters weren't around to help. Others are uncomfortable with the ambiguity of Eleven's ending. Some have pointed out various “plot holes” that they feel undermine the fifth and final season in various ways (what happened to the military?). Some fans really want this Gate of Compliance theory to be true because they just don't like how Stranger Things ended.
“Absolutely crazy,” one fan said. “There is no evidence,” said another. “Please think critically and stop believing in stupid conspiracies.” “It's like the final survival level in Mass Effect 3,” suggested one fan of Stranger Things and BioWare's sci-fi role-playing series. “I remember back in 2012, fans like me were so damn unhappy with Mass Effect that it led many fans to create the indoctrination theory as a way to cope. It implied that the main character Shepard was under the control of Lovecraftian machines, which meant that the shitty ending was nothing more than a gimmick. That's how bad the ending of Mass Effect was.”
The Duffer Brothers made inquiries after the finale aired. explaining his thoughts in several interviews. They even confirmed spin-off will answer one burning question from season five. Maybe it's time to let it go. And if you really want more, there's the Stranger Things documentary. The Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5Release date: January 12.
Image credit: Netflix
Wesley is IGN's News Director. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can contact Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].
