I believe in Conformity Gate (and I'll be devastated if I'm wrong)

As a journalist, I'm critical of absolutely everything. I know that you can't trust the internet, and I also know that a lot of the time, some things really are too good to be true. But as a pop culture fanatic...let me tell you, I cannot stop thinking about the latest Stranger Things "Conformity Gate" theories.

Note: There are spoilers ahead for Stranger Things Series 5.

To catch you up to speed, the final-ever episode of Stranger Things (Season 5 episode 8) premiered on New Year's Day in the UK, and it was, well, alright. Some fans liked that everything tied up nicely, while others couldn't ignore the endless amount of plot holes (which is very unlike the Duffer Brothers to overlook) and visual clues in the final Netflix episode – hinting that things aren't actually adding up here.

The fans aren't just nitpicking, with an overwhelming amount of genuinely compelling evidence, including hints from the cast themselves that Stranger Things might not really be over. This has led to theories and speculation that the audience has been tricked by Vecna, and a final episode could be heading our way on January 7th (approximately 1 am tomorrow for the UK).

If true, this would break the internet. And not to mention go down in history as one of the wildest (and truly brilliant) twists that a production has ever pulled. Imagine having the entire world believe a series had concluded only to pull a stunt like this.

On the other hand, this could also cause devastatingly brutal disappointment to millions of fans (myself included) who have gotten their hopes up that an Episode 9 really does exist, and everything else was an illusion that even the audience fell for.

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It's hard to ignore the real-world parallel that this conspiracy has created – with fans near enough brainwashing themselves into believing the series ending was all "fake", and the character of Mike Wheeler convincing himself and the rest of the gang that Eleven is actually alive, as a coping method to live with the reality.

Like with all TV series finales, you can't please everyone. And while I was personally hoping for a bit more action when the team took down Vecna (where the heck were the Demogorgons?), I was overall happy with the "open to interpretation" multiple ending that left things up to the reader's imagination and room for spinoffs down the line too.

What evidence is there?

Honestly, there's far too much to cover. Like waaaay too much to go into. But I'll bullet point some of my top theories below, and share a few clips from creators who might as well be investigators at this point.

• Jamie Campbell Bower has been dropping hints: The Vecna actor has been retweeting clues on X, and also starred in a short video clip created by The Tonight Show, seen performing a Stranger Things themed fitness workout, where slap bang in the middle he says "tomorrow it begins".
• The unreliable narrator theory: If the past 2 episodes really are set in Vecna's mind, it would explain why things in Hawkins are different and not consistent with how they should be, since Henry doesn't have all the facts.
• If you search Stranger Things on Google and click the dice that appears at the bottom, you're in for a treat. This dice currently says 1 but has been counting down from 7 (as in January 7th!!).
• Netflix has been teasing a big reveal on January 7th. What else could it be?
• Netflix US just changed its Instagram bio to "I believe".

What are your thoughts? I believe it could be true, but in any case, regardless of whether we're getting an episode 9, you can't deny that this is amazing publicity for the show and the Duffer Brothers. Well deserved for an exceptional show, if you ask me. Let's discuss this in the comments below.