Will There Be A ‘Stranger Things 5’ Episode 9? Conformity Gate Explained
Fans around the globe are now convinced that a secret ninth episode of Stranger Things is coming later this week. Read this Stranger Things 5 episode 9 article.
It has been an incredibly long rollout for Stranger Things 5. From breaking up the series over two months and splitting its release dates over internationally celebrated holidays to the reception of these episodes themselves and the press tour leading to audience scrutiny and tired actors, it is clear the show is taking its toll. Read more about Stranger Things 5 episode 9 below.
This is true for both the internet and its creatives, as seen earlier today by actor David Harbour pulling out of his next film due to exhaustion from press for season five of Stranger Things. Fans around the globe are now convinced that a secret ninth episode of Stranger Things is coming later this week.
What Is Conformity Gate In ‘Stranger Things 5’?
The hashtag #ConformityGate has been trending on social media over the past day or two, propelled by fans of the show alleging that series creators The Duffer Brothers have purposely created a bad finale of Stranger Things to symbolize them conforming to Netflix standards, as well as characters such as Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer), Robin Buckley (Maya Hawke), Steve Harrington (Joe Keery), and Jonathan Byers (Charlie Heaton) being seen in conforming clothing and work-life roles at the end of the Episode 8 epilogue, showcasing said “conformity.”
Other examples of this overarching #ConformityGate theory “evidence” being spread around social media include continuity errors like Mike Wheeler’s door knob of his basement changing sides from Season 1 and the Season 5 epilogue, or the show’s creators saying things would be explained in the season, yet they weren’t in the slightest, such as Barb’s body appearing, or the person who unlocked Will’s door in Season 1 being revealed.
When Is ‘Stranger Things 5’ Episode 9 Meant To Be Released According To The Theory?
The possible Stranger Things Season 5 Episode 9 is being theorised to be released on January 10th, 2026, a date fueled by misinformation and overreaching fan theories.
There is obviously no ninth episode, but the possibility of such an episode being theorized like this is hilarious, pointing to the brutally poor reception of the finale and the sheer number of unhappy fans finding plot holes, out of character decisions, ignored plotlines and straight up discontinued plot lines that have been said to happen off screen, in the case of Robin’s relationship with Vickie (Amybeth McNulty) which The Duffers have implied to have broken up between the ending of the events of the season and the epilogue, disappointing fans.
As Semafor’s Josh Billinson so aptly suggests, the conspiracy being peddled online only speaks to how bad the series finale wrapped up the series, with fans left with infinitely more questions than they started with:
Stranger Things, of course, is the story of the town of Hawkins, Indiana, which sees the fallout of the discovery of The Upside Down, a replica dimension hidden beneath the town, and the mysterious lab that experiments on children on the outskirts. It gained fame for its mature take on a genre first seen in The Goonies and follows a group of children who must join forces to battle a growing evil.
The Stranger Things Season 5 finale aired on New Year’s Eve 2025, and one must wonder, as funny as it is, why the world is holding onto last year’s shit.
Stranger Things Season 5Â stars Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Millie Bobby Brown, Noah Schnapp, Caleb McLaughlin, Gaten Matarazzo, Finn Wolfhard, Sadie Sink, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Joe Keery, Maya Hawke, Brett Gelman, Linda Hamilton, and Jamie Campbell Bower.
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