After a grueling nine years of emotional supernatural events, Stranger Things has finally come to its end. And well, to be honest, it did not end all that well, or at least what fans were expecting. Many fans are upset at the creators, The Duffer Brothers, because there have definitely been better seasons in the past. Zahnel Perkins (12), a student at Yorba Linda High School, said it best: “I honestly didn’t think it was that good because I felt like the creators were gonna put more stuff in, but had to take it out for whatever reason.”

Honestly, she is right. The finale left us with a mountain of plot holes that are hard to ignore. For example, why didn’t Max seem surprised when she saw Hopper alive? The last time they were together was the end of Season 3, yet their reunion felt weirdly hollow. Then there are the visual inconsistencies. When Holly went to the playground, she noticed the color change on the wheel. However, when Robin went to spin the dial while electrocuting the Demogorgon, nobody mentioned the color change. It shifted from grey to red without explanation. It is the little details like this that make the entire story feel unfinished and rushed.

But what if that was actually the point? What if the goal was to make the story feel incomplete? There is a popular theory circulating online called “Conformity Gate.” This fan theory went viral across social media, suggesting that the seemingly happy ending we received was actually a fake-out created by the villain, Vecna. Since the credits rolled, everyone has been hoping for a secret ninth episode or a darker reality where the characters are trapped in an illusion rather than living out a “happy ending.”

What is the real point of the theory? Die-hard fans, in hopes that the show wasn’t actually bad, have been pointing out inconsistencies that could hint at a deeper, hidden truth. Honestly, it makes sense. There are times when it seems like the characters’ minds are being taken over. Student Cienna Olsen (12) states, “I think Mike is in a trance because when Vecna comes through the gate at the end of Volume 1, the camera points directly at him. Why? Also, there are a lot of easter eggs that just make sense!” Whether the ending was just poor writing or a massive “Conformity Gate” setup, fans are clearly not ready to let the Upside Down go.