Discussion around Stranger Things hasn’t slowed since the series ended, with debate over the Season 5 finale continuing to dominate social media a week after its release.
The fifth and final season ended with “Chapter Eight: The Rightside Up,” an epic finale that has proven polarizing among viewers. While some praised the emotional weight of the episode, others took issue with the season’s overall execution, including criticism of the script, character arcs, and the handling of key storylines, particularly in that final episode.
One major point of debate among fans was Will Byers’ “coming out” scene, while others have focused on the ambiguous fate of Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown).
There’s now even an online petition from disappointed fans calling for Netflix to release an extended cut of Season 5, alongside a rumor that the finale wasn’t even the “true ending” at all.
The “fake ending” theory, or “Conformity Gate” as it’s also known, claims that the finale’s epilogue — set 18 months after Vecna’s defeat — is a deception. During the epilogue, Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard) and the rest of the group are shown trying to move on with their lives following their battle with Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) and Eleven’s death.
According to the theory, those scenes simply aren’t real; instead it’s all one telepathically constructed reality created by Vecna, similar to the simulated environments he used earlier in the season to imprison Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink) and Holly Wheeler (Nell Fisher).
Some fans have gone even further, suggesting that a “true ending” or “secret episode” will debut on Netflix today (January 7). As that hasn’t happened, others are now speculating that the upcoming Season 5 behind-the-scenes documentary “One Last Adventure”, set to premiere on the streamer on January 12, is in fact that missing chapter.
Related: ‘Stranger Things’ Season 5 Finale: What Actually Happened | Disney Dining
However, the theory has now been debunked both directly and indirectly.
The Duffer brothers have confirmed that “The Rightside Up” is the definitive ending, telling Tudum and a number of other media outlets that “there was never a version of the story where Eleven was hanging out with the gang at the end.”
Actors from the series have echoed that sentiment. Appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Sadie Sink was asked whether she believes Eleven survived.
“I think she’s dead,” she said. “Is that like a hot take or something? I think Mike’s story is like just one last story, and that’s like — then they say goodbye to childhood. But that’s just one final tale, and that’s it.”
She added: “I think it’s just like a coping thing. I think it’s stronger, right? That’s my interpretation.”
Jamie Campbell Bower also weighed in during his appearance on the show. “Yeah. It’s the ending the show deserves,” he said. “Even as the actor that plays Vecna, like, it just — it feels right.”
As of January 7, no additional Stranger Things episodes are available on Netflix. Confirmed upcoming projects, on the other hand, include “One Last Adventure” (January 12), a Dead by Daylight crossover chapter on January 27, the animated series Tales From ’85 (set to premiere sometime this year), and a live-action spinoff centered on the “briefcase rock.”
Stranger Things seasons 1 — 5 are now streaming. Watch the trailer for Season 5 below:
Stranger Things Season 5 stars Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin Henderson), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas Sinclair), Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler), Noah Schnapp (Will Byers), Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven), Winona Ryder (Joyce Byers), David Harbour (Jim Hopper), Joe Keery (Steve Harrington), Natalia Dyer (Nancy Wheeler), Maya Hawke (Robin Buckley), Charlie Heaton (Jonathan Byers), Brett Gelman (Murray Bauman), Nell Fisher (Holly Wheeler), Priah Ferguson (Erica Sinclair), Sadie Sink (Max Mayfield), Jamie Campbell Bower (Vecna/Henry Creel), Cara Buono (Karen Wheeler), and Linda Hamilton (Dr. Kay).
Were you hoping for a “secret episode” or were you satisfied with the ending you got? Let us know in the comments down below!
