Stranger Issues’ Season 5 finale is both genius or Sport of Thrones Season 8 over again, and it hinges on one nutty principle

Spoilers about Stranger Issues Seasons 1 via 5, together with the finale, forward.

Let me preface this by saying that I used to be not hyped about Stranger Issues‘ Season 5 finale after Quantity 1 and, particularly, Quantity 2. Stranger Things has been a generational present, and I completely beloved it when the primary season aired. Mixing sci-fi with Dungeons and Dragons was like a dream come true for me. Nonetheless, Season 1 was absolutely the peak for me, and just some moments in Season 3 and most of Season 4 got here shut. I did not really feel a lot in Season 5, and I believed the finale was largely disappointing, not preserving the promise of answering all questions. In reality, it raised extra questions than it answered, and I used to be greatly surprised once I realized 4 seemingly small issues:

Everybody within the commencement scene was sitting in the very same pose, which is identical as Henry Creel earlier than he turned Stranger Things‘ Vecna.
Dustin was desirous to embrace and please his bullies as quickly as they have been form to him after his commencement speech.
Robin was instantly extra female with no point out of Vicky, whereas Nancy and Mike have been mainly copies of their dad and mom, and Steve ended up being a sports activities coach.
Heroes by David Bowie was performed as the top credit music, the third time within the present.

Crucial right here is Heroes by David Bowie, I really feel, and I will get to it in a minute. However first, I wish to speak about “conformitygate.” This tag began popping up on my Twitter feed loads, and once I did some digging, I found that it was precisely what I wanted — a principle about Stranger Things‘ Season 5 finale not being the true ending, however moderately a imaginative and prescient induced by Vecna, a dream, or one thing Mike’s thoughts is making up.

lego-stranger-things-set-the-creel-house-wsqk-station-bonus-free-order-launch-price-300-dollars-release-date-january-1-2026-after-series-finale-december-31-good-why

Associated

The First LEGO Set of 2026 is the Perfect Capstone for this Beloved IP’s Upcoming Finale

LEGO is launching a number of new units in 2026, and the very first is a equipment devoted to one of the vital standard IPs of the last decade after its finale.

Stranger Issues Season 5’s Alternate Finale Concept Defined

You Could Not Need to Say Goodbye to Stranger Issues Simply But

Main as much as Season 5, the Stranger Issues forged and creators, the Duffer brothers, did a number of rounds of interviews. The Duffers repeatedly stated to take a look at the small print, that the finale would really feel packed and are available full circle, answering questions that had been left lingering and clearing out potential doubts. This isn’t what the December 31/January 1 episode did, and as a substitute, plenty of new questions emerged about what appear to be screenwriting errors, prop points, large Stranger Things plot holes, and extra. These have not been addressed in any respect, and when requested about the potential for them having shot a number of endings, the Duffers have been imprecise and presumably even sarcastic.

There’s a enormous neighborhood of fellow followers invested in #conformitygate on Twitter, and in the event you take a look at all of the proof, it is sensible. Lots of sense, truly. For instance, the Duffers stated that the finale was printed on pink paper, however the photos of the forged studying via the finale’s script present common white pages. Positive, this is not sufficient proof, however it’s the tip of the iceberg.

Each Trace to an Alternate Stranger Issues Ending in Season 5 Defined

However there are numerous extra potential clues, beginning with precise scenes, props, and even plotlines. These are:

Holly’s roundabout: That is gray and yellow with a yellow center part in Quantity 1, after which with a change to the center part changing into gray as a substitute of yellow in Quantity 2. This enables Holly to grasp that one thing’s mistaken, and he or she finds a portal beneath the roundabout, which was misconstructed by Vecna utilizing reminiscences that aren’t his.
Henry Creel’s pose (fingers and arms): Earlier than changing into Vecna, Henry Creel used to maintain his fingers joined and his arms in a resting place. This was seen loads in Dr. Brenner’s lab. Everybody has the identical pose in the highschool commencement scene, but additionally whereas listening to Will popping out as homosexual. Importantly, this was additionally seen with Billy and a number of the Flayed in Season 3, and it is the identical pose Eleven and Henry have when enjoying chess within the lab.

The ‘Duffers’ T-shirt: Through the finale, Steve is speaking to Robin whereas a cameraman is sitting subsequent to him sporting a T-shirt that reads “Duffers,” which is a method to break the fourth wall. That is additionally executed with a number of random characters watching the digicam, moderately than one thing that’s taking place, and it is even executed by Hopper in his ultimate speech to Mike. Many of the college students graduating additionally stare on the digicam. A member of the viewers throughout commencement day additionally holds a clean yellow poster.
A Wrinkle in Time and Camazotz: Holly and Max name Vecna’s mindscape Camazotz, which is a nod to A Wrinkle in Time. Nonetheless, the assorted characters staring on the digicam and performing in sync may be very harking back to the scene the place all the children within the neighborhood play with a pink bouncing ball in sync, which means that each one of Hawkins might be below Vecna’s spell.
No time on watches or dates on recordings: A intelligent Twitter person that goes by @fearlessclaps identified that within the post-final confrontation, no watches or recordings in Stranger Things‘ Hawkins present the time or date. That is much like what occurs in desires, as you’ll largely be unable to learn textual content, see the time, and even dates on a calendar.

Distorted reminiscences and mistaken objects: Twitter person @Jm4rxx identified that the pointer within the tower modifications from gray in Quantity 1 to pink in Quantity 2, very similar to Holly’s roundabout. Equally, Will’s popping out speech mentions going to Melvald’s to get milkshakes, however the place now not sells milkshakes and solely did up to now, when Vecna might have visited it as Henry Creel. This means that the story in all the Quantity 2 could also be informed by Vecna.

Netflix’s January 7 teaser: Whereas not a part of the present itself, Netflix’s new 2026 teaser is a brief clip involving a woman who sees actuality reshape in entrance of her eyes. It is alleged to be an advert for all of the issues coming to Netflix in 2026, however it’s additionally closely performed round Stranger Issues, together with a sequence of Season 5 posters on the wall, an Upside Down-like shot, and all the theme itself. This might be concerning the Stranger Things spin-off, however it might additionally imply that the “actual” finale will drop or be introduced on January 7. This might even have additional significance when contemplating the well-known “It was a 7” line in Season 1 and the truth that the ultimate shot of the DnD marketing campaign within the finale exhibits a d20 die with a 7 on it.

Why Stranger Issues’ Ending Soundtrack Issues

There’s Extra Than Meets The Eye to Heroes by David Bowie in Stranger Issues

Now let’s return to Heroes by David Bowie and why it is vital. As I discussed, it is performed 3 times complete within the sequence:

Heroes by David Bowie (Peter Gabriel’s model) performs in Stranger Issues Season 1, Episode 3, when the police discover Will’s physique within the quarry. The episode ends with Mike, Lucas, and Dustin believing that Will is useless, which is later confirmed to be false.
The identical music and the identical model performs in Stranger Things Season 3, Episode 8, when Eleven reads Hopper’s letter after his presumed demise. He’s later confirmed alive.
The unique model of Heroes by David Bowie is performed throughout the end credits of Stranger Things Season 5. This might imply that, for the third time in a row, what the viewers sees or believes shouldn’t be actual.

It is a easy sample, however I refuse to consider it is a coincidence that the music was performed throughout two distinct moments when viewers have been alleged to consider a personality died, after which a 3rd time after the finale with all of the proof that there might be a real ending within the close to future. It must be intentional, in any other case it is only a dangerous selection, even when the Duffers now state that Joe Keery (Steve Harrington) is the one who instructed the music for the credit.

What Even is Stranger Issues’ New Conformitygate Concept?

There are numerous examples of characters conforming within the finale, however “conformitygate” itself comes from two particular scenes. The primary is when, throughout commencement day, Dustin provides a speech as valedictorian, saying that conformity is dangerous for everybody at school, and there needs to be no “jocks, nerds, and freaks.” This occurs after discussing the garments they needed to put on that day, that are oddly orange, very similar to the colour of prisoner fits. Not solely that, however Dustin being valedictorian after getting dangerous grades in Stranger Things Season 4 and 5 makes little sense.

The second occasion is when the core group manufactured from Mike, Will, Lucas, Dustin, and Max meet within the Wheelers’ basement for a Dungeons and Dragons campaign. Max is sad with how issues go, and he or she says that the ending is trite as a result of it is simply consolation and happiness, being upset as a result of Mike shouldn’t be this grasp storyteller she anticipated him to be. This might be a means for the present to inform the viewers that the truth that everybody however Mike and Eleven will get consolation and happiness shouldn’t be meant to be the best way issues really finish. Therefore, conformitygate is born.

How do Stranger Issues Characters Conform in Season 5?

Mike primarily turns into his father; a recluse, full of remorse, visibly sad. Even bodily he resembles him, although he finally ends up having the identical haircut as Henry Creel. Nancy surprisingly has the very same haircut as nicely, simply with longer hair. She can also be similar to her mom, and dropped out of school, conforming to the identical mannequin she has had her total life regardless of her stating in earlier seasons that she did not wish to turn out to be like her.

Regardless of seeing the rot within the power, Season 5’s Hopper goes again to being a cop. Will is seen smoking and sporting a leather-based jacket like his father, Lonnie, whom he despised. Robin has seemingly damaged up with Vickie and now seems extra female in the best way she attire and even her haircut. Eleven felt the strain of the world on her shoulders and that she did not belong, so she made the final word sacrifice and felt hopeless all through Season 5. Dustin gave a “no conformity” speech solely to be invited to a celebration by his bullies and contemplating going. There are numerous situations of this, and it is onerous to put in writing them off as coincidences.

Is Stranger Issues Getting a Season 6?

Whether or not the present is supposed to proceed or not is up within the air for now, however there are numerous clues that what’s proven within the final 4 episodes shouldn’t be how issues really go. And if that is the case, would this made-up ending sit nicely with everybody if no follow-up episodes, films, or seasons have been to exist? The reply is “in all probability not,” until you conform.

However this is a final thing: the ending mirrors that scene in Stranger Issues Season 1 the place the children are enjoying Dungeons and Dragons within the basement, after which there’s a shot of the steps going up and the basement door, with the deal with on the left. In Stranger Things 5’s Episode 8, referred to as The Rightside Up, the doorknob is on the proper.