Stranger Things’ finale and #ConformityGate fan theories have me confused
Stranger Things Season 5 finale: the #ConformityGate theory and why fans are confused
Hello guys, and welcome back to The EDit!
I hope you’re all doing well. I’m so happy to be back with you for another edition of The EDit, and this week we’re going to be talking about a few things — but mainly the Stranger Things finale, fan theories, and I’ll also be chatting a little bit about F1: The Movie and Idris Elba in Hijack on Apple TV+.
The Stranger Things fan theories really have me scratching my head and wondering whether there might be something in this bonkers conspiracy theory!
Right — without any further ado, let’s get into the weeds of all things movies and TV.
Stranger Things’ finale was good, but…
Let me start out by saying that I had a really good time with the Stranger Things finale. I genuinely think the Duffer Brothers did a pretty decent job tying up all the loose ends and giving us a satisfactory conclusion to one of the biggest, most hyped, and probably one of the best Netflix shows ever made!
I really mean that, by the way. I genuinely think that Stranger Things is one of the best Netflix originals ever made.
But… I also think there were massive issues with the show’s final season and the finale.
There were huge plot holes, loads of inconsistencies and actually quite a few continuity errors — which is unforgivable. However, fans have come up with a really interesting conspiracy theory that seems to explain why the finale was the way it was, and I have to admit… I find it quite convincing.
Do I think this fan theory is correct? No, I don’t.
But do I think there’s something going on when it comes to the Stranger Things universe, and do I believe Netflix is cooking something up in the background…?
Yes, I do.
And I’m sure many of you are wondering: what on Earth am I on about? What’s this Stranger Things fan theory? What’s Edward banging on about?
Let me explain.
#ConformityGate is… real…?
#ConformityGate has been taking over the internet over the past few days.
It’s a fan theory developed by Stranger Things fans that suggests that everything we saw in the finale was a lie.
Fans have come up with loads of explanations as to why things seemed “off” about the finale, and they believe it was all an illusion. Basically, they think that everything we witnessed in the finale was actually fake — created by Vecna — and that our favourite heroes are actually inside that giant spider, being fed a fake scenario by Vecna and the Mind Flayer…
I know. It sounds insane.
But also… it kind of makes sense?
There were so many errors in the finale that just didn’t make sense.
Where were the Demogorgons and Demobats…?
Why did objects mysteriously change colours throughout the course of the final season…?
Why did the door going down into the Wheelers’ basement open the opposite way from how it did in earlier seasons…?
Why were all the students sitting like Vecna at the graduation ceremony…?
Why were people holding up blank signs at said graduation…?
Honestly, these are all very valid questions.
It feels like too many “mistakes” for them all to just be continuity errors overlooked by the Duffer Brothers and everybody else working on the finale.
Netflix spent a bucket load of money on this final season — and a lot of that money went on the finale.
It just feels like too many mistakes for them not to be deliberate. Don’t you think…?
And then there’s all the stuff Jamie Campbell Bower’s been doing lately…
Jamie Campbell Bower is adding fuel to the fire
Right, I know I’m sounding like a bit of a madman connecting things with thread on a whiteboard. Trust me, I feel like that too.
But it all got worse for me with Jamie Campbell Bower’s antics online and his recent appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.
Jimmy Fallon loves making guests do skits, and Jamie’s skit was really… well… strange.
He did an 80s-style workout video, which was Stranger Things-themed, but there were moments during the skit when everything goes red, the camera starts zooming in on his face, and he goes all ‘Vecna-y’ and says three things:
“You are the light.”
“Tomorrow it begins.”
He then starts counting from 7 to 12, like the hands on a clock…
What does all of that mean…?
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
Could Jamie be teasing a secret ninth episode of Stranger Things Season 5? I mean, I would love it to be true, but I think it’s all very clever marketing.
And it’s not the only odd thing happening.
If you type “I believe” on the most recent Stranger Things video on Netflix’s TikTok account, you’ll be rewarded with a red D&D die on your screen.
Also, if you type “fake ending” on the same video, you’ll get a GIF of Eleven, Mike and Dustin hugging in Season 1. That said, it also works if you just type “ending”, so that one might be a stretch.
Honestly, I think what’s going to happen is that the already confirmed Stranger Things spin-off series will be announced and this is all part of the build-up.
Netflix loves that fans are keeping the conversation going about its biggest series of all time.
That said… to go all X-Files for a second…
I want to believe. And I think I do believe.
Do you believe…? Let me know your thoughts in the comments! 👇
F1: The Movie is my guilty pleasure movie of the year
Right, let’s move away from Stranger Things and talk about movies.
This week I watched F1: The Movie on Apple TV+, and I really wasn’t expecting to love it… but love it I did!
Honestly, I can’t remember much of what happened — but I do remember loving the experience. I loved watching Brad Pitt be incredibly cool, and witnessing the talent that is Damson Idris (he’s going to be huge, by the way).
It’s directed by Joseph Kosinski, who gave us Top Gun: Maverick (my favourite film of 2022). He’s so good at delivering spectacle and making films frantic, exciting and full of adrenaline.
If you’re looking for something fun to watch this weekend with the family, I highly recommend F1: The Movie. It’s fast-paced fun.
Stream or skip…?
Right, that’s enough of me banging on about Stranger Things fan theories and my love of Brad Pitt.
It’s time for Stream or Skip.
Hijack — Season 1
Apple TV+
I really wanted to like Hijack, and with Season 2 coming out on Apple TV+ on January 14, I thought it would be fun to check it out.
I love thrillers. I love movies and shows set on planes. I REALLY love Idris Elba… but Hijack just left me cold.
It’s not as good as it should be — which is bonkers considering the talent on show (both in front of and behind the camera) and the fact it’s an Apple production, which usually means quality.
Verdict: Skip it — it’s not worth your time.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
NBC
Now that Friends is no longer available to stream on Netflix in the UK (such sadness), I really needed to find another comfort show to put on when I just want to decompress.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine is still on Netflix and it’s one of my favourite shows of all time.
It’s a real winner, and pretty much all seasons (except the final season) are exceptional. I genuinely think it might be one of the best comedy shows made in a very long time.
They just don’t make them like this anymore!
Verdict: Stream it. It really is a classic sitcom.
Quote of the week
“Seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, decades, each life a faded lesser copy of the one before — wake up, eat, work, sleep, reproduce, and die.”
— Vecna (Henry Creel), Stranger Things (Season 4)
I hope you’ve enjoyed this edition of The EDit.
If you have, please subscribe, share it around, and check out the other stuff I do across the internet.
And you can follow me on TikTok at @edwardmoviechat.
You can also follow all the things I do over at Small Screen on Instagram, Facebook and/or Threads!
Have a lovely week, and all the best,
Edward
P.S. Do you buy the #ConformityGate theory — or do you think the finale was just sloppy? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below! 👇
What do you guys think about this whole Stranger Things #ConformityGate fan theory...? I'd love to get your thoughts on it, and what did you make of the finale...?