Netflix juggernaut Stranger Things ended its nine-year run on New Year’s Eve 2025, but the internet has other plans. A viral theory dubbed "Conformity Gate" has convinced thousands of fans that Netflix is hiding a secret ninth episode, and that today, January 7, 2026, is the day it drops.

It all started after what many people saw as a disappointing finale to Netflix’s Stranger Things. People were so upset that they fully convinced themselves another finale was dropping on January 7, because there was simply no way the Duffer brothers messed it up that badly. As it turns out, they did.

While the theory is unlikely to be true, more Stranger Things content is indeed coming. Netflix is releasing a documentary about the making of season 5 on January 12 2026, which is a far more realistic follow-up to the platform’s biggest series ever after its feature-length finale.

Brand New Day, the fourth film in the MCU franchise. And like the rest of us, the Stranger Things actor learned she'd be in the movie from an internet rumor... "I found out through online theories," Sink told Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show,

This is not the first time Netflix has crashed due to Stranger Things, with the app crashing when Season 5 Volume 1 debuted in November.

Volume 2 of the final season (5) of Netflix’s hit show Stranger Things dropped and soon triggered a flurry of memes on social media, which we shall serve within a few scrolls, we promise.

Although Bower plays major Stranger Things villain Vecna/Henry Creel, it's clear that, behind the scenes, he's open to some comedy. While appearing on Jimmy Fallon's talk show, Bower performed a sketch of a workout video, packed with references to the show.