Editors' Note: For today's article, PPN invited senior Jonah Resnick to share his opinion essay on how theories surrounding the finale of the hit Netflix show Stranger Things expose the emotional difficulty fans have of letting go of a beloved show. In College Writing, opinion essays are written in response to recent events. These events could have been found in the news, or they can be based on current local or cultural happenings. Stronger opinion essays tend to use the news as a "springboard" for discovering a nuanced stance on the event.
On December 31, 2025, the global phenomenon Stranger Things came to its long-awaited conclusion. The final episode elicited a mixed response: It wasn’t widely celebrated, but it wasn’t totally rejected, either. For most, it was just … okay. You might think, “Well, the show is over. It wasn’t great, but it is over.” However, that was not the sentiment that formed. Instead, people chose to believe in a grand conspiracy that has come to be known as “Conformity Gate.”
Conformity Gate claimed that the ending was intentionally middling, with deliberate inconsistencies and awkward writing, because there was actually a secret “true” finale that would reveal the actual ending rumored to be coming out on January 7. This began as the speculation of just a few hardcore viewers but quickly picked up steam across social media, with many fans beginning to truly believe it.
On December 31, 2025, the global phenomenon Stranger Things came to its long-awaited conclusion. The final episode elicited a mixed response: It wasn’t widely celebrated, but it wasn’t totally rejected, either. For most, it was just … okay. You might think, “Well, the show is over. It wasn’t great, but it is over.” However, that was not the sentiment that formed. Instead, people chose to believe in a grand conspiracy that has come to be known as “Conformity Gate.”
Conformity Gate claimed that the ending was intentionally middling, with deliberate inconsistencies and awkward writing, because there was actually a secret “true” finale that would reveal the actual ending rumored to be coming out on January 7. This began as the speculation of just a few hardcore viewers but quickly picked up steam across social media, with many fans beginning to truly believe it.
But alas, January 7 came and went and … nothing. No episode, no announcement. Nothing.
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| A slightly outdated photo of author Jonah Resnick. (H. Resnick) |
However, the collapse of the theory revealed something deeper: Conformity Gate gained so much traction not because it was convincing but because it offered comfort to fans struggling with the fact that the story was truly over. Fans combed through episodes, painstakingly looking at every frame for something, anything. They looked for any time the numbers one and seven appeared, claiming they must be hinting at January 7. They did this because this was a way for them to keep the story alive, to not let it sputter out like it did on the screen. So, even without the most concrete of evidence, the theory provided fans with a way to believe.
Watching this unfold, one thing is certain, and that is the innate need to hold on, to not let something rest because, if you do, you will lose it forever. Letting go of a story can feel like losing a part of yourself. It can feel like you lost all the time and emotions connected to it. Conformity Gate was a way for people to fight back against loss, even if the loss was only a television show. It gave fans an outlet to grieve in a way, to be in denial, to bargain, and, at some point down the road, the strength to accept that it is truly over.
Conformity Gate shows that we do not connect to stories simply because they entertain; it shows us that we get deeply invested in their worlds and that it can be immensely difficult to say goodbye to them. Even in a culture where sequels, spin-offs, and reboots are common, endings still carry emotional weight, and the desire to try and cling to them is natural. Conformity Gate reminds us that endings are not just plot points; they are markers of the end of an era, in-between spaces where we must navigate our emotions. And maybe this time, believing that the story isn’t really over is the easiest way to actually accept its conclusion.
Conformity Gate shows that we do not connect to stories simply because they entertain; it shows us that we get deeply invested in their worlds and that it can be immensely difficult to say goodbye to them. Even in a culture where sequels, spin-offs, and reboots are common, endings still carry emotional weight, and the desire to try and cling to them is natural. Conformity Gate reminds us that endings are not just plot points; they are markers of the end of an era, in-between spaces where we must navigate our emotions. And maybe this time, believing that the story isn’t really over is the easiest way to actually accept its conclusion.
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