Some 'Stranger Things' Fans Are Convinced There Is a Secret Episode After the Series Finale

Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers for the final season of Stranger Things.

There is no fandom that clings to the wildest fan theories of all time quite like the one of Stranger Things. After the series finale dropped on Netflix (and in theaters) and there were mixed reactions from fans, a theory was born that some have clung to. It says, per the numerous social media posts about it, that Stranger Things has a secret episode that will premiere in January 2026.

In a perfect world, per some fans, there would be several more episodes to finish out the series and tie things up in a way that puts Eleven and Mike together and really gives everyone a proper happy ending. But is there any proof of the theory about a secret episode? According to some fans who have dived deeper than anyone else into the details of the Stranger Things finale, there is a lot to go on.

According to an in-depth look at one TikTok on the Stranger Things secret episode theory, there are clues throughout Season 5 that point to a different ending that will happen in another episode after the finale that everyone already watched. In the video, the user says that the majority of Season 5 was all a trick on the characters from Vecna. To the same tune, it was a trick on viewers who believed what they watched.

Since we know Vecna can use his powers to make people see what he wants them to see, like Hopper believing he shot and killed Eleven while she was in the tank in the Upside Down, couldn't he trick everyone else into believing they killed him? According to the fan theory, he could, and he did.

Another clue, per the TikTok, that there is a secret Stranger Things episode, is that there are allegedly background actors in the finale who appear to look directly at the camera, almost looking at the viewers watching the episode. The TikTok also points out how a social media account for Stranger Things posted a black screen the day after a post was made for the finale episode.

In the comments, other fans added their own clues about why they think there is a secret episode.

"At the end of every season, the episode ends and cuts to the Stranger Things logo and the season number over it," one user commented. "This is the only season that the episode ended and no logo, no season number."

However, someone else added, "I have never, and I mean NEVER in my life, seen so many freaking hidden clues that point towards something that doesn't exist lmao this is absolutely wild to me."

The overall theory, which is referred to as "Conformity Gate" on social media, refers to the ending viewers saw as the easy ending that made the most sense without any confirmed deaths. Despite what some fans see as surefire proof of a secret episode, the Duffer brothers have not publicly shared any hints themselves. Whatever you think of the way the show ended, the theory may just be grasping at straws at this point.

With no confirmation of a secret Stranger Things episode on the horizon, fans can at least get excited about more content from the show in the form of a Netflix documentary. One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5 premieres on Netflix on Jan. 12, 2026. Who knows, it might even address the wild fan theories at some point. But it is not a secret episode in itself.