Before Stranger Things’ ConformityGate, Fans Of Another Show Pushed The Same Conspiracy Theory

by

Okay, I admit it – I jumped off the Stranger Things bandwagon after Season 1. But I’ve been hearing a lot about how the finale landed with fans, and it’s… intense. From what I gather, it’s not just disappointment, but a genuine feeling that something went wrong, that the ending didn’t feel true to the show. People aren’t just saying they didn’t like it; they’re suggesting there’s something more to it, even a conspiracy, behind the choices made in that final episode. It’s fascinating to see that level of passionate reaction, even from a distance.

There’s a fan theory called ConformityGate claiming the New Year’s Eve episode of Stranger Things wasn’t the true finale. The theory suggests a secret, proper ending will be released later to explain why the episode we saw didn’t quite make sense. This idea isn’t new; I’ve encountered it before.

Fans Of Sherlock Were Convinced There Was More To The Story, Too

I don’t particularly enjoy Stranger Things, but I’ve loved Sherlock Holmes since I was a kid. So, when Steven Moffat, the showrunner of Doctor Who, updated the classic detective for a modern audience in 2010, I was curious to see it. Sherlock definitely launched Benedict Cumberbatch’s career, and the show was popular, though many fans were disappointed with the finale.

Even fans of the earlier seasons and the special episode of Sherlock generally agree that Season 4 was a disappointment. The buildup hinted at a continued threat from James Moriarty, either that he was still alive or had a grand scheme in motion. However, the reveal was overly complicated: Sherlock had a secret sister he’d forgotten due to repressed childhood trauma – she was responsible for the death of his best friend, a friend he’d also forgotten about.

It sounds absurd, and even dedicated fans admitted it was. These fans, known for finding hidden meaning in every tiny detail of Sherlock episodes, started to believe the disappointing season was intentionally flawed, and that a hidden fourth episode would tie everything together.

Just like fans of Stranger Things are doing now, viewers of Sherlock loved to analyze every detail, convinced they could predict future seasons and uncover hidden truths. For example, a seemingly small line like Sherlock asking, “People always stop looking after three?” sparked excitement about a potential fourth episode. Even a picture of writer Mark Gatiss holding up four fingers was seen as a clue, not just a reference to the current season. It felt like a puzzle, and fans enjoyed trying to decode all the hints to see what would happen next.

After Sherlock finished its season, a lot of attention turned to the new BBC series, Apple Tree Yard. There was some playful confusion because the show featured an actress named Watson, and its website briefly displayed an error message referencing a specific episode (Season 4, Episode 4). However, the show was simply Apple Tree Yard, and many Sherlock fans were disappointed that it wasn’t a continuation of their favorite series.

Sometimes Bad TV Is Just Bad TV

I’m not sure if the ending of Stranger Things is actually that disappointing. I wasn’t initially hooked – if I’d loved the start, I would have continued watching after the first season. But it’s always a letdown when a show you enjoy starts to decline, and unfortunately, that happens a lot.

It’s common for successful TV shows to decline when key writers leave, or even just have a weak ending. Everyone makes mistakes, and disappointing series finales have been happening for as long as television has existed. Stranger Things isn’t breaking any new ground with its finale – it’s simply the latest in a long line of frustrating conclusions.

Even if the claims about ‘ConformityGate’ were true, it wouldn’t fix the problems with the show’s finale. A new episode that changes past events wouldn’t improve a disappointing ending – it would just make the episode before the finale equally disappointing.

Read More

2026-01-09 15:12