Netflix has dashed the hopes of Stranger Things fans expecting a secret final episode of the series, by confirming that "every" episode of the show is now available.
Fans unhappy with the hit series' final season have driven themselves into a frenzy in recent days on social media, and pushed the "Conformity Gate" theory that suggested Netflix had another episode waiting in the wings that would answer all of their questions and alleviate their various concerns. The theory centers on much of the final season being a dream — essentially replicating the Indoctrination Theory that unhappy BioWare fans conjured up years ago, following the launch of Mass Effect 3.
Yesterday, the Conformity Gate theory was dealt a huge blow by Netflix, which announced… a flashy trailer of other TV shows and movies coming in 2026 rather than anything Stranger Things related. And now, the streamer has updated its Instagram account to make the end of Stranger Things even clearer, for anyone still needing it spelled out.
"ALL EPISODES OF STRANGER THINGS ARE NOW PLAYING," reads the bio of Netflix's official Stranger Things account on Instagram, leaving no room for any final secret new episode still lurking behind the scenes that might be yet to release.
Of course, Stranger Things remains a huge and lucrative franchise for Netflix and there's plenty still to come — but from spinoffs, rather than the original show, which has definitively now ended. The animated series Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 will tell new adventures featuring the series' core cast (voiced by other people) set between Seasons 2 and 3. A second spinoff will be a new live-action series, though with all-new characters.
In a nutshell, don't expect Stranger Things' original cast to ever appear in live-action again. Stranger Things creators The Duffer Brothers have ruled out any kind of check-in on the original Stranger Things characters years later, saying it would be "a gross cash grab."
"Stranger Things was a generational event that barreled into a series finale with almost impossible expectations surrounding it," IGN wrote in our review of the Stranger Things series finale. "The Duffers certainly evolved into the successful blockbuster directors they so admired in their childhoods, but their enduring legacy will be mostly doing right by a cast of characters who beguiled the globe."
Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
