Stranger Things Season 5 Episode 9 is… not happening. You know it, we know it, and deep down those TikTok and YouTube video makes who are raking in money from multiple videos promoting “Conformity Gate” know it. Now, those still clinging onto the last threads of hope have been treated to the internet’s compulsory attack of the meme variety.
While Netflix has revealed that a behind-the-scenes episode will air on January 12, diving back into the final season in order to show how the series came to its conclusion, the teaser released early on Wednesday showcased many of the big shows and movies coming in 2026, but other than a brief appearance by Millie Bobby Brown’s Enola Holmes, there was not a sliver of Stranger Things related content to be seen. Strike one.
Throughout the day, as it seemed to become clear that no new “secret episode” was going to happen, a new trailer arrived online announcing that “Vecna Lives” and on the surface appearing to be for the mystery ninth episode of Season 5. You can see exactly what it turned out to be below.
Yes, almost 20 years after it was born, Rickrolling is still the most brutal of all memes when executed with cruel precision. It was joined by many other images and short clips, such as one announcing “Episode 9 – The Off-Screen,” which used the Duffer brothers’ own comments about some storylines being resolved outside what was seen in the finale and adding that “Episode 9 sees the Duffers telling everyone to make up with own mind what happened.”
Many ‘Stranger Things’ Fans Will Not Let the Idea of a Hidden Episode Go
There are Game of Thrones fans still complaining about the way the series ended and long for HBO to announce that the show’s final season will be getting a full remake based on their requirements and demands. Now, Stranger Things fans are determined to do the same thing, and that means the theories continue despite the first wave of conspiracies crashing down as the bell chimes 8 P.M.
Although the spread of fan reactions to the fabled “Episode 9” not appearing range from huge disappointment to resigned acceptance, with a bit of complete denial that it was ever a thing they believed in any way thrown in for good measure, there are plenty of fans that have now decided to scour the final season for new clues as to when the mystery episode could finally be released. Some have even pointed out that Netflix “must be kicking themselves” over not making a secret episode to drop without warning after the series ended. Then, there are those who just want to point out the ridiculousness of the entire “conformity gate” movement.
In the end, Stranger Thing‘s official Instagram bio states that “All episodes of Stranger Things are now playing,” and while that may not be what some fans want to hear or believe, it is the truth of the matter.
- Release Date
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2016 – 2025-00-00
- Network
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Netflix
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
