"A subset of Stranger Things fans unsatisfied with the horror series' finale have spent the last week dunking on the creators and actors and also peddling a conspiracy theory that Netflix was holding a secret finale episode that would explain away things these fans didn't like about the existing conclusion. According to the "Conformity Gate" theory, the ninth episode of Stranger Things ' fifth season was supposed to go live on the streaming service last night, January 7, at 8 p.m. ET."
"What is surprising, however, is just how far reaching Conformity Gate had become before it was inevitably disproven. Some corporate accounts, like the one belonging to the Empire State Building of all things, were posting about Stranger Things fans' collective psychosis, whether in genuine support of the theory or just to take advantage of a trending topic for social media engagement. The Slim Jim account is in everyone's comments like Joyce Byers telling everyone the Conformity Gate theory is canon, to them."
A group of Stranger Things fans unhappy with the finale promoted the "Conformity Gate" conspiracy, alleging Netflix held a secret ninth episode that would resolve complaints. The theory predicted a January 7, 8 p.m. ET release and claimed Netflix briefly crashed as fans flooded the service. Users who accessed the app found no additional episode. Variety published a debunking hours before the supposed launch. Corporate accounts and brands amplified or joked about the theory for engagement. The fifth season nonetheless achieved massive viewership, placing among Netflix's top 10 most-streamed series despite fan dissatisfaction.
Read at Kotaku
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