Stranger Things fans convinced secret 'missing' episode is arriving on Netflix TODAY - but is there anything to it?
Stranger Things fans have been left convinced that a secret 'missing' final episode will land on Netflix today - after spotting a series of clues through season five. Viewers tuned in to watch the final episode of the sci-fi hit show on New Year's Day, which drew to a close the winding story of Millie Bobby Brown's Eleven and her band of friends in the fictional Indiana town of Hawkins. The action-packed two-hour episode saw the group of teens, made up of Will, Mike, Dustin, Lucas and Max, and their siblings and pals, Steve, Nancy, Jonathan and Robin, take on bad guy Vecna in one final battle. With the help of beloved characters Joyce, Hopper and Murray, season two star Kali, the friends launched an interdimensional attack against Vecna, known also as 001, Mr Whatsit and Henry Creel, and his master, the Mind Flayer. Winona Ryder's Joyce was seen taking the final strike at Vecna, chopping off his head, after the Mind Flayer - a spider-like creature - was brought down. And with that, it spelled the death of Henry Creel, who as a young boy was revealed to have been taken over by other worldly dark matter. Stranger Things fans have been left convinced that a secret 'missing' final episode will land on Netflix today - after spotting a series of clues through season five (pictured: Millie Bobby Brown) Viewers tuned in to watch the final episode of the sci-fi hit show on New Year's Day, which drew to a close the winding story of Millie Bobby Brown's Eleven and her band of friends (pictured: Noah Schnapp, Caleb McLaughlin, Gaten Matarazzo and Finn Wolfhard)It also meant that young break out character Holly, and her school-aged friends, could be saved from the grips of the Mind Flayer after being kidnapped by Henry Creel, disguised as Mr Whatsit, earlier in the series. In a heartbreaking twist, their eventual victory came at a cost as Eleven, who has been portrayed by Millie, 21, since the series launch in 2016, appeared to die. Sacrificing herself as the gate to the terrifying Upside Down, the gateway between the real world and the Mind Flayer's desert-like abode, Eleven disappeared as the other worldly dimension was destroyed. In a sunny flash forward 18 months later, the town of Hawkins had been rebuilt and friends Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Will (Noah Schnapp), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) and Max (Sadie Sink) were back to 'normal' life. The episode was ended with an emotional scene seeing the pals play one final game of Dungeons and Dragons, a board game that has long been intertwined with the story since it first hit screens on Netflix. During the final scene, Mike revealed his belief that Eleven, also known as Jane, is still alive and out there in the place they'd always said they would run away to: a remote area with three waterfalls. He tells the group a story explaining he believes Kali, Eleven's long-lost 'sister', had used her own powers of illusion to make it appear Eleven had died in the destruction of the Upside Down. With high levels of anticipation from fans for the finale, which comes almost ten years after the first episode dropped in 2016, the ending was divisive among viewers. The finale spelled the death of Henry Creel, who as a young boy was revealed to have been taken over by other worldly dark matter Winona Ryder's Joyce was seen taking the final strike at Vecna (pictured), chopping off his head, after the Mind Flayer - a spider-like creature - was brought downWhile some praised the 'nostalgic' ending, others felt there were many unanswered questions in the finale for it to truly spell the culmination of the series - with some hitting out against the writers, the Duffer Brothers, for a series of plot holes. And it's meant a growing fan theory has begun circulating online, called Conformity Gate, which suggests the ending viewers saw was not the real one. Some fans believe that another episode is due to drop TODAY after a series of clues pointing towards January 7, and suggest the finale was just an illusion created by show villain Vecna - who is still alive. Fans have taken to social media to compile evidence for the case, pointing towards a series of inconsistencies in the story which would suggest the seemingly perfect ending has been manufactured.The most talked-about example comes from the graduation scene at Hawkins High, which sees Will, Max, Dustin, Lucas and Mike waving goodbye to their high school. In the scene, the graduates are sitting with their hands crossed against their laps, holding one in front of the other - a signature pose held by Henry Creel, and those possessed by him, throughout the show. While the graduates themselves are wearing orange gowns, instead of the green gowns fans had expected after finding a clue in a book from Nancy (Natalia Dyer). While members of the Wheeler family, including Nancy, Mike and mum Karen (Cara Buono) also debut hairstyles that are eerily similar to Henry's. The most talked-about example comes from the graduation scene at Hawkins High, which sees Will, Max, Dustin, Lucas and Mike waving goodbye to their high school Members of the Wheeler family, including Nancy, Mike and mum Karen (Cara Buono) also debut hairstyles that are eerily similar to Henry'sAnd, fans have also pointed out that both Mike and Nancy have ended up being exactly what they feared throughout the series: just like their parents - living a small town existence, with Nancy dropping out of university to write for the local paper. Speculation was further fuelled as fans spotted a blank yellow poster being held up in the background of the graduation - with yellow noted earlier in the series as missing from one key scene as Holly (Nell Fisher) and Max delve into Henry's memories. Elsewhere, at the WSQK the Squawk radio station, the dials shift in colours between episodes from grey to red - and Robin (Maya Hawke) in her final broadcast tells listeners that Hawkins isn't 'what she remembers' anymore. That's not all, as a number of actors are also breaking the fourth wall in the final scenes, including staring down the camera lens at the graduation, and during the dinner that see Hopper (David Harbour) and Joyce get engaged. Background details picked up by fans also show a number of board game boxes littered in different scenes saying 'WHATZIT' - which some fans believe is a reference to Henry's disguise as Mr Whatsit. While in the final D&D game, as the characters put away their game books, their initials in one shot subtly spells out 'X A LIE', which fans have interpreted as a message to show Dimension X, the home of the Mind Flayer, was an illusion. Others noted that new character Vickie (Amybeth McNulty) and Dustin's spring fling Suzie (Gabriella Pizzolo) were both missing from the finale - two characters Vecna did not know about, and therefore could not include in his allegedly fabricated ending.In the final shot of the series, a Stranger Thing's players manual is seen beside a 20-sided die, which viewers pointed out shows the number 7, linking it to January 7. That's not all, as a number of actors are also breaking the fourth wall in the final Some fans believe that another episode is due to drop TODAY after a series of clues pointing towards January 7, that point towards the finale was just an illusion created by show villain Vecna - who is still alive While in the final D&D game, as the characters put away their game books, their initials in one shot subtly spells out 'X A LIE'The Duffer Brothers had previously told fans that they could expect a 'dark Christmas' from series five's episodes, and fans have linked the date due to Orthodox Christmas falling on January 7. Other fans have noted parallels between scenes earlier on in the show, linking it to Lucas' line earlier in series five: 'I don't believe in coincidences. Not anymore.'And one eagle-eyed viewer pointed out how in the credit scene, the manual is marked with: 'JK 95', which they believe translates to, 'joking, episode 9, season five'. Some even noted coincidences linking the episode to hit movie The Truman Show, where main character Truman discovers he's been living in a simulated world, and he's the main character in a TV programme. Fans have taken it even further by searching terms like 'fake ending', 'conformity' and 'new episodes' on Netflix's site - which they claim all reveal Stranger Things as one of the options of what to watch. While the Stranger Things social media pages have been dropping a series of cryptic promotional material, including a WSQK torch which, when shined on the packaging, reveals the words: 'Vecna Lives'. They previously shared a post reading: 'Your future is on the way', accompanied by a tag to the date January 7 - leading fans to believe it was connected to their theory. However, neither Netflix or writers the Duffer Brothers have made any acknowledgement of the theory, making it unlikely to be true. One eagle-eyed viewer pointed out how in the credit scene, the manual is marked with: 'JK 95', which they believe translates to, 'joking, episode 9, season five'Recently The Duffers told Netflix's Tudum that they felt they had compiled an ending that would satisfy viewers, tying up loose ends for the main characters. Matt said: 'More than I would say is typical, we really talked a lot with all the actors to make sure they were content with where their characters ended up. That was important to us.'The franchise, however, is focusing on a new documentary release, One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5, which is due for release on January 12.The behind-the-scenes special will 'follow cast, creators, and crew as they bring the final season to life — and say goodbye to the show that changed them forever'. Elsewhere, it's been confirmed that two spin-off series are in development, including an animated series, Tales from '85, that is due to make its debut in 2026. The second live-action project will be set in a new location with a new cast, with Ross Duffer confirming to The Hollywood Reporter the series would follow the origins of the rock found by Henry Creel that contained the Mind Flayer's dark matter. He said: 'Because we had said that there is something in the finale that is going to connect to the spinoff. The spinoff is not about rocks or mining the rocks, but I would say that’s the loose end that’s not tied up that will be tied up.'Stranger Things Season 5 is streaming now on Netflix
