Those left disappointed by Stranger Things season 5 are still holding out hope that a secret final episode is on the way, thanks to a new ConformityGate theory that... revolves around Balatro for some reason.

Joe Keery, who won hearts with his character Steve Harrington in Stranger Things, has reacted to the 'Conformity Gate' theory doing the rounds following the finale of the Netflix show recently. The actor-singer,

The theory centers on the idea that the brilliant writing present in the first four seasons was largely the work of Ross Duffer's ex-wife, Leigh Janiak. Janiak is an American screenwriter and director, as well as the creator of the Fear Street franchise. The pair were together from December 2015 to February 2024.

Some fans argue that finale was intentionally misleading, pointing to what they see as narrative inconsistencies.

Of all the ways that fans are dealing with Stranger Things' ending, a theory about a secret episode highlights what they're really feeling.

In his wrap speech featured at the end of the documentary, co-creator Ross Duffer reveals season five took 237 days to film and says 6,725 set-ups were used to create 630 hours of footage, which was later edited down to about 10 hours.

In the documentary, the Duffer Brothers revealed that there was originally a "midway battle" that was ultimately scrapped. Although the specifics of what (or who) that battle would have involved weren't clarified, theoretically, this would have addressed the idea that the final fight was too easy, at least in part.

Stranger Things did not air episode 9 this week, but some fans are latching onto quotes from the actors and crew to say there's still hope.