Jamie Campbell Bower shoots down 'Stranger Things' secret episode theory

Stranger Things star Jamie Campbell Bower has publicly dismissed the 'Conformity Gate' fan theory that a secret extra episode of the Netflix series exists, calling it 'pretty crazy.' In an interview with Entertainment Weekly at San Diego Comic-Con, Bower, who plays the villain Vecna, said he was not involved in any such episode.

'That there was gonna be another episode,' Bower told EW when asked about the craziest fan theory he has heard. 'Everyone was like, Conformity Gate, there's gonna be a ninth episode. I was like, If there is, I'm not in it! I shot what I shot, I'm done.'

The theory, which gained traction after the season 4 finale aired on July 1, 2022, suggested that Eleven's fate was left ambiguous as part of an illusion by Vecna, and that a secret ninth episode would provide the true conclusion. Bower noted that fans exhibited confirmation bias, interpreting any cast behavior as evidence. 'Anything that we did was like, Well, that just proves it,' he said.

Millie Bobby Brown, who plays Eleven, previously revealed that only three people—herself and the Duffer Brothers—know the true fate of her character. She told Happy Sad Confused podcast that the creators made her take a 'secret kind of pledge.' The show was recently shut out of Emmy nominations for Best Drama.