Millions crash Netflix logging on for rumored Stranger Things episode

Movieweb reports that millions of Stranger Things fans overwhelmed Netflix by logging in en masse after an online conspiracy claimed a secret episode would appear at 8 P.M. ET on January 7.

Theories circulating under the #conformitygate tag argued the New Year's Eve finale was a false ending, picking out select scenes from the final season and pointing to a recurring number nine on dominoes, posters and even in Morse code on cassette tapes as evidence that the "true finale" would drop that day. Those claims spread across TikTok, YouTube, X and other social platforms.

No new episode appeared on the streamer, but millions still checked Netflix "just in case," and the simultaneous logins crashed the service. It remains unclear whether the online theories will continue to drive similar coordinated logins.

Key Topics

Culture, Stranger Things, Netflix, Conformitygate, Tiktok, Youtube