Fans of the Netflix series 'Stranger Things' have speculated about a secret ninth episode following the season 5 finale, fueled by theories like 'Conformity Gate.' These theories pointed to alleged clues such as Morse code messages and specific clock timings, leading some to believe a surprise episode would drop on January 7. However, showrunners Matt and Ross Duffer have stated that no such secret episode exists, clarifying that the season concluded with episode 8 and that online misinformation is prevalent.