[swiftenthusiasm]

I didn't use tags well when I was writing this stuff out all year, so, here's my Google Doc where you can see the overview of most of my ST-musings, if you want to explore them by category. :) Main Clusters of Topics Are About: - Unsolved Mysteries (e.g., Lenora, NINA, that Ayers tombstone) - Time Loops / Degaussing / Memory Wiping - Character Parallels - Symbolism - Canon Clues & My Predictions - Intertextual References - Teasing Apart What's Intentional Clues vs. Mistakes

[nightnut]

Dr Owens, Barb/Nancy and two tapes-memories in one: Jonathan and Nancy were not together in the Lab

(the Shutter Island, The Truman Show and Fight Club)

Do you remember a theory that Hawkins got flayed in the end of season 2? I believe we have corrupted memories earlier (most likely from the very beginning of the show, but that’s story for another time). Let’s check this one out.

The first thing that stood out to me was this shot:

Dr Owens opens the door, and the scientist starts “working” immediately. He was not working, when the door opened, he started at the same moment. This jumped out at me as if it was staged, and no one was indeed working there until Nancy and Jonathan entered the room. It gave The Truman Show immediately, and I rewatched the whole sequence… a dozen times.

The sequence starts with this shot:

Here we see just Jonathan, and it would be fine, if only I didn’t feel weird by the way the next shot separates Jonathan from Nancy: we see just him in the mirror, which is okay for thing angle, but something still feels off… For example, the fact that Jonathan in the mirror is not Jonathan in the room. The mirror is fake!

You can see this clearly if you compare the way the chair is seen and Jonathan’s posture.

Then, this shot is followed by (what would you think) the surveillance camera shot 🙂‍↕️ where everything goes even wilder right away:

as much as I could dismiss Jonathan’s hands (the right one is on the left one, while in the shot before the left one was above) or Nancy’s bag (and its shoulder strap) changing position, we still have Jonathan’s posture on the left where he sits with his back against his backrest, while in the mirror it’s different again, but also!!!!

NANCY IS TRANSPARENT!

It looks like her image was put above Jonathan’s. There’s literally no explanation for this table to be seen at the same time we see Nancy. And besides, her image clearly differs from the whole shot. Meanwhile, the shot with Jonathan looks like he is alone there silently looking right into the camera.

My first theory was that Nancy is non-existent in this sequence whatsoever and this is only Jon’s memory, but some dialogues after made me reconsider this. Anyways, then Owens suggest a walk, and Jonathan again doesn’t match his reflection: staying right in front of the chair on this side, he stands very far in the mirror, and also close to the end of the table (although he moves synchronically).

They start walking, and here I caught The Truman Show vibes, when several people were turning around (as if they were curious actors), and The Shutter Island vibes bc, even though Owens addresses them both a couple of times, it still can be seen as if he was talking to only one of them for whom this spectacle is played. (+ Fight Club)

(fyi, George Sargon died on March 22nd, 1956)

Here I had a theory that Jonathan lost his mind after Will’s death, and Owens plays along to his fantasy that he investigates something with Nancy Wheeler, and everyone knows what’s happening and that’s why they turn around.

But is the corridor walk Jonathan’s memory?

The wording “your brother and Ms. Holland”… Whose brother? Did anything happened to Mike? Why does it sound like he speaks to just one person? And this person is Nancy… Imagine, that she’s alone: he speaks of Mike, or Barbara, then:

“You guys been together long?” “We (we)re not together.” “Wanna see what really killed your friend?”

It could be about Jonathan and Will, but then Barb stands out and I barely see Jonathan and Barb as a possibility… but who knows atp. My bet is Bancy though, with the hunch that here we witness two separate tapes and memories combined. Firstly, Jonathan’s, then Nancy’s. Corrupted memories by Brenner’s tapes?

Enjoy!

I’ll finish the post with this:

Consider the possibility that Jonathan in the mirror is Jonathan on the tape, the hands actually match… the fact that tape!Jon’s and real!John’s hands do not match can be just a production error (moreover, on the tape we can see a mirror too in the “correct” place, not mirrored, so I might be wrong), but the idea of the mirrored reality seems curious.

[ corruptiongate main posts, other corruptiongate key posts ]

___________________________________________ tagging honey buns who were waiting for the post: @warmglowhc @wrathfulstarlightcavern @sorafyr3 @gritstartar @worldofsouthernwind @itswhatyougive ; @bbghostbones I meant the very last panel, but also I recommend you to check out George Sargon, I didn’t find anything for my theories, briefly reading his biography, but it might be useful for you!

[swiftenthusiasm]

This dialogue (from S3E6) would've maybe been cute in a "meta," double-meaning-kind-of-way if there'd been a some type of CG-like reveal for ST months ago.

I'm just tired now. (...And I kind of suspect they thought the response would've been more robust.)

[swiftenthusiasm]

I've already spent so much time thinking about ST (and all of it's books, etc.) so much, that I'm kind of surprised with how tedious the idea of going through and comparing the "VHS Special Edition" vs. the Blu-Rays is already for me.

That, plus I'm behind on work and am about to go on a short family trip (I'm not ready for), so I want to just throw this out into the mix:

I think it's worth reconsidering "traps," especially the Rube Goldberg-style ones.

1. This "MouseTrap" game we see the twins, Marcy & Jamie playing with in the comic series, Into the Fire.

You know, this game that never seemed to have all the pieces when you were at a house that had the game?!

(That was my only experience with it, at least.)

(It's definitely worth reading through both Six & Into the Fire, btw, because it's VERY NINA-y. Also, eyes are changing colors and Brenner's hair is definitely white when it shouldn't be.)

2. This StrangerThings.Things Instagram post that I tried to screen record (sorry for the choppiness).

3. Speaking of the "Turnbow Trap," I noticed in the Microscoft Flight Simulator x ST Expansion that the description of the Turnbow How was REALLY weird:

(Plus - I still think it's worth considering if the real Turnbow Trap could've been a switch-a-roo of some kind, like The Parent Trap).

4. I just re-learned that Chapter 7 of the ST VR Game (where you're playing as the MeatFlayer, pursuing Eleven in the Cabin, the title is unexplainably called "The Trap is Sprung."

Do with that as you wish! At the very least, I think the "Turnbow Trap" is more than the "Home Alone" reference they made it out to be.

[swiftenthusiasm]

You know how I know conformitygate is real? They haven't published a Butcher Billy x Stranger Things coffee table artbook yet.

Dude's got a poster for every episode and then some. That's probably not gonna be cheap when the time comes.

[swiftenthusiasm]

Anyone ever noticed how Argyle's pizza box-headstone is kind of shaped like someone getting stabbed through the head/eye?

Sorry if someone's already caught that before. Just had to share really quick. I got here thinking too deeply about the symbolism of this junkyard (and other valley / crater - like spaces). Maybe I'll have more on that at some point.

[thebestofmyrmidons]

I'm giggling at the Mileven Olive Branch HAHAH

[gritstartar]

Elnora is crazy

Lenora

[swiftenthusiasm]

I grew up not-too-far from where ST was filmed, and it's always bugged me that the houses in this poster look straight-up like Macon, GA.

But, like, if you took those houses and

plopped it in an area surrounded by mountains

"Xeriscaped" one yard (on the right)

Hid towers/poles in fake palm trees.

Actually, I've been thinking about power grids (& dreaming) a lot lately, and I noticed that there aren't any powerlines in this poster. Also, those palm trees do seem to be evenly-spaced, like the mega-power-transmission lines that sometimes behind Mike's house in Hawkins (and are totally smashed in the UD in at least some scenes).

Hm...

It is kind of weird that Lenora doesn't seem to have any powerlines in this poster. Maybe worth checking out.

[sherlockbyers]

OH MY GOSH EMERGENCY!!!

someone already got the arrow video dvd box and did an unboxing (here)!!! and there’s nothing it seems…

[swiftenthusiasm]

CODE RED! - This might not be a bust after all.

When you pause and read of the couple of disc covers the reviewer quickly shows, there's some weird shit in there.

S1

So...

Hopper thinks Joyce is losing her mind.

The boys already suspect Will has been taken to another dimension before they meet Eleven.

The boys tell Nancy their story at some point, and Nancy has no choice but to believe them because of Barb's disappearance.

Nancy enlists Steve & Jonathan, and promises to help Eleven and the boys confront the demogorgon & a team of shadowy agents.

The demo grows more powerful as Will grows weaker

Eleven knows they are running out of time.

Honorable mentions/interesting word choices:

The town of Hawkins is thrown into chaos

Nancy enlists Steve & Jonathan

Shadowy agents are in league with Dr. Brenner

[S2 not shown]

S3:

So...

Nancy works as an intern reporter at the Hawkins Gazette (not the Post) - And...I'm pretty sure the "Hawkins Gazette" has only ever been mentioned in the Theory11 "greetings to the upside down" ARG.

Nancy has rekindled her relationship with Jonathan, and are led to suspect Billy in their investigations of a series of peculiar incidents.

Max and Eleven confront Billy at the pool and realize he's been enslaved by the MF.

Honorable mentions/interesting word choices:

This palace of commerce has become a magnet for the town's teenagers.

Hopper is El's "surrogate" father.

Nancy has rekindled her relationship with Jonathan.

A platoon of Russian Soldiers.

[S4 & S5 not shown]

God, I hope to not experience this level of fuckery (without a little more informed consent) in the future.

[swiftenthusiasm]

I've been cooking up something big about the 1964 NY World's Fair, but in the meantime I got some mission creep and…

I have to recommend anyone curious with time on their hands to check out this 2-part season finale of the Polly Pocket series that I swear is full of conformitygate clues.

[byler-blurts]

documenting all 11 declassified files (1/2)

because they apparently expire on july 14th and you never know

#1 Underneath the Demogorgon Suit

#2 Soft But Scary

#3 Conceptualizing Eleven

#4 The Resurrection of Will Byers

#5 The Soviet Files

#6 The Autopsy of Chrissy Cunningham

#7 Max and Vecna’s Curse

#8 Dr. Kay’s Sonic Weapon

#9 The Rainbow Room

#10 Hawkins National Laboratory

#11 The Rift

... gets its own post because of the 30 images per post rule

part 2 here

[swiftenthusiasm]

Seems like the power grid has something to do with all this, and the Stranger Things Experience "Sleep Study" is probably more canon than we realize.

I came across this video yesterday, and a Reddit post where someone explained actually getting Hawkins Power & Light merch back in 2017.

Interesting that this phone number seems to have been used for other ARG calls in the years that followed (a rabbithole for another day). If you want to see a transcript of this call, here you go:

"Hello, you've reached Hawkins Power and Light. Powering a brighter tomorrow in the community of Hawkins and beyond.I'm Dr. Sam Owens and my goal is to improve how we light and power the world.

Press "1" for Main Menu.

"1" - Main Menu 

To learn more about our mission, press [1].

For bills and updates, press [2].

To report an outage or suspicious activity, press [3].

For hours of operation, press [4].

To listen to customer testimonials, press [5].

If you would like to learn more about Hawkins Power and Light, press [6].

[BEEP - #1]

Hawkins Power and Light was established with the simple goal, to change the world for good.

Since the beginning, we've maintained federal compliance in the pursuit of that goal.

Not only powering homes, but powering dreams.

At the heart of our foundation is the ethics code instilled by our newest director, Dr. Sam Owens.

That's why the members of the Hawkins community are of utmost consideration as we bring tomorrow, to today.

To return to the Main Menu, press [*].

[BEEP - #3] 

We're sorry. Our reporting service is full. You may notice a slight decline in vegetation.

We can assure that this is a standard effect of the new and improved grid that's powering the Hawkins' dream. We're actively working to remedy the situation, and we apologize for any inconvenience.

To return to the Main Menu, press [*].

[BEEP - #4] 

Our regular hours of business are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

We also have a 24-hour service line, should you experience abnormal grid behavior such as flickering lights, auditory irregularities, or erratic electronic behavior.

Sorry, our system is currently down.

To return to the Main Menu, press [*].

[BEEP - #5 (testimonials)] 

Taking on power! Hawkins Power and Light even replaced my lightbulbs for free!

Polite and thoughtful technicians who truly care about the community's youths. I wouldn't want anyone else to light my home.

Hawkins Power and Light, powering dreams.

To return to the Main Menu, press [*].

[BEEP - #6] 

Hello, I'm Dr. Sam Owens, the new director of operations at Hawkins Laboratory.

Hawkins Power and Light is a subsidiary of Hawkins Laboratory and a tremendous source of pride to us and members of our community.

Here at Hawkins Power and Light, we are committed to cultivating a perception of excellence.

Our top priority is to serve the community of Hawkins, and we promise to light our way through every type of darkness.

To return to the Main Menu, press [*].

[BEEP - # 2] Please leave your name and mailing address if you'd like to learn more about our pursuit of a brighter tomorrow, thank you."

WILD!

Which reminds me of this unexplained imagery of the power grid in the UD being broken.

Which, those are all supposed to be the powerlines behind the Wheeler house, btw. Here's the non-UD version from S1:

I swear, I've seen broken powerlines in some of the promo material for the ST collaboration with games like Fortnite and/or Dead by Daylight (which I don't have time to dig up atm.

But I also want to point out this ST Concept Artist's work, illustrating broken power lines.

Getting spooky! And finally, I swear I posted about this moment before, but I can't find it...

Remember that time in S4E3, after the Rink-O-Mania fight, when El gets upset, leaves the dinner table, goes to her room, has unexplained "flashbacks" of Rainbow Room memories, and then it transitions to showing us the demobats flying to the Creel house in the UD, where we see Vecna getting plugged in (ethernet-style) for the first time?

Well, if you blink you'll miss it, but I caught this mystery structure sometime, like a year ago.

When I got over my initial jump-scare of seeing this briefly illuminated in the red lightning, I rationalized to myself that it must've been an early design for WSQK. Maybe a little easter egg in S4 that they'd planted about S5. Maybe it's some kind of vintage, forked radio tower they forgot to correct after nailing down WSQK's final design.

But...what if it's it's actually the bottom portion of one of these types of transmission line towers (that we see in the background of the Wheeler house in the S4E7 pic).

What if Hawkins really did "fall" at some point, and that's the base of a special tower that's bringing power to or from Hawkins?

And/or what if, at some point, Hawkins really did get "pancaked" if that's lowering onto the Hawkins we see.

Weird stuff!

[swiftenthusiasm]

According to the show's logic, the UD-version of downtown should match S1 (1983), right?

So, why is that mysterious storefront next to RadioShack apparently damaged from a rift on the other side of the Mac-Z gate?

This is the mystery-storefront (next to Radioshack) that I've recently posted about. Here's the visual-tldr-version, in case you just want to see it over the course of the seasons:

So why would the building be straight-up gone if the UD is "frozen" on 11/6/83?

And I don't think it was an oversight, because they made a big point to show us this was filmed in a backlot studio with a bluescreen. They could've totally put a S1-era background in there if they wanted. I think I got here because I've been paying a lot of attention to buildings, trying to find some particular skylights (I don't believe are actually in the "library basement"). And I've noticed how frequently windows and doorways are often boarded up in the downtown area (and not just due to Starcourt Mall in S3).

So, it's fasinating to me that Melvald's upper level windows don't appear boarded up in the UD, either.

Makes me wonder...

What other windows are covered or uncovered in an unexpected way in the UD?

Perhaps if this is all an illusion, it's based on the memories of someone who didn't yet learn that the UD was "frozen" in 1983?

Could this be a bigger clue into timeloops, and other time-weirdness that our characters might be experiencing?

Could places we've seen boarded/bricked up in the 80s been relevant in past loops? What about past generations (like The First Shadow-era folks)?

Okay wait...if/when did the rifts actually show up on the UD Side of things? Because that COULD explain why the building is messed up (but not Melvald's windows).

If there WERE rifts in the UD of Hawkins (like pictured below when the Abyss appears to be descending in S5E8), would the gov't baddies need to plate them over to be able to drive over them, too?

Either way, maybe the timing that we apparently see glowing rifts in the UD version of Hawkins in the first several minutes of S5E8 is significant to understanding the timeline of things.

Gah. Gotta go be a responsible adult and do work now. Dogspeed, everyone!

[swiftenthusiasm]

Funny...These actors being filmed (as shown in the One Last Adventure m/documentary) weren't who ended up in El's flashback in S1E3.

See?

May be nothing, but I wanted to put this somewhere.

[swiftenthusiasm]

What's up with this mysterious bookstore in the alley, by Hawk Theater?

Tiktok user, kraydenscott, posted a video yesterday talking about the first part of this "Stranger Things and Dungeons and Dragons" graphic novel. I checked out the free sample on Amazon/Kindle and by page 2 found something fascinating: Notice this alley? Does it look familiar?

It's the same alley that Jonathan and Steve fight in, in S1E6.

It's interesting that...at some point in time there was a secret bookstore behind those boarded up, double doors.

Seems time-loop-y.

Those boarded-up doors also make me think about the S5 epilogue clean-up effort:

Which also had me thinking about other bricked/boarded-up buildings. Especially this mystery one next to radioshack I've been thinking about for a long while. How could I not?!

What a mystery, eh? Coincidence that that storefront was just always empty already?

And THEN! You-know-fucking-what I found?!

I'm a sucker and bought the graphic novel. And I kept flipping through it and saw that the mystery bookstore apparently moved to that abandoned spot, beside RadioShack, at some point.

What the hell is that?!

[swiftenthusiasm]

New places I've recently learned about or stumbled into apparent conformitygate clues in children's entertainment.

1. Henry Danger

Thanks to this Tiktok user's recent video, I learned all about the Henry Danger show and watched the "Danger Things" episode (S4E18), an obvious Stranger Things parody episode last night. The episode is from October, 2018 (S2-era!). And yet, it has SO much material that is relevant to later seasons & conformitygate-relevant. I don't even think I'll have time to ever be able to write about it all. Just, please, check it out sometime if you haven't already.

2. Transformers

Another quick mention I want to make is how the Transformers franchise is doing a (kind of hilarious) "Transformers: The Movie: The Apology Tour" all year, which is worth learning about, too. It's about how they killed off the main character and upset children and parents across the US (or world?) 40 years ago (1986, baby).

3. Polly Pocket

That said, this morning, I was pondering about what other types of children's entertainment could have clues and I remembered the Polly Pocket toy that's been vexxing me for almost a year now. Then, I tried to check their socials. Not very active on Tiktok. But guess what I found on Youtube? A whole damn series. And S1E1 (uploaded July 2, 2025), we've got (spoilers, obv):

Girl-genius went to Constructo camp and fixes a missing "encasement" in her grandma's locket, giving her the power to turn small at large at will

Nerdy friends who talk about enchanted amulets, season finales, fanfics, shape-shifting aliens, Code Reds.

Grandma's ex-friend from the 70s got obsessed when she learned about the power of the locket, wanting to turn everything/everyone tiny.

That same, evil older lady is running some scheme involving a pop star concert. She locks the popstar in a backroom at a mall, where we find an elaborate tiny model of the town.

Polly goes tiny to crawl through the vents to be able to access and speak to the popstar, but the vents turn on and Polly narrowly escapes.

Turns out Polly comes from a long-line of (women?) the locket has "chosen," and their ultimate goal is to show that "the littlest people can make the biggest difference."

I don't have time to snag a photo of it, but I swear the ST 2026 "Annual" had an odd amount of times it referred to Will and Dustin as "tiny" (maybe others). I also think during Tudum last year, the actors kept talking about how "tiny" they were. Which leads me to...

4. Little People

You know, the Fisher-Price ones?

I mean, I don't have much to say about this, but it just seems to be "on the nose" if there's some kind of tiny collection going on. The idea of people being miniature also seems to echo in the S4-era ST nesting dolls (I wrote a bit about here). There’s also those ST “mini brands” gatcha-style merch, too (e.g., tiny ST books, tiny pizza boxes, hats, film, etc). Hm… I don't know how it can be time-weirdness, and inception, and matrix-like simulations / games, and shrunken people/worlds (e.g., Men in Black's "Orion's Belt"), and a people zoo. But damn, I think it's got to be at least a couple of these things.

[swiftenthusiasm]

Could the mysterious "Frank" that Hopper & Powell call be anyone significant?

Hopper makes a call to Frank to get Terry Ives' address in S1E6:

Chief Powell calls Frank from Eddie's trailer in S4:

1. It'd be pretty wild if it was Frank Sattler.

2. It'd be more wild (and unlikely, I'm sure) if it was Frank Darabont.

You know...the famous director who later directed some of the S5 episodes). But if there's any chance it could be him, maybe "the boys" Hopper wants to say "hi" to could be the DBs. Ha!

This guy.

Even if we never find out who he is, I like that Mystery-Frank serves a similar purpose as Suzie and El (and sometimes Will). They all seem to tap into something to tell other characters where someone is located.

[swiftenthusiasm]

Uh...does this shirt suggest that Will is 012?

This is what I'm talking about, here:

...weird.