Stranger Things conformitygate: an ARG on steroids
How promo leading up to "Bandersnatch" and "Kimmy vs the Reverend" followed the same patterns, just on a smaller scale
Disclaimer: This is a post in a series of collaborative posts that provides evidence that the next piece of Stranger Things content is going to be an interactive film using Episode 2 to 8 as the base. #bandersnatchgate
Contributors: @thebestofmyrmidons @fixthehyper @whispering-goat @vecnapilled @power-kinesis @nuffit @arubikhandy0707
An exciting revelation has been made by a group of conformitygate theorists. At the center lies #copyrightgate. Check out the thorough and well-substantiated post by @thebestofmyrmidons.
I present a sypnosis:
The type of delay of copyright registration by Netflix that has been witnessed for Episode 2 - Episode 8 of Stranger Things Season 5 has ONLY happened for interactive shows and movies.
Posts on this topic from me:
1. How promo leading up to "Bandersnatch" and "Kimmy vs the Reverend" followed the same patterns, just on a smaller scale.
2. The Netflix and DONTNOD 2025 collaboration and the Life is Strange parallels hiding in plain sight.
3. The ultimate conformitygate promotional timeline analysis
In my posts, I will argue that the promo for both Netflix originals "Black Mirror: Bandersnatch" and "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs the Reverend" is eerily similar to what we have witnessed for conformitygate (CG). We will realize together that these worked as a prototype for CG. Netflix did not only take the time to improve the interactive element in their backend (Post 2), but especially worked out their flaws in setting up a successful promotional puzzle (Post 1 and Post 3). My promotional timeline posts, from beginning to end, mirror what we are about to witness here.
Thanks to @fixthehyper for collecting most of the sources in chronological order :)
Promotional timeline for "Black Mirror: Bandersnatch" (BMB):
2017
Dec 17: Report on Netflix's mission to create "choose your own adventure" media for adults. (Bloomberg)
https://archive.ph/OBvT1
2018
Oct 1: Speculations about an interactive Black Mirror episode in Season 5. (Bloomberg, Verge)
Netflix hasn’t yet announced season 5’s release date, but a new report says it’s coming by the end of the year.
Oct 3: Speculations continue about an interactive Black Mirror episode in Season 5. (The Independent)
The streaming service hopes to introduce more interactive series
Nov 5: Shutdown of multiple rumors about Black Mirror Season 5 by show producer Charlie Booker. He did NOT respond to BMB rumors. (THEWRAP)
At least Charlie Brooker told fans what WON'T be in Season 5
Nov 21: Rumors about BMB continue, the name "Bandersnatch" is dropped by a random Twitter account. (I feel so vindicated about my Nikki Baxter coverage btw)
Dec 2: A verified Netflix "leak" confirms Dec 28 release date. Note how fans already had been speculating for days in a similar fashion to conformitygate. (TVGUIDE, Forbes)
Ready to go down the rabbit hole again with Black Mirror's new episode?
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessedamiani/2018/12/02/black-mirror-gets-season-5-release-date-via-leak/#e1b5deb211b7
Dec 3: Netflix deletes a tweet with the BMB release date, further fueling the flames of this being a trustworthy "leak". The Stranger Things ARG has shown me that Netflix leaks information on purpose, especially on Twitter. (Observer, THEWRAP)
We might be getting another season of ‘Black Mirror’ at the end of December.
"Black Mirror: Bandersnatch" coming at ya later this month -- possibly
Dec 19: First confirmation by Netflix of BMB being the interactive stand alone movie from the rumors, rather than part of Black Mirror Season 5. A Reddit user is credited for finding it, but a preview was posted on Netflix. Notice how the OG Reddit thread, to be found in links provided, reeks of plant behavior. (Forbes, Esquire)
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessedamiani/2018/12/19/black-mirror-bandersnatch-is-revealed-to-be-a-film-via-netflix-heres-what-we-know-so-far/#7ce5b3957d53
And it features a time-warped London
Dec 20: Explanation of the promotion of and the fan speculations on BMB up until that point. We have seen similar articles on CG in Jan and Feb (2026). (Screenrant, Digital Spy)
Netflix may be releasing a surprise Black Mirror movie (or interactive episode) next week!
You've got ten days, guys.
Dec 27: Official announcement of BMB
Dec 28 (2018): Release of BMB
Look at a summary on Wikipedia of the events leading up to the BMB release (parts were highlighted by @fixthehyper ):
People noticed inconsistencies, clues and easter eggs in the same way we are doing for CG. Social media accounts speculated and leaked info, mainstream media reported on it, to create hype. We also see an early, non-coincidental reference to Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, which eventually turned out to be a little tease for the other interactive movie that was released later, in 2020.
Short promotional timeline for "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy versus the Reverend" (KvR):
2020
April 16: One month prior, a surprise announcement!
Of course, this is a lot smaller in scale, but notice how Netflix preplans their interactive releases far in advance and cross-references them in promotion. This becomes relevant, especially when examining the parallels with the Stranger Things ARG. Check out the post on Kimmy vs the Reverend parallels by @thebestofmyrmidons . @fixthehyper also has a post with evidence that the script of Stranger Things Season 5 was already finished in Spring 2023!
I encourage everyone to participate in dissecting both these interactive movies to predict what's coming next. That task would be a lot easier if Netflix had not removed both of those in May 2025.
The last remaining interactive specials on Netflix are departing the service...
Ohhh nooo, why did they do that???
That will become clear in Post 2, where I do a deep dive into what Netflix and the Stranger Things team have done in preparation for their new upcoming interactive movie.