Overview
- Finn Wolfhard, Caleb McLaughlin and Gaten Matarazzo appeared in the Saturday Night Live parody that riffed on the finale theory and previewed tongue-in-cheek spin-offs.
- The sketch closed with a voice-over stating the mysterious ninth episode "didn't" exist, framing the rumor as unfounded.
- Kenan Thompson spoofed Eleven in a hospital gown with a waffle, underscoring the bit that undercut secret-episode speculation.
- Online theorists had promoted the 'Conformity Gate' idea and predicted a January 7 drop for an extra chapter that never arrived.
- Reaction to the segment was divided, with some criticizing a joke about a character’s storyline and others defending it as a critique of the show’s pacing.