#20gate

I think this weekend, at least 3 movies or episodes will start to come out, with January 20 being a key date when one of them drops.

If you remember, the Stranger Things account dropped a promotional video 20 days out from the s5 release:

In it, Mike rolls a d20.

However, as @lestatforever pointed out, the dice is wrong. Read this post, because I also believe that this inconsistency hints at the fact that Mike actually rolled a natural 1 and LOST.

Which is more evidence for my theory:

I think the real finale will drop 20 days after the fake finale

On January 20.

The runtime of season five so far is 10 hours, which mirrors the length of Mike's first D&D campaign in season one. This campaign, they didn't get to finish because Will was kidnapped; Mike needed 20 more minutes to complete it that night-- they ended up playing again roughly three weeks later, after Will returned.

January 20 falls almost three weeks after the fake finale-which itself was 10 hours long. THIS CANT BE A COINCIDENCE!

Like many of you, I also think the “Ending” was fake and that Mike has been VECNA’D

Which lines up perfectly with my #20gate theory from 2022. Basically I found every time the number 20 was mentioned in the show, because I had a hunch that Mike needing "20 more minutes" would be crucial to the plot of s5:

For example, in s2, Ted says to Mike: “this isn’t strike 1, this isn’t even strike 2–

*coach not couch lol

Back then, I thought maybe this was foreshadowing Mike going back in time, and attempting to defeat Vecna 20 different times

Or that maybe Mike would have to race against the clock, with just 20 minutes standing between him and victory.

This didn't seem like too much of a stretch, because of all the Back to the Future references, and because as we saw in the s4 D&D game, they needed to role a d20 to Win.

Rolling an 11 caused them to lose, which is why I theorized that Eleven wouldn’t be able to truly defeat Vecna in Season 5.

Instead, we are shown that the party was able to defeat Vecna by rolling d20, as the basketball game timer counts down. This stood out to me as important back then, because I thought it would somehow be connected to Mike needing 20 more minutes to finish his campaign in the opening of s1. Which is why I took note of the Basketball Game Timer, and the Jersey numbers of each player.

You can read those posts here: (here & here).

But in summery: I still believe the Season 1 Opening + Season 4 D&D Game/Basketball game function to foreshadow the ending, and that they are connected.

I still think the numbers we are shown are deeply intentional, and that they contains key clues about how the real ending will ultimately play out.

Here's my updated thoughts (post-fake finale) that I uploaded to tik tok yesterday:

In S4 they make the point of informing the audience that in D&D you need a 20 to defeat Vecna. They also show 3 numbers in the D&D/basketball sequence which is an 11, then an 8, then a 1. This has been a common theory/discussion but it seems we literally just got the answer in the last episode.

We see 11 throughout the episode, we then see her and Hopper saving 8, and then at the very end we see Will harnessing his powers - seizing them back from Vecna/1 - for the first time.

We have 11, then 8, then Will who has/can channel the same powers as 1.

11+8+1=20.

To add on to the whole Will=1 in this scenario, Vecna did literally say to Will that “you were the first”, of Vecnas victims he was literally number 1. Which in of itself is a CRAZY parallel to Henry that I might go into more detail with later but it would perfectly make him be the 1 in equation.

I REALLY THINK I'M ON TO SOMETHING HERE. Since i'm SO utterly convinced that Mike needing "20 more minutes" is going to be VERY SIGNIFICANT in season 5 (theory coming soon), I scrubbed through the 20:00 minute mark looking for clues! Here are the most notable instances I found, but feel free to let me know if I missed anything important!

20:00 TIMESTAMPS:

Season 1

s1,e1

scientists enter the upside-down for the first time (however the elevator doesn't open at exactly 20:00, so idk if this one was intentional)

s1ep5:

The flee and the acrobat. The focus on Mike here is interesting, since Mr. Clark was just explaining how the person could go forwards or backwards (in time?). Right at 20 though, he explains that a flea also has the ability to go upside-down (enter another dimension)

s1e8

the flickering lights catch Steve's attention at EXACTLY 20 minutes. This was the pivotal moment when Steve decided to be a hero and turn back to save Jonathan and Nancy. If he was originally supposed to die here, then this would have been the start of a pattern, which you'll see in a second. Also-could this have been Will who got Steve's attention from in the upside down? just a thought

Season 2:

s2e1

"You're going to be home by 8:00"- the time hits 20 minutes EXACTLY when she says the word 8:00. This was the time Will was supposed to be home by on Nov 6, if the party hadn't stayed "15 after". She continues on to say that Jonathan will probably "stay home and listen to The Talking Heads, and read Vonnegut".

I thought that this was weirdly specific, so i looked up the synopsis of Vonnegut's most famous novel "The Slaughterhouse 5", and the BOOK IS ABOUT FREAKING TIME TRAVEL. I'll expand more on the book (here) later bc it's so flipping insane, and there are a few specific aspects that kind of stood out right off the bat. If anyones actually read the book, pls give me your thoughts

s2e5

THIS ONE IS CRAZY

"the answer to what happened to your friend is up here somewhere" Pretend that this is also about Will for a second. WHAT'S ON THE BOARD GUYS? It's a "timeline" which Nancy says is "all wrong". The times listed on the board include 8:15, 7:00, and 3:20!

s2ep8

the broom hits the floor at EXACTLY 20:00. This is what kills Bob, and if you watch the scene it's pretty much undeniable that the timing here was on purpose.

Season 3

s3ep2

Sudden cut to this creepy ass clock. The time reads 12:45.

s3ep3

Will says: "LUCAS, the zombie hoard ROARS." at exactly 20:00. He then asks: "Do you fight back or do you run?" This specific line, as well as the whole scene is most likely foreshadowing. (theory here)

Even MORE interesting though, is what happens next:

Lucas is about to respond, but is interrupted by the phone ringing at EXACTLY 20:07!

s3ep5

"What time was the attack? around 9:00. You waited all night to call?All this focus on time here is pretty sus, and could also relate back to my s3 basement foreshadowing theories bc of the focus on "calling".

(also, the fact that Will's looking directly into the camera here is sus)

s3ep8

Will feels the mind-flayer between 20:00 and 20:07

s3e8

"tune in at 8:00" when -0:21:00 changes to -0:20:59

and then we get a Back To The Future reference at EXACTLY -0:20:00

season 4:

s4, ep4:

The grandfather clock chimes at EXACTLY 20:00, ushering in Max's impending doom

what do you guys think though??? 20gate perhaps?

(I also took screenshots of more potential 8:15 content, via times like -8:15 and 1:8:15 we might have overlooked ( I’ll be posting soon?)

Honorable mentions:

s3e1:

Hopper: “I need them to break up”. Behind him, a bunch of watches are hanging on the wall. Joyce responds with: “that’s not for you to decide”

s3e2:

Billy clone (Vecna) tells Billy:

“I want you to build”

Billy: build what?

Vecna: “what you see”

Billy: I don’t understand