It has been over two weeks now since Stranger Things finally came to a close after a decade, yet fans have been treated to a much-requested 'secret episode', albeit not in the way they might have expected.
Fans of Stranger Things still hadn't had enough, even after five seasons of the show an an explosive two-hour-long final episode, leading many to speculate and outright demand the release of a so-called 'secret' ninth episode.
Theories circulated across social media regarding the existence of this final surprise for the long-running Netflix show, with fans producing a wide variety of different story threads and reasons for there to be one more ride with the gang.
While that unfortunately hasn't come to pass on streaming services, SNL viewers were able to get their own version of this hidden episode in a skit that has left viewers in a fit of laughter.
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Among a number of different parodies – including one Sex and the City-esque New York adventure for Mike – SNL's 'Stranger Things Promo' ended with Mike, Lucas, and Dustin in Iceland, where we last saw Eleven in the show.
"Remember that mysterious ninth episode that the internet was convinced existed," the narrator proposed. "It didn't, but it does now, and we got almost all of the main kids back."
When asked by Dustin why the three of them have found themselves in the wilderness of Iceland, Mike reveals that "everything we thought happened was an illusion that was planted by Vecna," which was indeed a major fan theory bouncing off the end of the show.
Lucas then asks for 'one good reason' why they should believe this wild theory, yet Mike offers them 'Eleven', before they turn around to reveal a figure in a rather familiar hospital robe.
Of course, it wasn't actually Milly Bobby Brown but instead SNL cast member Kenan Thompson holding an Eggo waffle and sporting a nose bleed. He was certainly convincing enough though with his attempts at hand-based powers, but it might not have been the ending that some fans were hoping for.
"Finally, the 'mysterious 9th episode' exists... even if it's just an SNL skit," remarked one fan in the comments underneath the video, with another joking that "these are somehow written better than the last season."
A third declared that "Kenan as Eleven was gold, wish there was more of that," and one user even argued that "these are pitches for shows I'd actually watch."