This past winter, Netflix released another weird and wonderful show called, The OA. As most Netflix shows go, the first season was baffling—but in a good way. Brit Marling, the show's creator and lead actress, seemed to imply that viewers are free to interpret the show however they want to, using whatever clues they can find.

With that in mind, let's look at the 15 most interesting theories about the show. Bear in mind that I'll be referring to OA as Prairie or Nina interchangeably, depending on what theory I'm discussing. I'll also refer to Steve, French, Buck, Jesse, and BBA as either OA's disciples or "The Crestwood Five."

And, of course, these theories will contain major spoilers, so make sure you watch the entire season before you start reading!

15 Nina Has Been In A Coma This Whole Time

One theory about the series is that Nina went into a coma after she almost drowned in the bus crash. All of the events following the crash did not actually happen in reality; rather, these are dreams that Nina is having while she is in the coma. **Gasp!**

To support this theory, many viewers point to the very last scene of season one, in which OA appears in a white room and says "Homer?" after the screen goes black. What is actually happening in this scene is very unclear, but proponents of the coma theory think that in this scene, Nina is finally waking up. We don't see much of the room, but it is plausible that she could be a hospital room. I don't know about you, but I think this is a pretty solid theory.

14 Prairie Made Her Story Up

There is also the possibility that Prairie completely fabricated some (or all) of her story. The strongest evidence for this theory is the box of books that French finds underneath Prairie's bed when he breaks into her house. There is also the question of why Prairie's story includes events she could not have been present for; such as HAP killing his mentor or his first meeting with the local sheriff.

There is much evidence to contradict this theory, however. The books under Prairie's bed are in English, which she never learned to read before losing her sight. She was also only home for a few days before beginning to tell her story to her new disciples. Which is not enough time to order those books and read them. Prairie's parents also confirmed that she was blind when she went missing. If her story never happened, how did she get her sight?

13 The FBI Was In On The Experiment

Another thing that is suspicious about the books under Prairie's bed is that French runs into the FBI counselor, Elias Rahim, when he finds them. What is Elias doing in the Johnson house? Many have speculated that he was planting the box of books in order to discredit OA's story, because the FBI was actually participating in HAP's experiment and needed to keep it quiet. The only way to do that would be to make OA look like a liar.

One plot point that might contradict this theory, though, is the way HAP reacts when he is caught red-handed by the sheriff. If the FBI was really protecting HAP's experiments, couldn't he have just picked up the phone and asked the FBI to handle the local police for him?

12 Rachel Is Actually An FBI Agent

An extension of the FBI theory is that Rachel is actually an undercover FBI agent who was placed in the experiment to monitor the real subjects. Rachel was never given a movement. We also never see her being strapped into the drowning machine. The strangest piece of this puzzle is in episode seven. It's the scene when they're in the FBI building, and you can see the name "Rachel" written on the wall in Braille.

On the other hand, it's hard to believe that an FBI agent would subject herself to living in an underground cage for so long, and it's unclear what purpose that would even serve. Rachel does seem to have an extraordinary singing voice, and exceptional musical talent seems to be a side effect of near death experiences. She also participates in the effort to undermine HAP's gassing system.

11 Prairie Was Held Captive Alone

Some believe that Prairie was actually the only one HAP held captive, and that she created the other captives in her mind to cope with trauma and loneliness. While telling her story, OA says that during all the years they were held captive, they never touched. Was this because of the cages they were kept in? Or does it mean that Homer (and Rachel, Scott, and Renata) was never real?

Perhaps Prairie created the other captives and the story about being part of a scientific experiment in order to give purpose and meaning to her horrific ordeal. In reality, she could have been tortured by HAP alone for no real purpose, and she created a story that would give her hope for survival. This leaves the question of how Prairie actually escaped, and how she got her sight back.

10 HAP Is A Rapist

Following from the theory that Prairie was held captive alone, some think that HAP is actually a sexual sadist—not a scientist. When Prairie is eating dinner with her parents at a restaurant, a teenager takes a picture with Prairie and references Prairie "being beaten and raped." Is the teenage girl repeating a false rumor, or was that what really happened to Prairie?

The scars on Prairie's back might not self-inflicted like she claims. Perhaps they were part of HAP's torture? After all, it would be very difficult to carve intricate symbols into your own back; scarring your thighs would be much easier.

Some people think the scene in which HAP almost dies from an allergic reaction to tomato paste is actually a rape scene. But Prairie is recalling the events differently to spare herself the trauma. Scott even makes a crude comment about rape after a hysterical Prairie comes back down to the basement.

9 August Is Rachel's Daughter

There is a lot of mystery surrounding August's identity. When Prairie discovers August's body in the bathroom, HAP says "Her name was August. At least that's what they called her, because she came in August." Why would the captives need to give a name to an adult woman? In an earlier scene, Rachel bangs on the glass wall, screaming for August, saying "She needs me!"

These clues have led some viewers to believe August was actually the daughter of Rachel, who became pregnant after HAP raped her. But we see August's body, and she appears to be an adult, doesn't she? Proponents of the daughter theory think August only appears to be an adult, because we see the story through Prairie's flawed perspective. Prairie is blind and avoids touching August's body, so she could have projected August as an adult when she is really a child. Hmmm...

8 OA Has Already Travelled To A New Dimension

OA says the five movements make interdimensional travel possible. She says she has never travelled between dimensions before, but she also says interdimensional travel may cause memory loss. What if OA, Homer, and Evelyn (the sheriff's wife) actually created a fork in the universe that led into a new dimension? In the new dimension, HAP releases OA, but in the original dimension, OA is still captive.

When OA meets Khatun during her NDE in episode four, Khatun says, "As things are, you never escape." What if OA was only able to escape because performing the movements with Homer and Evelyn opened a new dimension?

The main problem with this theory is that Homer and OA only performed the first two movements before Evelyn performed the fifth. But the theory that OA has already traveled to another dimension falls into alignment with many other theories about the series, such as theory number seven...

7 The OA's Disciples Are "New" Versions Of The Captives

One of the most common questions about the season finale is: why did French see Homer when he looked in the mirror at OA's house? For some, the answer is that OA's five disciples are alternate versions of the five captives. They're versions that exist in a parallel dimension.

The problem with this theory is that besides Homer and French, the doubles are difficult to pin down. Rachel may be Buck, given the scene in which Buck rides past the site of a car crash that looks similar to the car crash Rachel describes. Scott may be Jesse, because they both have a history of heavy drug use. But then who do Steve and BBA correspond to? Is OA the captive the same person as OA the storyteller? Or does OA the storyteller correspond to someone else, such as HAP?

6 The School Shooter Represents (Or Is) HAP

If OA and the Crestwood Five are in a dimension parallel to the dimension in which HAP is keeping OA captive, could the school shooter represent HAP? When Khatun gives OA the bird, she says, "All five of you must work together to avert a great evil." It is possible that in one dimension, that evil is HAP, and in another dimension, that evil is the school shooter.

This is a popular theory because of the similarities between the only two scenes in which the 5th movement is performed. The first time, HAP shoots the sheriff and his wife. And the second time, the school shooter shoots OA. Both shootings are also followed by someone chasing after a car; first OA and then Steve. Could these two events actually be the same, but in different dimensions?

5 OA's Disciples Died In The School Shooting

If you believe OA's story, the ending of season one implies that she traveled to another dimension after performing the five movements. But what if OA was not the only one to travel? What if the Crestwood Five, or all the students in the cafeteria, travelled to a new dimension together—a dimension in which there were no fatalities from the shooting.

Some have raised the possibility that the Crestwood Five actually died in the shooting, at least in one dimension. As evidence, they point to the fact that the five disciples are able to follow OA almost into the ambulance, while the police hold all the other students back. Is it possible that the disciples are ghosts at this point, and no one but OA can see them?

4 OA Is Lying In One Dimension And Telling The Truth In Another

Let's return to the question of whether OA's story is the truth or a lie. There is a theory that the answer to this question could be "both." The show explores the possibility of different dimensions existing right on top of each other. What if there is one dimension in which OA is telling the truth, and a parallel dimension in which OA (or Prairie) is lying?

This theory could explain why fans on both sides of the argument believe whether OA's story is true and can find good evidence to support their points. Maybe the show is shifting back and forth between two (or more) dimensions; in one, we see evidence that OA fabricated her story, and in the other, we see evidence that it really happened.

3 The Movements Are The Five Stages of Grief

The five stages of grief are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. The five movements in the show seem like they could be an interpretive dance that acts out these stages.

The first movement involves putting the hand into the mouth, as if to hold back emotion, as in denial. The second movement involves beating the hands against the chest, as if they're angry. The third movement involves putting alternating arms behind the back, possibly representing a haggle or bargaining process. The fourth movement involves repeatedly punching yourself in the stomach, as if to simulate the pain of depression. And the fifth movement involves calmly closing the eyes, AKA: acceptance.

This explanation may be too simple, since the movements themselves are not this simple. But the idea is interesting, nonetheless.

2 Homer Is The One Who Wakes Up At The End

We already discussed the possibility that the very last scene of season one shows Nina waking up from a coma. But some viewers support the idea that Homer is actually waking up in this scene, and OA is standing over his bed watching him wake up. The rectangular light in the background that appears to be from a window, may actually be a fluorescent light on the ceiling.

This theory produces more questions than answers. If OA really is standing over Homer's bed, how did she manage to find him? How did Homer escape HAP? And if Homer escaped, did the other captives manage to escape as well? Or, is it still possible that Prairie's story is false, and she met Homer in a completely different way than the one she described? I guess we'll have to wait until season two to find out.

1 'The OA' Is Connected To 'Stranger Things'

If you haven't watched Stranger Things, this last theory will contain some spoilers. There are many eery similarities between Stranger Things and The OA. Both shows have female protagonists with odd names (OA and Eleven) who were the victims of cruel experiments that involved being submerged into water. Both have psychic abilities, and both bleed from their noses when using those abilities. And let's not forget how they (if we believe OA's story) open portals to other dimensions.

The OA also gives a blink-and-you'll-miss-it nod to Stranger Things. During the scene when Jesse comes home to find his sister on the couch smoking weed, Stranger Things is actually playing on the TV in the room! Did the writers throw that in there just because Stranger Things is a cool show, or is there more to it?

 

Featured image: Netflix