Please, Let These Conspiracy Theories About ‘The OA’ Coming Back Be True

Earlier this month, Netflix announced that it was canceling The OA, a show so singular and great and unapologetically bonkers that we probably didn't deserve it anyway. The announcement was followed by a gutting statement from co-creator and star Brit Marling about how she is "deeply sad" and "had a good cry" when she heard the news. She wasn't the only one, either. Heartbroken OA fans immediately launched a petition to get the show uncanceled, but even 45,000 signatures likely aren't enough to change Netflix's mind.

But then, a surprising theory started spreading around OA fan circles, popping up like a brain plant sprouting from an ear. Sure, The OA is canceled, the theory goes—but what if it, uh, actually isn't?

According to Vulture, who put together a rundown of the various conspiracies last Friday, the main theory posits that the cancelation is actually just a complex marketing ploy for season three, which would've presumably taken place in our universe (or one close to it), where The OA is a Netflix show and Brit Marling is Brit Marling. The majority of the theory comes from over-reading various posts by the show's cast and crew about the cancelation, but the most tantalizing evidence comes from Netflix itself.

The streamer apparently still hasn't released an official statement about the cancelation, although that quote from original content head Cindy Holland sounded pretty official, but one Redditor is convinced that Netflix (or the customer service reps, at least) are being pretty evasive about the whole thing. Proof? Well, not exactly. But it's fun to think about!

A fake cancelation seems completely out there, but if any show would try to pull a stunt like this, it would be The OA. Of course, the real story is probably the simplest one—Netflix is scared of the looming streaming wars and has decided to trim the wheat from the chaff, meaning that it must sacrifice its more nuanced offerings for big, tentpole projects starring a de-aged Robert De Niro or whatever.

But maybe it's best if we imagine that reality is stranger and more complicated than you and I could possibly know, and sometimes we get glimpses of it, in dreams or in déjà vu. The OA's fake cancelation conspiracy is just a dream. But what a beautiful dream it is.