[Netflix] The OA

[SinisterDeath]

Just finished this show last night... and it was weird. Not stranger things weird, but weird.

[dexterryu]

Finished it this weekend. Was intriguing throughout. Not sure how I feel on the ending. Wish it would have been more clear.

[Tim Green]

There is textual/screen evidence of the OA having some form of supernatural/magical abilities since she foresees the school shooting in a dream in the beginning of Episode 7.   Obviously psychic abilities would make the show fall into the supernatural/magical realm since there is no such thing as psychic abilities or foresight in the real/natural world.  The FBI counselor's explanation of her dreams as a high-level awareness of reality does not suffice given that a shooting does happen; there's no way a school shooter scenario could have been deduced by the OA's non-supernatural subconsciousness given her interactions in town.   Also, before the dream in ep 7, there are ominous and spacey sounds, a swoosh sound, maybe signifying the supernatural/magical.  There's also a swoosh sound in the end, in the last episode, right before Steve has an epiphany and chases the ambulance.  Also in the end, after the screen fades to black, the OA is seen again in a heaven like, calm and bright, place/dimension and says "Homer," - which I hope is not just some half-ass homage to the Ancient Greek Homer, the Odyssey, its importance to western canon and story-telling.  If it is so, then shame on the writers. 

 

So the conclusion that the OA is insane and it's all in her head, does not hold up, even though the show places a lot of red herrings and deliberately makes us doubt what actually is going on.  And, I just think that "it's all in her head" premise is so played out and such an easily achieved writing solution, a deus ex machina like trick, that shame on the writers and creators if that's actually the case.  

[Tim Green]

Why the color PURPLE?  

The purple color and palate seem to be ubiquitous throughout the show: violet creamy liquid the bodies are kept in, high school cafeteria  shooter scene has half the people wearing purple/related colors, the wolf hoodie seems purple, titles of episode are in creamy violet, the family portrait image, the episode title image for Episode 2 is all purple, etc.  

Here's what I found: 

"purple color meaning is often used to portray rich powerful kings, leaders, magicians and even sorcerers." 1

"From a color psychology perspective, purple and violet ensures harmony of the mind and the emotions and contributes to mental balance and stability, peace of mind, a connection between the spiritual and physical world, and between thought and action." 1

1 (http://www.color-meanings.com/purple-color-meaning-the-color-purple/)

"Purples have been used in the care of mental [?] of nervous disorders because they have shown to help balance the mind and transform obsessions and fears.  Most psychologists view these claims with skepticism. No valid studies have been conducted to confirm them." 2

 "Purple is the most powerful visible wavelength of electromagnetic energy...Perhaps this explains why purple is associated with supernatural energy and the cosmos than with the physical world as we know it." 2

 

2 (

[Nolder]

Watched the trailer, looked boring imo.

[SinisterDeath]

They bring up the multi-world theory earlyish in the show...

Which of course leads me to Quantum Immortality.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_suicide_and_immortality

 

Combined with the multi-world theory, the idea goes that you would die an infinite amount of times in an infinite number of worlds, but you would also live an infinite number of times. As time goes on, at least one of those will live longer then the rest.... But since it's infinity we are talking about, an infinite number could live almost an infinite life span.

 

Mix that with the OA', and every time they die, it isn't so much that they supernaturally survive or heal, but their consciousness could be transferred between the multi-verse, or they physically travel there.

When they healed that guy, it's plausible they either brought a living one back, or transferred a living consciousness back...

When she saw the school shooting, it's plausible she saw a parallel world that was weeks ahead of their world, and the ending could imply she died in our world, but her consciousness was transferred to a world in which she lived.