Is Murder at the End of the World linked to the OA? Theory and Connections Explained

Spoilers for The OA The series finale.

A murder at the end of the world fans of Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij’s first TV show wonder if the Hulu series is related to The OA — the duo’s two-season Netflix show that garnered a cult following. The 2016 sci-fi mystery drama centers on Marling’s Prairie Johnson, a formerly blind and missing woman who resurfaces 7 years later with her sight restored. Now known as “the OA,” she brings together four high school students and a teacher – all chosen for a reason – and tells them the incredible story of her life. Apparently the OA can save other missing people by open an interdimensional portal.

In The OA In season 2, the title character arrives in another dimension and pursues his former captor, Hap (Jason Isaacs), who was testing his near-death experience theories on Prairie and her fellow captives. Soon, the OA (now called Nina) teams up with Karim Washington (Kingsley Ben-Adir), who is investigating a surreal disappearance case, while his five original companions aid him in his mission from the original dimension of series. At the end of season 2, the OA falls into a third dimension with Hap, landing on the soundstage of a television. There, Prairie is called “Brit”, while Hap is called “Jason Isaacs”. giving the series’ abrupt and unexpected ending a very meta twist.

Murder at the End of the World is not OA season 3

Although it has been hailed as one of the greatest television series of the decade by myriad critical sources, The OA was canceled by Netflix after the second season finale. This sparked a huge reaction from The OA‘s fan base, with viewers launching the memorable #TheOAisReal campaign. Between hunger strikes and billboards in Times Square, no amount of fan effort was enough to change Netflix’s ill-advised decision. Grateful for the outpouring of support from fans, Marling and Batmanglij noted that they had planned a five-season arc for The OA and were “deeply sad” about the sudden cancellation (via People).

For a while, a major fan theory stated that the cancellation of The OA was a meta publicity stunt since the OA lands in a new dimension where she is an actress called Brit Marling in a series called The OA. “Due to the series’ cancellation, Hap has a way of helping suppress Nina and OA inside Brit, saying she just misses the character(s),” one Reddit user theorized. Of course, that didn’t work. Now, four years later, fans of Marling and Batmanglij’s work were hoping (and hoping) that their latest collaboration, A murder at the end of the worldEast a secret The OA season 3.

AMATEOTW is the Third Dimensional Theory of OA, Explained

A A murder at the end of the world fan theory goes so far as to suggest that the Hulu series is The OAthe third dimension. In the new series, Emma Corrin plays Darby Hart, an amateur detective, expert hacker and true crime writer tasked with solving a murder while at a billionaire’s secluded retreat. Co-creator and screenwriter of the series, Marling also plays one of the guests at the retreat In A murder at the end of the world. For theorists, this only fuels the idea that AMATEOTW is a show within a show – a show that The OAThird Dimension actor Brit Marling is working on.

Theorists cite several reasons for this claim. For starters, IMDb only lists the cast for the first six episodes of the seven episodes. A murder at the end of the world miniseries, allegedly hinting at a casting change in the final episode. “For 6 episodes, we will watch the series as if it had nothing to do with The OAbut we will see subtle clues throughout that tie it together thematically,” suggests one Reddit user. The poster goes on to say that other characters from The OA the universe, like Homer (Emory Cohen) and Steve (Patrick Gibson), will attempt to jog Brit’s memory and signal awareness of the OA within her.

Why fans were hoping for connections between the OA and a murder at the end of the world

When they initially sold the idea to Netflix, The OAThe co-creators of have planned a five-season arc for the series. Unlike so many other multi-season streaming shows, The OA had a road map. The fact that its other three seasons went unproduced makes the series’ premature cancellation all the more frustrating. Seen from this point of view, it is not surprising that fans of The OA hoped for a link between the deleted project and A murder at the end of the world. Marling and Batmanglij being meticulous and thoughtful storytellers, a connection seemed possible. In fact, when it comes to The OAeverything seems possible.

RELATED: Where is Murder at the End of the World Filmed? Hulu Mystery Filming Locations Explained

There are OA Easter eggs in Brit Marling’s new show

Unfortunately for The OA season 3 theorists, Batmanglij clarified that A murder at the end of the world has a completely different set of symbols than The OA. However, the co-creator of the series did not hesitate to recognize that the two series share certain commonalities. Additionally, Marling consistently says the duo hasn’t given up hope of telling the story. That of David Lynch Twin Peaks: The Return, a third “season” that took place decades after the original series was canceled, is a good reminder. For now, the wait continues, and The OA The cancellation error remains in the hands of Netflix, especially since the platform still holds the property rights.

While A murder at the end of the world is not an official sequel to The OA, there’s a lot of narrative rhyming between the two shows, and even shared imagery. For example, fans of both series pointed out that Darby’s pink hair echoes the color of Nina’s red hair and the bright pink pattern that saturated The OA season 2. Not to mention, Clive Owen’s character shares many similarities with Hap – right down to the glasses. Part of this comes down to the fact that the series comes from the same creative duo, but it’s also true that there are no coincidences in the narration — everything is mapped out.

How Fans Think AMATEOTW Can Really Save The OA 7 Years After Its Netflix Debut

While some The OA While enthusiasts are probably hoping for a non-linear multiverse connection between the two series, there is actually another (and perhaps more practical) way to do it. A murder at the end of the world can help The OA continue. If A murder at the end of the world is a huge success, Netflix might reconsider its decision The OAcancellation. Likewise, the popularity and distinct atmosphere of the new show could encourage viewers to return or watch it again. The OA, helping the series get back on Netflix’s radar. In this way, A murder at the end of the world gives hope to The OA get the ending he deserves.

New episodes of A murder at the end of the world stream on Hulu every Tuesday until December 19, 2023.

Sources: PeopleReddit