My Theories.

[bryrk]

OK, just to start off with, I have a lot of theories about this game. And I mean a LOT. Also, please remember that these are just my theories, and I don't mind if you don't agree with them, just don't kick off if I don't agree with yours.


First off, Rachel Amber. We know from the 3rd Episode that her and Frank... did stuff. So, why did she go? Was she kidnapped? Just left? Well. From analysing one of the letters from Rachel to Frank, it says something along the lines of "There's a lot of weird sh*t going on in my life and sometimes it feels like I'll never leave Arcadia Bay" and "Let's just drive out of here forever". So why is Frank still there and Rachel gone? I have seen many other fan theories suggesting that Rachel and Max are the same person. I decided to delve a little deeper into this theory. While it may be a possibility, surely if they were the same person, they'd be in different dimensions/worlds, meaning nobody in Arcadia Bay would be able to know her AND Max at the same time. Also, the whole objective of "Find out what happened to Rachel" would be kinda pointless, as they'd never actually be able to cross paths, and if by some way they did, they'd most likely create a time paradox.

The ending of Episode 3 is no stranger to time paradoxes however, leaving us at a cliffhanger with so many questions. How did Chloe get to be handicapped? Karma, from when she suggested taking the money from the handicapped fund? Almost impossible, seeing as after Max changed the whole future, that would never have happened. Or would it?
***Edit: I think that she may have been in the car crash that was supposed to kill her father. After Max prevented it from happening to William, perhaps the crash actually did happen, but instead of harming William, it impacted Chloe instead.***

I have reason to believe that this game is strongly connected to the "Everett interpretation", which is basically the theory of there being infinite universes, in each one, there being a copy of you, and every time you make a decision, another version of you makes a different decision. I believe that whenever Max travels in time, she is technically transporting herself to one of the other universes, and making another decision. This theory is especially vital when it comes to the main decisions in the game, which change things further down the line, such as in Episode 2, you have the decision of shooting Frank, or leaving him. I also have evidence of this theory in Episode 2. Quite a main part of the "Everett Interpretation" is something called "Schrödinger's cat". Sound familiar? It should do. In Episode 2, when you are about to visit Warren in the Science Lab, he texts Max saying "I'm no Schrödinger's cat". Either this is an incredible coincidence, or an Easter Egg, put in by the developers as a hint that that's what they have based it on.

Now, going back to what I said earlier about Max and Rachel being the same person. In one of Rachel's letters, she mentions that she's a Leo, meaning that her birthday falls between July 23rd and August 22nd. In Episode 1, by checking Max's texts, you can see a message from her father, wishing her a happy birthday. The message dated September 21st, therefore making Max a Virgo. ***Edit: If Max and Rachel were the same person, surely they'd have birthdays on a similar date. I researched the two zodiacs and found out that Leos and Virgos are pretty much the opposite to each other, giving me the reason to believe that Max may actually be the OPPOSITE of Rachel. It makes sense, seeing as
1. Max and Frank hate each other, whereas Rachel and Frank loved each other, and 2. Rachel is all up for drugs (as far as I'm aware), however Max is against it. I would write more about this but I'm tired and can't think very well.***

I know that this was a pretty long discussion about my theories, but if you have read to the end, thank you for taking the time to listen to my probably wrong theories =3

[Jamison]

As far as Chloe I just assumed that when she got her car keys, on her birthday, that she got into a wreck. Since her father originally died in a car wreck, in the other timeline, that other Chloe either was cautious when she learned how to drive, or Joyce taught Chloe not to be careless (in order to avoid her father's fate)

[Deventh]

This game is ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ with my brain so much and after that episode it just increased...

[Geeky Meerkat]

I mean no disrespect to your theory but you forgot to state a conclusion. You seem to have an implied conclusion that Max and Rachel are not actually the same person due to the birthday thing. I'm not sure though where all the other stuff comes in.

[bryrk]

Originally posted by Geeky Meerkat:

I mean no disrespect to your theory but you forgot to state a conclusion. You seem to have an implied conclusion that Max and Rachel are not actually the same person due to the birthday thing. I'm not sure though where all the other stuff comes in.

I have decided to edit in some more to do with my theories, because I forgot to put them in when I originally made the post. I apologise about there being no conclusion, I'm just not very good at them. Basically what I'm trying to say is that
1. Max and Rachel can't be the same person
2. Chloe was hit by the crash that should have killed William
3. The game is based off the "Everett Interpretation"

[drinah]

Chloe being in the car crash that originally killed her father can't have happened, because as you can see by the pictures at the end of the episode, Chloe was fine at least like two or three years after the scene we played last. There are some pictures shown of the family which clearly show them at the time after that event, because you see them instead of the funeral pic etc. Also I think Chloe with the car keys has to be a birthday picture of her. Would make sense that it's her 16th.

I don't really have an opinion about the Max and Rachel being the same person thing yet, but as far as your thoughts go... What if Max/Rachel is the same person, but doesn't know herself? Maybe Rachel is a build up character of Max so she randomly decided which is her birthday etc. Also that would explain why some people know Rachel and Max and so many think of Rachel when they see Max.

[Geeky Meerkat]

I just think all these theories that Max and Rachel are the same person are a bit silly. Yes they have a simular body type and Max looks enough like Rachel that people mistake her for Rachel when she is wearing Rachel's clothes. But as soon as they actually look at her instead of just glancing at her they know it's Max.

So far Max has shown no power to shape change. Before she left on her trip she was besties with Chloe. After she left on her trip it was Rachel that was besties with Chloe. Yet Chloe isn't saying "Oh my god you look just like her."

I can understand why some people think that Rachel might have some powers herself that are simular to Chloe's powers. But I just don't see why the theory that Rachel and Chloe are the same person keeps coming up. So yes I fully agree that Max and Rachel can't be the same person.

As for you saying that Chloe was hit by the crash that should have killed William, I'm going to modify that theory just a touch as we know that the way you worded it that it's not the case. What might be the case though is that Chloe was in an accident that was very similar to the accident that William was in. If another driver was involved in William's accident, then that same driver was involved in Chloe's accident. If it happened on X road, then Chloe's accident happened on X road.

The only thing that actually changed with the accident was the time it happened, and if it was William or Chloe that was there. I suspect even the injuries Chloe suffered were simular to the injuries that killed William, but because the accident happened years after the accident that killed William, medical tech and expertise progressed enough that Chloe's life could be saved.

As for the game being based off of the "Everett Interpretation", I've never even heard of that. I might have to look it up.

[Geeky Meerkat]

Ah just looked it up and I've heard of it but just not by that name. We know that's not actually the case because of Max's ability to pick up an item and move somewhere else and then reverse time and maintain her new location and her held items. I'll use an example that makes it clear why this disproves that the game is using that theory...

In the third game you use a devise to break into an office. That sets off the alarm and so you go into the office and reverse time to before you used the devise. You then open the door from the inside and let Chloe inside who then comments on how magical you are.

So with the choice theory, the only way Max could have gotten into the office using choices was to somehow hide in the office before it was closed. In such a timeline she wouldn't have been with Chloe right before Chloe was picking the lock, and she wouldn't have been texting with Warren about making the devise. Chloe and Warren both though continue to act as they would before Max's rewind, and when Max uses it to apparently teleport this properly surprises Chloe.

Though this still makes me curious, if cameras do get put up all over school what does it look like on camera when Max uses her powers to teleport.

[bryrk]

Thanks to you all for leaving your suggestions about my theories; it's really helping me to figure out what's gonna happen next. Also, if a couple of my theories do turn out to be right, I'm not gonna be an a-hole and say "I told you so" ;) =P

[bryrk]

Originally posted by drinah:

Chloe being in the car crash that originally killed her father can't have happened, because as you can see by the pictures at the end of the episode, Chloe was fine at least like two or three years after the scene we played last. There are some pictures shown of the family which clearly show them at the time after that event, because you see them instead of the funeral pic etc. Also I think Chloe with the car keys has to be a birthday picture of her. Would make sense that it's her 16th.

I don't really have an opinion about the Max and Rachel being the same person thing yet, but as far as your thoughts go... What if Max/Rachel is the same person, but doesn't know herself? Maybe Rachel is a build up character of Max so she randomly decided which is her birthday etc. Also that would explain why some people know Rachel and Max and so many think of Rachel when they see Max.

about Chloe being in the car crash: It may have just been a different time. Everything that was meant to happen will happen eventually, so it could just be that the crash was DELAYED a few years? But your idea is pretty clever =)