9 Best Fan Theories That Exploded in 2017
Is it just us, or did fan theories as a whole really explode in 2017? It probably has something to do with the fact that we live our entire lives on social media and can communicate with other fans easily, but it could also be because 2017 was a stellar year for pop culture. (Hello, Stranger Things 2, Game of Thrones, a new Taylor Swift album, and way, way, way, way more!)
Though some fan theories veer into the "conspiracy theory" lane, others are totally fascinating and make us think, "Hmm, maybe!" It's fun to reexamine our favorite pop culture mainstays through a different lens. This past year was an amazing time for intricate, thought-provoking fan theories — here are a few of our favorites.
Courtesy Netflix1/10Stranger Things is connected to It
According to this fan theory, Pennywise the clown could be part of the world of Stranger Things as a fixture of Bob’s nightmares about a clown. Since It the novel came out in 1985 and Stranger Things is set a year prior. Talk about chilling.
Warner Bros. Pictures2/10Severus Snape is transgender … or alive!
The idea that Severus Snape is a transgender woman is a theory that's picked up steam in the Harry Potter fandom thanks to a Tumblr user who presents some compelling arguments. And while it's not confirmed at all, we do think it’s awesome that fans of the series can see a bit of themselves in every character, regardless of gender identity.
Another Snape-centric theory? He didn’t actually die in the books but instead went on to live his life on his own terms. Maybe so!
©Walt Disney Co./Courtesy Everett Collection3/10Moana has the same storyline as Little Mermaid and Wonder Woman
Disney’s Moana quickly became a beloved addition to the canon, but viewers couldn't help noticing some striking similarities between its storyline and that of both The Little Mermaid and summer’s blockbuster Wonder Woman. Was Moana’s story the reverse of Ariel’s, or a parallel to Diana Prince? That’s all TBD — what do you believe? We see both sides!
Photo: Courtesy the CW4/10All the Riverdale theories
The CW’s incredibly addictive hit Riverdale has more than its fair share of fan theories, including one claiming Alice Cooper is a witch and could be connected to the Sabrina the Teenage Witch reboot. There’s another theory purporting that the four main characters are just repeating their parents’ stories, and that Alice’s son is actually F.P. Jones’s child, not Hal Cooper’s.
It's also of note that Internet sleuths were hard at work solving Jason Blossom’s murder, — though we know how that turned out after the shocking season one finale.
Disney Channel/Everett Collection5/10High School Musical is actually just one long musical
This fan theory assumes that every High School Musical movie is actually just part of one big musical that the Wildcats are performing. So meta, right? If this is confusing, Reddit user rockaface explains it all very clearly.
© ABC Family / Courtesy: Everett Collection6/10Who is A.D.?
No TV series has inspired the amount of fan theories that Pretty Little Liars did. The show wrapped in summer and A.D.’s identity was revealed, and fans spent hours speculating about nearly every angle of the show before its finale. Seriously, you could write a book about this!
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©FX Networks/Courtesy Everett Collection7/10All seasons of American Horror Story are connected in THIS way
American Horror Story is a fan theory goldmine, given the cryptic hints and teasers shown to fans, leaving them to dissect every clue. We know that every season of American Horror Story is connected to the others in some form, but we haven’t figured out the complex puzzle created by the show’s creator Ryan Murphy. He did give us a few clues via Instagram in July, comparing the seasons to the nine circles of hell. Cult is pretty violent … what will the next season bring?
Beth Dubber/Netflix8/10November 10 is a significant date for 13 Reasons Why
Netflix’s popular 13 Reasons Why was a breeding ground for fan theories, but one of the most interesting was the significance of the date November 10. A Tumblr user noticed a parallel between a song playing in a fantasy sequence and the date characters were subpoenaed after Hannah’s death. Was this an accident, or was it planned? We’ll have to wait for season two to know for sure.
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Getty Images9/10All the Taylor Swift theories
Taylor Swift basically set the internet on fire with the release of her album Reputation, sparking fan theories about everything from song titles to a possible engagement to the person behind certain song lyrics. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg! Reputation debuted on November 10, which means that we’ll probably be spending the rest of 2017 (and early 2018) figuring out who each song is about. Say what you want about Taylor, but she’s never boring.
