# your favorite fan theory to explain for a fictional universe? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 18, 2015, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-fan-theory-to-explain-for-a-fictional-universe/731614 "2015-09-18T00:01:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2015, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-fan-theory-to-explain-for-a-fictional-universe/731614/41 "2015-09-21T19:49:25Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > That’s pretty funny. Love the breakdown of Harry’s reaction to a blowtorch to the scalp. > > I just saw one this morning that Batman is all in Bruce Wayne’s head. Wayne is in Arkham Asylum and the villains are all employees or other patients. I think it’s stupid but someone put some thought into it. I like that one. I hadn’t seen it before, but it makes sense. Grant Morrison, in his incredible extended run in the Batman comics, presented the goofy Silver Age Batman stories as Bruce’s unreliable viewpoint while under the lingering influence of repeated exposure to Joker toxin, fear gas, Poison Ivy’s concoctions and many other factors. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2015, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-fan-theory-to-explain-for-a-fictional-universe/731614/42 "2015-09-21T22:58:56Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > And fittingly, there is a second level theory based on this theory. > > It’s that this isn’t just a fan theory; this was supposed to be the actual plot of the Matrix sequels. But when the first movie came out, some fans guessed this theory. The Wachowskis wanted to surprise the audience so they threw out the original plot and made up a new one. I can believe it; and my theory may be derivative, but I come by it honestly; I came up with it all on my own (apparently, alongside a few million other people) driving home from the theater after originally seeing _The Matrix._ I guess Obvious Plot is obvious. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2015, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-fan-theory-to-explain-for-a-fictional-universe/731614/43 "2015-09-21T23:13:23Z")
> [@Alan\_Smithee](#): > > That one really bugged me. We know the etymology of “doctor” pretty thoroughly. It comes from the Latin for “to teach.” Which raises the question: Do people in other languages hear the Doctor’s name in their own language, or do they hear the sounds of the English word “doctor”? If the former, do they hear the word meaning physician or the title of their highest academic degree? And if the latter, isn’t it amazing that the Doctor, the Master, the Rani, the Corvair, and I’m not sure how many other Time Lords chose names that make words in English. > > Unless we get all those words from the Time Lords. In which case it makes sense that “master” means “someone who has some significant academic achievements but hasn’t shown himself clever enough to be called ‘doctor’ yet,” but makes less sense that it also means “schoolteacher” and not “evil bastard who shrinks people.” Actually we do have a clue, in that when the Master chose an alias in an English village {in _The Daemons_}, he chose “Reverend Magister”, which implies that in whatever language he uses, his title will be the equivalent of the Gallifreyan for Master or Teacher. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-fan-theory-to-explain-for-a-fictional-universe/731614/44 "2015-10-02T18:22:19Z")
Bumping this one up because I heard a good one on Reddit today. In Men In Black, when J is testing to become an Agent, he goes up against a bunch of military guys. The theory is that those guys were never in consideration for the job, it’s just part of the test to see how he reacts to being around a bunch of government people and not being in the know. Notice how they all seem to know exactly what to do (like that the tests are under the chairs), and he has no idea. They all got extra instructions before the test began, which is why J was late. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-fan-theory-to-explain-for-a-fictional-universe/731614/45 "2015-10-02T21:32:19Z")
> [@ExTank](#): > > I can believe it; and my theory may be derivative, but I come by it honestly; I came up with it all on my own (apparently, alongside a few million other people) driving home from the theater after originally seeing _The Matrix._ > I guess Obvious Plot is obvious. You and me both. I think in retrospect, the Wachowskis planted too many clues in the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-fan-theory-to-explain-for-a-fictional-universe/731614/46 "2015-10-02T21:36:57Z")
One thing that annoys the heck out of me. Back in the eighties, when _The Watchmen_ was being released in monthly issues, I remember I had a theory about how it was all going to turn out. As I recall, my theory tied together a bunch of different elements in the series. But when the final issues came out, the actual ending was quite different than the theory I had come up with. The annoying part is I can’t remember what my theory was. I’ve even gone back and reread the series trying to remember but all I can come up with now is the actual ending. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-fan-theory-to-explain-for-a-fictional-universe/731614.md?page=2)