Like many of the great mystery TV series to come before it, 1899 left viewers with more questions than answers following the first season’s conclusion. Until season 2 is released on Netflix, it will be up to fans across the internet to envision the answers everyone is searching for.
Theory crafting is half of the fun for a series like 1899. The season is so rich in symbolism, references, and detail that ideas of fans will keep viewers wanting more until the next installment. A number of theories have already begun to surface and gain traction.
Maura Didn’t Escape The Simulation
In the final scene of season 1, Maura wakes up finding herself on a spaceship, with her companions from the Kerberos and Prometheus still inhibited in tubes. The moment appears to be her escaping from the simulation, but many fans have theorized that it is simply another layer.
The season had already fooled its audience with Henry Singleton’s reality, expecting him to be the puppet master, then revealing he was just in another layer of the simulation. There’s no evidence to suspect that the spaceship in 2099 isn’t just another part of the simulation, or that the audience will ever even know what the true reality of this world is.
The Passengers Are All Prisoners
The first handful of episodes of the season took a dive into the variety of characters aboard the Kerberos, while the final few narrowed down heavily on Maura and her family. This begged the question of why all of these characters mattered in the first place.
With more seasons to come, hopes are that there is some explanation for the relevance of all the side characters to the central plot line. An early theory is that they’re all prisoners trapped together, possibly due to a connected incident or tragedy.
The Simulation Is A Test Of Morality
The idea of human behavior is mentioned multiple times throughout the series. Henry Singleton views the events on the Kerberos and comments on its reflection of human nature, particularly noting the mutiny as an example of the passengers’ failure to work together.
This would imply that the simulation is some sort of morality test, and if Henry is in another layer of the simulation, he could be part of it too. This could also signify that all of these characters are AI, with the simulation being a space to test the programming of their humanity. Many of 1899’s best quotes suggest themes of human introspection, so it’s likely this will be an important theme.
Daniel And Elliot Are Dead
Daniel and Elliot seem to have a higher understanding of the events happening in the simulation than most of the other characters. The multi-layered madness of the simulation, if created by Maura, could indicate that her loved ones are dead, with the layers being a projection of her grief.
The real-world events surrounding this family could be a major explanation for the state of the simulation and will be one of the chief mysteries going forward. Daniel is one of the smartest 1899 characters based on his knowledge of the simulation, but the question going forward will be how he obtained this knowledge.
The Passengers Aren’t Real People
Expanding on the idea of the morality test is the suggestion that the characters on the Kerberos are all AI. This could indicate that the characters are engineered by Maura, or include Maura, and placed in an elaborate situation to see how they respond.
Maura seems to have played a part in the creation of this virtual world and is considered to either be the designer of it, or she is the AI herself. Each episode begins with Maura’s voice telling a character to wake up, indicating that she is the centerpiece of this reality. Some of the best tweets about 1899praised these openings, as they created a captivating introduction to each episode.
The Real Reality Is In The ’70s
If the 2099 spaceship is still part of the simulation, the question of what the real reality is has been brought up. Fans noticed the screens in Henry Singleton’s office used to watch the passengers on the Kerberos appeared to be from the ’70s.
Not only that, but the music in the series that concludes each episode is primarily from the ’70s and could imply something about the greater reality of this world. Though AI and simulations are far beyond the technological capabilities of this time period, it is a fictional world after all.
Eyk Is The Key
With a series as detailed as 1899, every character, scene, and line delivered will be analyzed heavily for clues. Fans quickly noticed that the name Eyk is an anagram for Key. Unlike most of the other characters on the ship who had no relation to Maura before the journey began, Eyk still seems to be of importance by the end.
This has put Eyk on a pedestal of importance among the other characters. Theories suspect that he may be a central part of the escape from the simulation, and some believe that he is actually the true romantic interest of Maura, as they had a very natural and well-built chemistry in season 1.
Ciaran Isn’t Maura’s Brother
The idea of Maura’s brother is mentioned throughout the season, until the end where it is supposedly revealed that her brother pulls the strings of the simulation. The name Ciaran is revealed, opening the character up to a number of theories.
Many have suspected that Ciaran isn’t Maura’s brother. Possible alternatives are that Ciaran is somehow Elliot. This is due to the name origin of Ciaran, which means ‘little dark-haired one.’ Another theory is that Ciaran is another part of Maura’s psyche. Regardless, him being her real, biological brother seems unlikely to come without a twist.
The Triangles
A particular triangle symbol is seen throughout the series in multiple locations, along with every character having some sort of triangle on their attire or imprinted on them. The current belief is that the triangle represents the planet Earth.
This has opened up a number of theories about the spaceship, or the show as a whole. Some have suggested that the spaceship is real, and implies the passengers are fleeing the planet, while other fans have gone as far as to say the simulation may have been created by aliens. The purpose of the triangles is one of the main questions fans have about 1899 after season 1.
The Bugs
A mysterious element aboard the Kerberos is the small, green, bugs used by Elliot and Daniel to unlock doors. The bugs could be designed for a purpose, such as allowing Elliot to have his pet from the real world that he had named Alfred.
Alternatively, the bugs could simply be computer bugs. While they may have been inspired by Maura’s memory of the beetle Elliot wanted to keep, they could still be small errors in her simulation, utilized by the more knowledgeable Elliot and Daniel to cheat around the reality.
