Netflix's The OA ending explained: Did it hint at a cross-series multiverse?

Netflix’s The OA quickly emerged as one of the most popular sci-fi TV series released in recent years. The show, right from the start, presented intricately complicated narratives that continuously raised questions related to the very nature of ‘reality’ shown in the two seasons thus far.

The OA season 2 came to an end back in March 2019 after an ending that continues to baffle long-time viewers and fans. The show was then abruptly canceled by Netflix.

The ending of The OA season 2 took a meta turn when a portal to a third dimension opened, allowing Hunter Aloysius Percy, aka Hap, and his captives to escape to alternate lives in San Francisco.

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What happened during The OA season 2 ending?

The season 2 finale saw Karim come across a T.S. Elliot quote in the Nob Hill puzzle house. That was the first evidence for viewers with respect to what was coming. The OA, shown to have a penchant for circular storytelling, saw a return to its roots in the end, despite suspicions of an alternate ending.

After Hap forces upon the dimensional door following a choreographed dance, other characters like BBA and Buck find themselves in the third dimension. This is followed by Homer Roberts acknowledging the existence of the ‘Upside Down,’ which fans of Netflix’s Stranger Things will be well aware of.

The ending effectively also saw The Original Angel emerging as the series’ protagonist, with Hap taking up the role of the antagonist. While he was initially shown as a character struggling to get back home, the fact that he forced his captives into the third dimension added a sense of helplessness to the season 2 ending.

The storyline brought forth the possibility of a Netflix multiverse, also evident in Hap’s explanation of the ‘invisible river’ that allowed interdimensional travel. The narrative seemingly had parallels with Stranger Things and effectively sent Hap and his captives exactly where they started off from.

While fans had initially hoped for a more fitting conclusion as part of season 3, Netflix’s decision to cancel the series ensured that that did not happen.

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Why did Netflix cancel The OA?

The OA quickly amassed for itself a cult following. While the series did not break the mainstream, its abrupt cancellation brought forth questions from fans around the world. In an interview with Variety, Creators Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij had suggested that summarizing the intricate plot of the series was in itself an almost impossible task.

The two seasons proved to be inadequate in the sense that the series needed longer episodes that would have pushed the boundaries of narrative constraints. Still, the cancellation sparked outrage, with no clear reason being given by the creators themselves.

The decision was perceived as an attempt to save costs, as Netflix has similarly canceled a range of series in the past despite them being successful. In an interview with RadioTimes.com, Jason Isaacs (who played Dr Hunter Aloysius Percy or Hap) had even suggested that the decision was driven by corporate aims and not viewership numbers.

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The series is available on Netflix.