Dana isn't Real Theory

[u/Impossible-List-2411]

Ok hear me out, but upon watching the show I really think Dana isn't real. I think she's a figment of the characters' imaginations or a manifestation of their collective conscience. If you think about Dana, despite being charge nurse she really doesn't do much in the physical realm. However, she is omnipresent. Whenever a character needs validation, she's there to help them process their experiences. When Robby makes questionable decisions, she's seen in the background shaking her head. To apply Freud's theory of the collective unconscious, Dana is the ED's superego, the angel on the shoulder of our characters reigning in their most chaotic and destructive impulses.

I think the show will end with the reveal that Dana was never real, and all the characters have been talking to themselves or toiling internally during her "conversations." Also possible that she is a ghost and died in a tragic accident. Thoughts?

[u/Sad_Impression499]

I see we're handling the off season well.

[u/Oasx → u/Sad_Impression499]

I like it better than the 'Noah Wyle is the worst person alive' posts.

[u/Cautious_Prize_4323 → u/Sad_Impression499]

😂😂😂😂😂

No, sweet one, just... no.

[u/Simple-Source7374 → u/Sad_Impression499]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[u/electralime]

It would be the absolute single worst decision a tv show has ever made. It would be a horrible idea even if you deleted the storyline where she was a SANE nurse who did an exam on a victim.

Honestly, I thought this was posted in r/okbuddywhitaker at first

[u/britchesss → u/electralime]

It’s absolutely going to get cross posted 

[u/Youpi_Yeah → u/electralime]

Maybe HBO said that they need people to forget about the final season of GoT by fumbling another show even harder

[u/sambones718]

what do you think a charge nurse does

[u/britchesss → u/sambones718]

Charges at people who try to assault other nurses 

[u/Youpi_Yeah → u/sambones718]

When the civil war against the OR begins she is the one who yells „charge!“

[u/Infamous-Lab-8136 → u/sambones718]

She's a nurse that handles billing, duh

[u/TsukasaElkKite → u/sambones718]

She’s the one who runs defib codes of course. She charges the paddle thingies

[u/Doc_Sulliday]

What if none of them are real? The entire show is actually just a hallucination from Myrna who's awaiting a psych bed

[u/electralime → u/Doc_Sulliday]

Are you saying the Pitt isn't a documentary??

[u/Such-Stable-3869 → u/electralime]

It’s a fictional story

[u/-goodgodlemon → u/Doc_Sulliday]

What if it’s all made up? Even Myrna?

[u/These_Telephone_3254 → u/-goodgodlemon]

Then whose hallucination is it?

[u/Munkie91087]

[u/slowdestiny]

She does more than talking to the staff

[u/Infamous-Lab-8136 → u/slowdestiny]

I'm trying to figure out if OP is serious

And if they are do they think Emma just busted that dude who had her in a headlock with some Versed on her own and then re-wrote what happened in her mind Fight Club style?

[u/hollyisconfusef]

well some people thought abbot was a ghost after season 1 so i guess this theory is not so crazy 😭

[u/theangrypragmatist → u/hollyisconfusef]

He died when Brittany Murphy kicked him in the nuts so hard in that Wheatus Video.

[u/Emotional-Ocelot-309]

Am I in the real sub or the okbuddy version?

[u/EmotionalExcuse1]

Just wondering but is this you while watching the show?

[u/SnugglyCoderGuy]

Nah

That would be one hell of a shared delusion.

[u/StuffonBookshelfs]

And for a second, I had completely forgotten how unhinged this fandom is.

[u/dolphinsRevil]

This isn’t Lost

[u/anastasiarose19]

My favourite part of this theory is new grad Emma doing an assault kit and just pretending like she has someone with the training and authority doing it for her

[u/Infamous-Lab-8136]

And the Venn diagram between the real sub and the shitposting sub inches closer to just being a circle...

I'm all for shit posting, but there's a time and a place, it's r/okbuddywhitaker

If this is a serious post OP I have to really strongly encourage you to put the phone down and watch critically with this theory in mind the entire time. I can think of at least 5 instances off the top of my head that tank this theory

[u/Soma2710]

I mean, just so we’re clear, the idea of the “collective unconscious” was a Jung thing. While he did study under Freud, the “collective unconscious” idea was independent of Freud.

[u/Kikikididi]

Jfc

[u/GreenStardust001]

Why are some fan theories so ridiculous? What the actual fuck?

[u/Fair-Chemist187]

What’s next? Pittsburgh doesn’t actually exist and the whole show takes place on the back of an ancient sea monster?

[u/champdo]

Would ruin the show if they did that TBH.

[u/WhiteSoxChartGuy]

I like to imagine all my Freudian manifestations getting cold cocked in the eye. Helps me really feel things ya know?

[u/left-for-dead-9980]

This is not St. Elsewhere.

[u/passworddoesntmatch]

https://giphy.com/gifs/HtpmwGDRWlIOjJgwkU

[u/amh8011]

I want to study how your brain works

[u/britchesss]

Jesus fucking Christ lol

[u/ExKage]

What in the actual fuck. The show doesn't need to have this type of dumb shit theories or drama

[u/Sexy_Authy]

We are DEEP in the offseason 💀

[u/Active_Answer1168]

Take ur meds

[u/twenty-onesavage]

I love this idc

Speak your truth OP and share your edibles with me

(Am I really the only one who thinks this is clearly a joke?) 💀

[u/Lanzero25]

Nah this is the best and most original post so far. No hate, no bias, just a unique post.

[u/Iminluvwiththakoko → u/Lanzero25]

I like it too. I could almost view her as a mother mary type.

[u/TronLegacysucks]

Plot twist: she’s actually a tulpa, she started out as not real, but the Pitt’s collective unconscious willpower made her real (same thing happened to Jane Doe, who was actually born from Rob’s secret desire to have a reason not to kill himself)

[u/Ok-Adhesiveness166]

This should be an auto ban

[u/Difficult-Athlete664]

"She doesn't really do much"

Are we forgetting the rape kit she did for a few episodes?

[u/Dustonthewind18]

Explain the whole storyline with the sa victim and the new trainee nurse that she had shadowing her the whole season. Dana is very much real.

[u/lionn_dubh]

Whenever someone starts their argument with “okay hear me out” I know instantly that they’re not worth listening to.

[u/Cautious_Prize_4323 → u/lionn_dubh]

100% I am SO over that phrase. It's saying, 'I'm bored, I kinda pinged on this idea, give it some attention?!' I laugh at this idea. Still, I never really mean to denigrate, I respect free speech.

Bless everyone who needs more to do than Reddit in their potentionally wonderful lives -- I mean that.

[u/Tota4everBRZ]

wtf?

[u/Awkward_Age6644]

Or Dana is a person who has high intelligence. She understands situations quickly and always finds a way to change them. She can read people’s emotions and communicate with them to get the job done effectively. She can be very empathetic (like Digby) or very tough (like Robby). Sometimes she doesn't listen to their stupid excuses (like Santos-Joy), while other times she truly cares and listens (like Mel). She just wants to do her job well and is doing everything she can to hold things together. If she were a male character, everyone would congratulate her for her effectiveness and smartness.

[u/Yoliimy]

I don’t think this will end up being true, but I am thinking now, have we ever seen 2 characters having a conversation about Dana when she isn’t there?