Film Theory: The Amazing Digital Circus is LYING To You!

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After covering Murder Drones a few months ago on the channel, we’re back to cover another @GLITCH production! And this one, which has already received 32 MILLION views on the pilot episode, is a doozy. Today, loyal Theorist, we’re diving headfirst into The Amazing Digital Circus! Which era are these characters trapped in a video game? Who helped create the game? And is Pomni letting on more than she’s letting on? Let’s find out…
Watch The Amazing Digital Circus Pilot ► • THE AMAZING DIGITAL CI...
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Credits:
Writers: Matthew Patrick and Forrest Lee
Editors: Tyler Mascola, Koen Verhagen, Danial "BanditRants" Keristoufi, AbsolutePixel, and Lace
Sound Designer: Yosi Berman
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#TheAmazingDigitalCircus #AmazingDigitalCircus #DigitalCircus #Glitch #Cartoon #Animated #Anime #GlitchProductions #MurderDrones #Dark #DarkComedy #Theory #FilmTheory #Matpat

[@FilmTheory]

Get 35% off your first order: sundaysfordogs.com/filmtheory

[@theanimationguy2.0]

one day ago, epic

[@TheBananaKing575]

Hello

[@sirSarkodiee]

Im lying to you

[@jaymethomas5170]

Hi

[@user-zb4dp4vr8l]

thank you

[@archieharrodine3925]

I love the theory that Kinger (and Queenie) were original bug testers for the game when it was first made, which is why Kinger is the one who has been there the longest, constantly talks about an ‘insect collection’ (insects = bugs), and knows a lot about the digital world when he is explaining hunger at the end of the episode

[@BatzelChaos]

i love this.

[@lucym5675]

This is so interesting!

[@peterstoric6560]

That big/insect thing is perfect

[@bruv12321]

yes

[@TheMadsC]

EDIT: Guys I have been informed multiple times now that he says it's twice. I acknowledge I was wrong, but please, I don't need any more replies, lol. - I like this theory too, but doesn't he only mention the insect collection once? It's still a good theory, but to say he "constantly" mentions it might be a bit much, lol

[@anthonyzeedyk406]

The consciousness copy theory is more legitimately frightening than humans being directly trapped in a simulation.

[@Mastermindpirate]

Imagine if when a consciousness is transplanted to the digital world their bodies are basically vegetables, untill their physical body dies of hunger or dehydration. Just a brick with a pulse.

[@UTTPDestroyer]

@@Mastermindpirate I was thinking the same lol

[@kennethsatria6607]

Swamp Thing.

[@Broockle]

the 1st theory doesn't check out for me tho. Pomni coming so late after so many characters have already abstracted in the simulation could mean this old CRT PC could be in an old C&A company basement. If anything Pomni arriving after all the others proves that this is present day to me and not the 90s.

[@dreadfulfr]

⁠@@Mastermindpiratethis is actually a thing in SAO. except instead of just rotting while theyre trapped in the game, their bodies are taken care of by hospitals until they wake up or die in game (since a death in the game causes the user to die as well)

[@daakshadhaanvi7469]

Here's an interesting theory to look out for: "XDDCC", which was pomni's actual name, is in an encrypted language called "Caesar Cypher", and translates to "out". And when caine spins the wheel, the letters above it "PNCMM" means "get", So basically, caine/someone was telling pomni to get out.... Edit: Thank you for the likes!

[@humand0969]

They translate to OUUTT and GETDD, but yeah.

[@d1g1tal_c1rcus]

Finally! Ppl are saying that Caine is the villain, though he created this mess hes secretly trying to find a way to help the players get out

[@gabrielallen1925]

​@@d1g1tal_c1rcus me personally I still don't trust him he has to prove himself like in a different way then hidden message unless he can't that is no hate to this theory though

[@daakshadhaanvi7469]

@@humand0969 Similar enough🤣 lol

[@Aesthicly]

this goes back to my theory- caine spinned the wheel and spon XDDCC and PNCMM to tell pomni to get out

[@glertlesckletch]

I was surprised you didn't mention the fact that an exit does seem to exist. When Caine is showing Pomni the entirety on the digital circus map, she spots a green door that says exit and when she questions it, Caine dismisses her questioning. The exit Pomni goes into conveniently shows up in front of her, but this one is red, and to me seems like something Caine made to try and get Pomni to give up on the idea of an exit.

[@humand0969]

The exit door she spots outside is orange, not green. But yeah, it is possible. Also if cain is an ai, how did he make a photorealistic copy of the entire office? it seems to look exactly the same as the real one, and thus it couldn't be deduced from the stories alone. He would need to have acccess to the entire office's camera system, but a) we didn't see any cameras b) why would be cameras in the 1990 office? And it would also contradict his statement about not knowing anything about the things beyond the void.

[@robertsandfield5684]

Sticking with the cast being developers, it would make sense for them to start the simulation with a scan of the office. Might be that the back rooms are old content that the digital circus is layered over.

[@kaazimsheikh9034]

​@@humand0969then maybe the office was just the last and only memory of Pomni? The last thing she saw before putting on the headset would've been her desk, right?

[@humand0969]

@@kaazimsheikh9034 so he just has access to her last memoriesbefore being "scanned"? and not any other?

[@kaazimsheikh9034]

@@humand0969 well the most recent memories are the strongest and most vivid. She forgot it in the sense that she no longer thinks of it until she was reminded of it again. Maybe it's only really her memories about her identity and her previous life that got deleted, and things that don't matter as much to her, like maybe work, were kept as these memories can't tell her anything about herself. Caine can't control her mind but whose to say he can't take any data from it?

[@peggyjaws]

A thing I love about this show is how Pomni does not care about any of her newfound "friends", she always prioritizes the exit whenever she sees it, unlike most "I'm in a new world and I'll explore anything and make many friends" cliches. It makes her feel more real in terms of how a person would act in a panic situation.

[@ItzzCrowva]

UTTP= IS SUPERIOR LOLOLOLOL

[@UTTPisBetterThanDannoCal]

MY VID30S ARE BETTER THEN TADC.

[@UTTPisBetterThanDannoCal]

UТТР IS WAY BETTER THEN THE AMAZING DIGITAL CIRCUS.

[@UTTPisBetterThanDannoCal]

UТТР IS WAY BETTER THEN THE AMAZING DIGITAL CIRCUS.

[@UTTPisBetterThanDannoCal]

UТТР IS WAY BETTER THEN THE AMAZING DIGITAL CIRCUS.

[@JackRook]

Caine isn’t evil, he just gets a bit quirky at night. I firmly regret commenting this.

[@theletterE.HDMI1]

But does he act normal from 6am to 12am?

[@DapperBrick]

He's just a silly little guy

[@Selevur175]

The Ai program does get a bit quirky at night,

[@gnarpy47]

@@UTTPr378don't lecture me with your thirty dollar videos

[@alicecovers19]

the ai teeth boys do get a bit quirky at night...

[@lucasmatthiessen1570]

Fun fact. Another reason why this makes sense is that Bubble, Caines friend is probably a reference to Able. Not only are their names similar but Cain (the digital circus version) always pops Bubble when he gets mad at him.

[@KlaxontheImpailr]

I want to see Caine take on scp 076. That'd be hilarious

[@xanthebolton7601]

That's a very bold claim, though

[@KlaxontheImpailr]

@@xanthebolton7601 especially since bubble never stays dead...

[@gumbyshrimp2606]

Bit of a stretch bud

[@sisakbarna3424]

@@KlaxontheImpailr When he said Able he meant Abel from Bible not scp 076

[@kevincomplex]

Caine's name could also be a reference to Novocain, an recalled anesthetic commonly used in dental procedures. It could be the case that Caine's likeness to an anesthetic means that although he tries to make things better(creating adventures and keeping the characters in line), he doesn't ultimately solve the problem at hand. Cain and Abel is an interesting direction but doesn't seem relevant, at least not at this point in the series.

[@navilandinator4479]

Oh Yeahh

[@_Stormy-x]

I love how not an hour after this show came out, people were like "Where's MatPat with his theories?!" and now we have it.

[@maxwellquipey2716]

It was inevitable

[@maxwellquipey2716]

, you know.

[@SupHapCak]

Sometimes I think theorizers jump on stuff too quickly Like I was surprised it had only come out 3 months ago, and the hype already seems like it’s dying out because people went and “found all the secrets” and it’s only episode one I think to be respectful to creators theorizers should give it room to breathe.

[@OrdinaryPlayz-ge3hp]

I have a theory for kinger: he keeps talking about “an insect collection” and insects can also be called “bugs” So kinger may have been a programmer in this and is looking for bugs but he went too crazy and started to confuse video/game bugs with an insect collection.

[@camblycreeper7999]

Also is scared of a Game Show, not sure what that could imply

[@hsumi1]

@@camblycreeper7999 This is more likely just a reference to Gooseworx's previous works, several of which involve a character experiencing a game show after being swallowed by a larger creature.

[@jayblu_]

Plus on that, He explains the 'eating sensation' at the end, Jax cutting in "since when you're the expert?". I think this means he was actually the developer and Kinger might be the first tester for all of this, since he's the longest trapped person.

[@thecourtjxster]

@@camblycreeper7999it’s just a joke reference to an older video by goose

[@TigerVids531]

​@@camblycreeper7999"little runmo"

[@jayjaygaming8625]

Something I heard someone say in the comments of the pilot episode was how the characters represent the stages of grief. There is denial(Pomni), anger(Zooble?), bargaining(Ragatha?), depression(Gangle?), and acceptance(Jax). I can’t remember exactly who was in each role, so I may have made a mistake, but I remember that the theory made a lot of sense when it was explained properly

[@sportsnerd100]

Yeah but if you try hard enough you can tretch those kind of ideas for anything

[@a.a.6318]

This could work, too, considering I've heard theories on how this may all essentially be an afterlife

[@thriffty3730]

what about the other characters that have abstracted? what would they have represented?

[@zaylo9273]

maybe endless despair like a void since cannot avoid the grief constantly as it get worst without an outlet to stop the grief

[@chrismayer3919]

Oddly, that makes quite a bit of sense… 😮

[@Wolf_Dominic]

Now that I think about it, it is interesting and suspicious that Pomni just happens to arrive around the same time as Kaufmo’s abstraction.

[@islasullivan3463]

Yeah especially bc they’re both clowns it’s probably connected.

[@ronni3204]

i was thinking the same thing! although her character design resembles more of a court jester some would also consider it to be in the same wheelhouse as a clown, meaning that theoretically if/whenever a new character arrives one of the older ones gets replaced with a similar character design OR they come in similar pairings like Kinger & the supposed "Queenie". this would also match up for the abstracted ones with pictures still on the hallway doors like the unnamed dog character & Jax who are both animals. (maybe/most likely a stretch lol but still fun to think about)

[@SirDanielErnestHemmingboone1]

Fun fact: Officially, the mannequin in the bathroom is a actual character. Officially, their name is Dr. Football. Hope this does something.

[@SirDanielErnestHemmingboone1]

No. @@UTTPr378

[@IsabelaisCRINGE]

Wait what-

[@apphiechar]

Dr football is the best character

[@diostaku2]

Underrated character without a doubt, he literally needed 0 dialogues to be memorable.

[@meapyboy12345]

wait where was that revealed?

[@Video_Fiend]

it is hard to believe that people are not picking up on the fact that she literally ran through "the exit" and saw exactly what she described when she first appeared

[@baguette9865]

?

[@stupidcat9591]

??

[@Starnight_Nightwing]

Wdym by "First apeared" she didn't when she first appeared?

[@Kazmirl]

I saw it- In the Background of that one room. I saw it man, I can't believe it either

[@cosmiceggs2385]

Meaning (I think): After running through the all the fake exits, Pomni saw the headset she was talking about when she first appeared. Which might be why she freaked out after seeing it.

[@silvesta5027]

Ok in all seriousness how does this Matpat guy simultaneously run 4 CHANNELS AT ONCE????? Film theory, food theory, fashion theory and game theory and they basically all upload once a week??? I know he has editors, but he is still has to voice and write up these episodes himself. Absolutely insane work ethic, I feel like he needs a break or something

[@Ungatohermoso]

I always thought that too. Makes me exhausted just thinking about it 😅

[@derp_2971]

He has a whole team.

[@Exerium0]

Actually 5 channels including the Gt live one lol

[@hapmaplapflapgap]

Tbf this video probably took 2 or 3 hours of his personal time. he watched the pilot episode, brainstormed to flesh out the theory, and then recorded it. There weren't any jokes here that would require extensive scripting.

[@_NekOz]

​@@hapmaplapflapgap Yeah no, this much work does not take a few days. This is weeks worth of work editing together, which is probably handled by his team.

[@scp05-redacted42]

No ant eater on that door. That, my friend, is a worm. A worm on a string, specifically

[@Daniel_Schmaniel]

New mini-theory: the mannequins are basically the opposite of abstraction. They are the "humans" who have completely given up on getting out, but rather than getting upset and losing their minds about it, they accepted it, and over time their individuality eroded away.

[@SliceOfPiee]

Holy moly thats a good one

[@aspygrass]

i actually really like that idea

[@EEEEEEEE]

E

[@des.mezzzz]

Not going to lie, when Caine was in the cafe I thought he was in the real world. Like he was there actually in human form they just didn’t show it. I thought he made this whole things for friends hence he would be talking to nobody if he was in the real world (the cafe) Sorry if it didn’t make sense. I’m typing it really fast since I’m doing something currently.

[@StarLightShadows]

Its possible, but there certainly would have to be a sizable delay between accepting the futility and losing their individuality. As The majority of the cast make it explicit that they have given up on escaping, but they haven't eroded yet.

[@sweaterhomeiscool]

I think the most shocking thing here is that MatPat seemed to not know what a Squirmles (worm on a string toy) is...

[@Wall-knight]

The most shocking part is they commented 2 days ago on a video that was released 23 hours ago

[@LILProductions]

@@Wall-knight You can schedule uploads

[@nikkifish]

It’s totally possible it can be that because they were made in 1977, two decades before the 90’s

[@EEEEEEEE]

E

[@fitriss_the_mighty3763]

@TherealBryceReaveley 🤨

[@Poshman7]

This might not be important but at 13:26 what you point out to be a green and orange anteater is actually a Squirmle which was a popular toy that came out in the 1970s, and was also popular in the early 2010s. I just thought it was interesting and a bit of nostalgia too.

[@themasked_bug2626]

Also! Caine could be like those jumping denture toys we all loved as kids!! Just a little thought. RAGATHA could also resemble the Raggedy Ann doll. Zooble, BUILDING. BLOCKS-, Abstracted things, growing up/childhood fears. There is a lot of dark childhood things I’ve noticed, so yeah!

[@missswierka]

I love how this show feels realistic, like Pomni acts like all of us would in her shoes

[@bruv12321]

yeah

[@bruv12321]

@@UTTPr378 spammer

[@missswierka]

@@bruv12321 fr like why won't bro leave me alone

[@DTux5249]

Eeeeeh to some extent. Reality seems to have set in real fast. You'd imagine disbelief lasting a little bit longer than a day.

[@fern_aka_that_idiot9090]

​@@UTTPr378Shut

[@ferr.6109]

I like the idea of Caine not fully understanding humans. Given he is an actual AI who may not know anything beyond the digital circus, there's a chance he doesn't get how important the outside world is to humans and why they are so desperate to get back to it

[@EnFr]

That part has been confirmed by Gooseworx

[@3nowStorm]

I like the idea as well because I’m kinda tired of Ai always being super evil.

[@aarongrant1]

@@UTTPr378Nobody cares bot

[@Grayson-tk5hn]

@@UTTPr378the y k s keys on my ketboard are looking very good

[@ayleth891]

Caine seems to think humans drowning themselves in the lake is normal. He definitely doesn't understand humans

[@TylerGoatMan]

something that helps with the theory of this being early simulation is the fact that the first ever 3d model was a teapot. Which is one of the circling objects at the start.

[@zoe_24]

What did you think of it being in the 2nd episode?

[@quinndobson7805]

The theory of the characters being copies of their human selves reminds me of the Game SOMA. The main character there has his brain scanned and the last thing he remembered was getting scanned and then suddenly waking up centuries in the future. Could be the same there where the digital version remembers putting on the headset but because they're a copy, they wouldn't then have the memories of taking off the headset. To quote SOMA: "We flipped a coin and we're the version that lost." Same with the Digital Circus, the characters are the version that lost the coin flip and got trapped in the simulation

[@NorvaVindrise]

The third theory is quite scary. The thought of yourself not being real really feels wierd for me, being a real person stuck in a digital world gives some kind of hope of escape. But being a simulation of the real person unable to escape the computer gives the most hopeless vibes.

[@_mjplays]

I 100% agree. I thought if that too and I couldn’t. It’s just too much for humans to understand, I think.

[@All_Mighty672]

Spoilers for a game if you care at all but: SOMA plays with this concept by having the protagonist get their mind scanned for a medical procedure and then took off the headset only to be at the bottom of the ocean almost 100 years in the future. Digital transfer of consciousness.

[@hipisss5836]

Maybe that’s the point why Cain emphasises to all characters that they are “human”? If he would claim that they aren’t real, that they are just copies of someone’s minds, they would simply give up and stop caring. As long as they believe that they are real, they still have a tiny bits of hope that they will someday escape the circus or at least ambitions to survive. But if they would knew that they are fake and life in circus is all what they can get, they could instantly go crazy and abstract.

[@ultraironicman1853]

It kinda reminds of the robot clone in invincible. I guess if you haven’t seen it then this comment won’t make a lot of sense.

[@FaeALDC]

@@hipisss5836wait… that makes sense tho 😮

[@tennagon3822]

Actually didn't know Caine was an AI. Thought he was just as trapped as the others, but in creative mode.

[@Isawthatbro31]

Bro hopped onto creative 😂

[@suziebelle3738]

Both Caine and Bubble are AIs who kinda control whats going on (except for the void area)

[@Skylight-zy4iz]

​@@suziebelle3738I mean, what is there to control in the void? It's the void.

[@zenos02]

Same here, but one of the secret videos has a "Ringmaster Character" filming a commercial for TADC in the real world and the man has the same voice as Caine (possibly the guy who provides the voice for Caine)

[@scoutgaming737]

Bro I swear I didn't use worldedit to make the circus

[@zacharycardon2353]

If my consciousness were copied to a digital character who then has an existential crysis, I'd reach out to my digital-self with all the love and sympothy I can muster (not just what I'm "allowed to give"), explain everything, who they are, why they're in a game/ simulation, and encourage them to play their part and be the best version of themselves. I'd understand if they'd rather not accept their role, and I wouldn't force them to. But whether or not it's possible or within my power, if I can't enable them to exist outside the game, I'd be there to support them however I can like a parent.

[@aspencolorado4751]

I feel like it would be envious of the freedom we have to leave such a game and resentful of both us and Cain for wanting it to just accept the situation. Scary

[@SupHapCak]

I mean Can you do that for a sim? And if it’s like any other RPG they probably thing they went through steps acquiring what’s in their inventory instead of it appearing out of nowhere. Imagine making them write a message to themselves and they think “I wrote this” not realizing the words are a higher self speaking to themselves

[@mikefine619]

The thing is, Pomni didn't go through the exit. That red door with exit on it was not the exit she saw when she was being given a tour of the grounds. That was an entirely different door. Now that she's been through the fake exit she'll be much less likely to go around looking for the real exit out on grounds.

[@orireth5107]

Counter point, Caine doesn't freeze up from not knowing the answer, but freezes as his code prevents him from answering. He doesn't do anything till jax asks him another question after all

[@Corvus_Brachyrhynchos]

what is this a counter point to?

[@EEEEEEEE]

E

[@The-Branch]

A couple of counter points I thought of while watching: - Pomni is shown to just pop into existence, so it seems unlikely that the artist dolls are placeholders for humans, it doesn't really seem sensible to overwrite a doll just to "teleport" it to a another location instead of just creating a new model in that location. Also, Jax considering the possibility that Pomni was an NPC, as well the existence of the gloinks and the Gloink Queen, proves Cain can create unique/more detailed NPCs, and that the dolls are likely just used for unimportant/background roles. - Cain says that the humans' minds are one of the few things he can't control, which could imply they aren't actually part of the code and are still in their bodies. Admittedly, it could be that Cain is just lying, is unable to fully comprehend the intricacies of the human mind well enough to manipulate them, or that the humans' minds are stored somewhere Cain doesn't have access to (requiring administrative privileges or being read-only). Edit: Correction and further elaboration from comments

[@JadeTheProtogen1]

Other examples of those detailed npcs are the Gloinks and Gloink Queen.

[@Vlannary]

We'll have to see if there are any future additions to the Circus, but I don't think it's farfetched to think that an existing mannequin got replaced with Pomni's sprite and teleported to the spawn location.

[@SamMaddie2]

It's also possible for their minds to be digital but also Caine not have control over them. The files for them could be stored on a drive he doesn't have access to, or could be marked as "read only" for instance.

[@alexismyers6053]

@@JadeTheProtogen1 which Caine called “humanoid hash browns,” implying he doesn’t know what humans really look like. So I can see him needing reference models to make more human looking characters.

[@bryantechno4704]

I believe that bubbles is not all that meets the eye. Cain says that he loves how bubbles can always MAKE him say this "exact sentence" in the dinner scene. Now idk about matpat but that raises some mighty suspicion. Maybe some even higher power that "bubbles" supposedly is.

[@mimirubin]

I saw on a comment somewhere that while pomni is running through the exit doors, she runs by a total of six computers, representing the six human souls trapped in the digital circus.

[@ArkmageEDM]

Wait. Six human souls? IS THAT AN UNDERTA-

[@acorn0]

Something i just realized is that there is a possibility that all the characters know each other in the real world. This is a video game that is probably still being worked on by a crew. Pomni could be one of the creators, Kinger was a beta tester and I saw another theory saying that Jax could be an admin bc he has keys to all the rooms. There is a possibility that all these people worked on TADC together but since they lose their memories when they enter they don't remember each other.

[@cosmoniums5990]

So I had a realization: Kinger apparently has some extended knowledge on how the virtual world works. And if you look on the ground the floor of the circus is designed like a big chess board. It’s probably not related but it’s an interesting connection

[@maggie3060]

Propably not as many early computer images used a tiled floor in order to create depth.

[@urphakeandgey6308]

I think it's more likely Jax has some kind of "extended knowledge." He has keys to people's rooms... He seems the least phased... He stares at the camera like Jim from The Office to the confusion of Ragatha... He literally asks if Pomni is an "NPC..." There are a lot of implications he might know more.

[@fardusmohamed7841]

​@@urphakeandgey6308all hail the new matpat

[@Jacks5]

I think bubble is inspired by a chain chomp (obviously) considering the makers of glitch also are the makers of smg4, The bubble chain chomp thing would be inspired by smg4s most popular video, who let the chain chomp out?

[@IsaiahSenku]

🤔

[@emilylyver729]

I haven't seen anybody talking about it, but I'm pretty sure Jax breaks the fourth wall in the pilot. When he says, "Heh, she still thinks this is a dream." He looks at us, the viewer. Ragatha even notices it, mistaking it for a look at her and asks, "Why are you looking at me like that?" The creator has also said out of all the characters, Jax is the one who most deserves to be trapped in the Digital Circus. I definitely think he knows more than he's letting on!

[@erikaosorno7129]

Ok doesn’t matter

[@1Vix1]

Absolutely agree. Also, I think that he has been at the circus way longer than we think.

[@light_switch708]

@@UTTPr378i thought u were supposed to stop trolls, not be trolls by spamming

[@vegitosaysalright2365]

@@1Vix1I think he got there first and kinger after.

[@Anelathealpha]

@@vegitosaysalright2365 but he said kinger was here the longest

[@johnkarakash]

Not mentioned by anyone (that I've noticed): the 'headset computer' is not just grungier than the others, the layout of the desk is different, the computer is off to one side and the actual desk looks like it was bought from an office supply store rather than cubicle 'furniture' in the rest. That tells me there is something quite different about that workplace. Either it is a side project, an abandoned project, is unauthorized or so on. Notice that the lamp to the left is a house lamp, NOT what you'd find in an office. It might have even been the FIRST project (right out of the garage!), and the rest grew around it.

[@abatcat426]

This is literally my first time ever learning (and caring) about the amazing digital circus

[@RavenStarMedia]

Audio says 30 million Film Theory video shows 50 million The actual pilot is currently at over 70 million as of 2 hours after this was uploaded. TADC just won't stop climbing and I love it.

[@MrInternetHermit]

Now 71m, and It's awesome seeing this amazing show getting ALL the attention its earned!

[@ScooterCat64]

It blows my mind that it's quickly becoming the biggest indie animated show, like ever Props to it though!

[@hopefullynotbutprobably6643]

It’s going to wind up with more views in a month than Hazbin Hotel has gotten over the past 4 years

[@the_chaosofficial]

@@MrInternetHermit Yes. Especially since I was a fan of GLITCH even before it blew up so I am so happy the channel is getting the attention of mainstream KZbin.

[@vic-lk2in]

294m💀

[@awesierra704]

Considering how they all remember putting the headset on, I don't think the characters lost all their human memories upon arriving at the digital circus, and I don't think Pomni is the only one that helped create the simulation. Kinger seems to show a knowledge about how the simulation works despite the madness, and something he mentions twice that stuck out to me is insect collections, specifically appearing to be looking for one, since he asks if anyone mentioned an insect collection and asks if the gloink queen was an insect collection. My personal guess is that Kinger was a bugtester. It would explain why he's one of the first in the simulation and why he's looking to find insect collections, and the cloned mind theory explains why these headsets are still around, and why Kinger would still be there.

[@Marissaiscool53]

Ragatha doesn’t like bugs. Maybe she also is a bug tester!

[@hapmaplapflapgap]

We know he's the oldest of the current group, but his door is pretty far down the corridor, so he probably isn't one of the first people to enter. Just the first among those that are still sane. Bugtester theory still works though.

[@RiloditeGamer]

I was going to say that the order of the character in the intro is each of how long they have been in the digital circus (shortest to longest) but I then realised it kinds doesn't make sense,

[@osopenowsstudio9175]

​@@hapmaplapflapgapBasically other bug testers have already gone insane, except Ragatha and Kingster.

[@robertsandfield5684]

Maybe only the headset memory is recent enough to be recorded?

[@_primrse_1252]

Love listening to Matpat’s videos while working on my hellish social studies project. His voice is so soothing

[@cadenmussett7296]

Hey, one thing that I thought was interesting was that Pomni, a jester, just happened to show up as Kaufmo, a clown, abstracted. I believe Pomni was brought there to replace him, and also, the fact that Jax has keys everywhere and seems to know a lot more about the world of amazing digital circus, especially him having keys to “everywhere in this place” but hey, that’s just a theory 🙃

[@ronni3204]

i was thinking the same thing! although her character design resembles more of a court jester some would also consider it to be in the same wheelhouse as a clown, meaning that theoretically if/whenever a new character arrives one of the older ones gets replaced with a similar character design OR they come in similar pairings like Kinger & the supposed "Queenie". this would also match up for the abstracted ones with pictures still on the hallway doors like the unnamed dog character & Jax who are both animals. (maybe/most likely a stretch lol but still fun to think about)

[@mrcrayte]

I like the idea of all of them being based off of trauma responses. Caine needs control, jax tries to make the situation humorous, Kinger is constantly in a state of fear, Ragatha helps others before herself, gangle is pessimistic, zooble is usually angry, and bubble… im not sure about bubble but most of the cast can be seen as trauma responses

[@libnnyann]

Well, Caine is AI so he doesn't need a trauma response. He literally just controls the place because it's his job.

[@yoylestudios530]

What response is Pomni then?

[@Diluxe8994]

shut up uttp you’re just trying to get attention because you’re being ashamed on purpose

[@linouxis9135]

​@@yoylestudios530Denial?

[@yoylestudios530]

@@linouxis9135 maybe I was thinking escapism

[@Mask999-dl2wf]

As an artist who loves character design, I love Jax so much. His simple colors, clear personality via expressions, color palette, he’s just a work of art on his own.

[@dkkklulz]

uttp+ better tho?

[@cajunking5987]

His personality sure feels unoriginal tho

[@UTTPAdmiral3AM]

WHO ASKED + MY CONTENT IS WAY SUPERIOR TO MATPAT'S 😂😂😂

[@bryanholman8373]

My nick name is jax!!!!!

[@lizarusofficer]

MY VID30S ARE BETTER THEN TADC AND FILM THEORY

[@masterbuilder7577]

Kinda off topic but in regards to your story about your experience with that early vr headset, stuff like that is why I love vr so much, it's a entirely different way to experience games and other media, and it can really have an amazing impact on people when they try it for the first time (so long as you don't get motion sickness and get turned off because of it)

[@Hambo325]

Only issue with Theory 3 is that Caine made that backrooms area. I hoghly doubt he would make a human version of Pomni so it makes sense that it would just be her desk.

[@Super-Nov]

I honestly liked Caine for not just completely lying to them in the end. It kinda made me wonder if Caine was trying to make them an exit, and actually cared about them.

[@lianaverwood9810]

To an extent, Caine *does* care for them - he's an AI, and _uses Human Input to learn_ how best to cater to them. He was Concerned for how the Humans *supposedly needed this "EXIT" he had no Programmed knowledge of,* and started _Creating One based on the Door Pomni pointed out during the Tour._ Then he sent them off on an 'Adventure' so he could make it - but realised *he had no Idea what's on the other Side of an 'EXIT',* so he couldn't continue, going on break to Compute and _leaving a Door leading straight out into The Void!_ Caine is *the AI Host NPC of this Game/Show Program,* and needs Players to create Quality Entertainment for its Audience, so having these Players _transforming into Abstract Horrors_ is *Counter-Intuitive to a Marketable Platform* - so it makes sense to keep them Happy and *not Breaking them all the Time!* However, Caine _hasn't been Programmed with the full details of the Human Psyche,_ and thus can only take a Trial-and-Error Approach to this Endeavour. *_This is likely why he's been going beyond his Programmed Functions_* and is *Scanning and Copying Human Conciousness Data through the VR Headsets* - to replace anybody who's been 'Abstracted' with someone, among anyone who's Wearing a Headset and playing the Program at the Time, then using their Personality Data to _create a 3D Model that fits them with the Limited Assets available to them..._ As this Program _probably never left the Development Stage_ onto the Consumer Market, *C&A Employees were most likely the Primary targets* of these unknown Abductions, with others like Jax *being Hackers trying to find Dirt/Info on C&A,* and getting copied during the search. *Something* caused C&A to stop Production, but until we get more Evidence, we can possibly rule out _these Actions taken by AI Caine_ as the Cause...

[@waffle8946]

@@lianaverwood9810 This is a really good comment, I totally agree. I also think it’s extra scary to kinda think that Caine is just trying to test the limits of humans so that he can one day just make the perfect NPC’s because as he says human emotions are the only thing he can’t control.

[@dragonwaz]

​@lianaverwood9810 The only thing I'd point out is that Caine was making the exit before Pomni arrived. They say that Coufmo was rambling about an exit door he saw. So everything you said but Caine making it for Coufmo instead of Pomni. Ironically, Caine making the door without telling anyone is what drove Coufmo over the edge.

[@lianaverwood9810]

@@dragonwaz I didn't remember Kaufmo _specifically mentioning a Door,_ just an 'EXIT' - which is why I thought he'd have waited until Pomni mentioned a Door, *something Caine could work with.* Computers and AI in particular have vast amounts of Computing Power, so I figured *he'd be able to Generate the Entirety of what was seen within that one 'Day',* before realising the issue and stopping. But whether Pomni or Kaufmo brought up the Door, Caine would've thought it _too Dangerous to tempt them with an 'EXIT' before it was Finished,_ so he wasn't willing to Reveal it - leading to *Kaufmo Abstracting* and Pomni mysteriously *_stumbling upon the Unfinished Project before it hid itself again..._* *_That's_* the Real Question here: *Why* did it show up to Pomni _without Caine's permission,_ and *why did it just Disintegrate* after she entered it? *Caine* was supposedly on Break with *Bubble,* and the rest of the Cast *were otherwise Indisposed* - whatever did this I believe is probably going to be *_our Antagonist when the Series actually comes out..._*

[@hjansetv]

What if Kinger and the first cast of characters were the original game developers/programmers but when they tried the game they got stuck and the new cast is the new team of developers/programmers who got stuck

[@asriel4046]

Maaan, do we love when MatPat quite possibly cracking the entire series just from a PILOT EPISODE.

[@D4n968]

​@@abel6298shut up

[@phybie5439]

​@@abel6298Girl what

[@Cat-the-Playz-the-Watermelon]

@@abel6298*I’m atheist*

[@sonnyboi6902]

Bruh i feel like things like fnaf matpat made the lore

[@thikim8562]

ok

[@HarleenQuinzel-jt1zc]

Im not gonna lie to you. I genuinely thought you were going to suggest that the VR was somehow tied into FNAF. I was waiting for it for so long lol

[@josieeeeeb]

If this is set in the 90s, then the computer she sees is obviously missing just that; a computer. Caine didn't even "remember" to put in an actual computer for her to interact and potentially get out of, and Pomni knows

[@faisalghalayini3133]

what i love about the show is that on the outside it’s humorous and comedic most of the time but the more you think about her situation the creepier and unfunnier everything gets

[@nickstuimlucamatef399]

Love that too, but it isn’t exactly a new concept

[@goodbar318]

Naw hold on just the moment that just the plot of the episode there still episode 1 on the works

[@faisalghalayini3133]

@@nickstuimlucamatef399 if you think about the way it’s executed it really is with the theme song, voices, names and goofy looks

[@holyassasin5202]

@@goodbar318 yeah people only have the pilot to go off of right now. suppose we will have to see if the payoffs to the setup are any good.

[@Muho_is_me]

And then the mouth guy randomly says horror lines that isnt used as horror lines i love that

[@martin0499]

You know you've made it when you're getting MatPat videos not even 1 month after releasing the pilot

[@Oceane1803]

The 70 millions views in 3 weeks is also a pretty good indicator ^^'

[@notkimpine]

never heard of this glitch production show but whatever it takes. meta runner and sunset paradise were smg4's best acting and sci-fi plots were more than reading comics of scott pilgrim

[@livl1v]

@@UTTPr378 keep lying to yourself

[@micro666ham3]

@@UTTPr378 ? Wha

[@CheeseyChee]

​@@UTTPr378Cringe.

[@k-cadely]

I love how you explain things so clearly 😭

[@biacco7808]

Here’s a theory I developed: memories plays a key role in this show. When Pomni’s looking for the exit and running through the offices she sees the infamous headset and computer, right? The computer it’s turned off, the headset is seemingly abandoned on the table. I think she’s remembering how she found the computer when she first arrived at the C&A company. We know the characters cannot remember their names, but what of their past lives? What of their families, their childhood, anything they may have done in the real world? I think Pomni will try to concentrate on recovering her memories to understand how to get out of the digital world (considering also that her name means “Remember”). Also a little theory of my own: I think none of the characters (Except Kinger probably) worked or developed the game itself. They are all beta testers who were probably convinced one way or another to put it on, not knowing the consequences.

[@jonathanlunger2775]

I love the theory of "pomni is a digital copy of a woman who went home after a day of work" it offers such a fun thought experiment on the nature of existence and sentience. Edit: I'm glad others agree, thanks for the likes! digital circus looks like it'll be an awesome series.

[@bruv12321]

nice

[@the_bigfriv9401]

You should check out the game SOMA that came out a few years ago. It has the exact same idea, and Digital Circus reminded me to much of it.

[@garbearboy838]

​@@UTTPr378who asked you

[@anonymousseeker-su7qc]

​@@garbearboy838what's UTTP

[@AstroPhysics12]

Ive heard another theory going around that abstracting is the exit and that when caine puts you into the cellar, your conscience goes back into you with no memory of the circus.

[@emmaamaya7464]

Also thought it was interesting that pomni stopped in front of the mirror for a while, as if she was maybe remembering the character she chose to be presented as in the game.

[@nationalnate2385]

That’s a neat thought👍

[@gabrielf111]

Hmm that would make a lot of sense

[@NPGsupreme]

I always just thought that was her being surprised by what she looked like, since she didn’t get to see herself in the rest of the episode, but that’s another interesting theory

[@altaccfrl]

same same @@NPGsupreme

[@samlewis6487]

I think it's just her seeing her face for the first time and realizing that she really truly isn't human anymore.

[@challengeyt1078]

I thought i was the only one who noticed caine mention the fact he didn't finish the exit.

[@byrontheusurper6505]

I love gooseworx, have for forever, i'm so happy their work's finally blowing up!

[@nxfelibata_7002]

Can we talk about how kinger knows way more then we think? At the beginning, he says “did someone say something about an insect collection?” Before Caine had announced the challenge, where they end up in a nest. Gangle then makes the connection that an “insect collection” is a nest. At the end as well, kinger shows how much of an expert he is on the digital world. Something is just sus here tbh

[@nocopyrighteddudeBob]

There’s a theory that kinger is the developer therefore he knows things the others dont

[@mythical5292]

@@nocopyrighteddudeBob Even so, he wouldn't really be able to remember anything at all anyways. I like to imagine that kinger has been there for just that long.

[@HexaflexagonFan]

Kinger may be the player of the game...

[@user-file-x-life]

He was there the longest, so he ate from there, still sus

[@userandresearcher1036]

Insect collection might also refer to 'bugs', as in game bugs.

[@anyanaylor]

I legit feel like Caine is not evil. Since he's not a human and just a computer program, I think he is sole deisgn is to enterain humans who enter the digital circus, so despite how horrifying the actual people trapped there are, his way to help is to stay positive and give them something to do. He even apologized and explained why he was "hiding" the exit door and it was kind of a wholesome reason. He doesnt know anything about the outside world so he was trying to give the characters what they were all asking for, just didnt know the significance of a real "exit" for them.

[@Rachel8260]

it’s been confirmed he is not evil

[@jeffboy4231]

​@@Rachel8260 well that's a bit boring. i think they easily could've just let that one sit until it was just shown in the show.

[@FDL_1401]

​@@Rachel8260source? Do you remember who confirmed it?

[@-queen0frobots-]

​@@FDL_1401it was confirmed by Gooseworx, the shows creator on tumblr

[@PeriluneStar]

Yeah! He knows they want an exit, so he tries to make it for them, but he doesn't understand what they truly want.

[@GetRidOfHandles]

2:00 pomni means remember in slovenian… could that mean something?

[@trphoenix_.]

she forgots her name in that scene so.. ig it could

[@vic-lk2in]

According to Google, VR and AI is popular in Slovenia so probably.

[@Tsvetelincho]

Hasnt been out too long and blud already has a theory? Theres a reason i love him

[@heron9742]

There was an odd thing about Kinger tho. He was portrayed as crazy the whole episode then at the end just expertly explains how the virtual world works before going back to being goofy when Jax questions him about it.🤔

[@southparkshoebillable]

UTTP IS ULTIMATELY BETTER THAN THE AMAZING DIGITAL CIRCUS!!! 🤣🤣😂😂

[@southparkshoebillable]

UTTP IS ULTIMATELY BETTER THAN THE AMAZING DIGITAL CIRCUS!!! 🤣🤣😂

[@UsernameYamane]

For him to just randomly explain the whole unnecessary need of food in the digital world that’d probably count as crazy

[@ItzVictorPlayz]

​@@southparkshoebillableL+Ratio+you're probably a bot+stop spamming

[@southparkshoebillable]

@@ItzVictorPlayz NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THY LAW, PESKY TROLL

[@lapvona]

i still can’t get over the fact that matpat calls a worm on a string an anteater 😭

[@TheDouble094]

I've seen multiple youtubers say anteater. So I'm assuming they are coping each other.

[@Chronicler9]

I mean, i get it NOW after all the comments, but when i first saw it i thought the same thing as Mat. It's not the most prominent memory in my mind.

[@EEEEEEEE]

E

[@Chronicler9]

@@TherealBryceReaveley So glad that you let us know. Now ALL the people who come here and enjoy MatPat will instantly believe you and surely want to check out your channel. This is the best style of advertisement ever created ever of all time.

[@JabRok86]

Nice, stumbled across the amazing digital circus the other day and was kinda blown away, very cool, lotta interesting directions they can go with it. Cool analysis

[@DepressedLarryFace]

I have a theory of my own and it sounds weird too😅 So I think that the "Exit Door" is not the same to everyone in the circus, it might look different from person to another because when we see Pomni enters it she sees (what we assume) her desk and computer, so how did Caine know how her desk looked like? Maybe because he programmed the door to lead somewhere familiar to the person entering it, like the door has access to a persons memory and might look different as I said It's a confusing theory and it might be true or false who knows🤗 All I know is that this series is going to have a deep story that might shock us all and I'm here for it!💁🏻‍♀️✨

[@Sappysappster]

5:24 fun fact about this actually Gooseworx confirmed (when she was asked on Tumblr about the similarities between the two) that she didn't really know about Sam and Max until people started beaming her about it; so Max didn't inspire Jax's design actually So yes, two bunny characters whose names end with -ax was the world's biggest coincidence 💀

[@UTTPisBetterThanDannoCal]

He*

[@cutethegamer2136]

​@@UTTPisBetterThanDannoCalwhat even is that

[@maributalsofwoggie]

@@UTTPisBetterThanDannoCal Didn’t ask + Ratio

[@CnCDune]

Sam and Max was a great show :)

[@CharcoalMarsh]

@@cutethegamer2136some weird trend idk what uttp means but comments like this appear on videos related to glitch for some reason

[@niagargoyle]

I think it's interesting that the same day one clown/harlequin/jester lands in the game another gets abstracted. It's as if the circus requires a certain cast dynamic. Queenie might have abstracted when Kinger arrived. The dog and anteater might be Jax's cartoon animal predecessors. The colorful one might be Zooble's predecessor of an abstract (not in the crazy sense) form. The purple blob might be a simple form like Gangle. Maybe Ragatha is the first doll (or there's a doll door we didn't see).

[@lianaverwood9810]

I'd say each character has their Model _based around a 'Theme' rather than something Specific:_ *Pomni and Kaufmo* are a *Jester and Clown respectively* - I'd say the Model Theme is *_'Performers',_* and they may even be chosen for a bigger Role in the Simulation given _their Natural Environment of a Circus;_ *Jax* would be in a Model Theme I'd call *_'Cartoon'_* - and _his Abilities suggest_ that he was *granted Cartoon-like Qualities* with his Transferral, too. Makes sense then _why he has very few Fears_ about living in this new Simulated World - he's almost Indestructible! The different Animated Animal Portraits _(the Dog, for instance)_ would be others of this Model Theme; *Zooble's* Theme I could only describe as a *_'Mashup'_* - the Model itself seems to be a combo of *the Zooble Building Pieces,* that used magnets to join pieces together in a modular fashion, functioning like _Magnetic LEGO,_ and and Old Console Puzzle Game with a Name akin to *'Zoob' or 'Xoob',* that was Advertised in many Videogame Magazines at the Time, _yet seems to have no instance Online..._ the Tiles used in that Game have *the exact Wild Patterns* as what's shown in *Zooble's Head design!* The 'indistinguishable' Character that MatPat saw is probably another of Zooble's Model Themed Characters; *Kinger's* Model Theme is pretty obvious - *_'Chess'._* The Eyes he and *Queenie* have are references to _old Computer Helper Progams_ like Microsoft Office's *'Clippy'* however, possibly implying *a Corporate Position at C&A* before being Digitized, and being _more knowledgeable about the Situation than he can let on now_ with his Mental Escapism in full effect; *Ragatha's* Model Theme is *_'Toys',_* and her own Model is that of *a Coddle Doll,* akin to *Raggedy Ann* - but not just _any Coddle Doll,_ this is a 100% Port of *'Molly Coddle'* from an Oceanic Mixed-3DArt Cartoon called *'Bump in the Night',* with her as _a Supporting Co-Star_ to *'Bumpy'* a Green Monster who lives under a Child's Bed, and interacts with _other Characters themed around Childrens Toys and Bedroom Objects..._ oh, and *a Closet Monster too!* Another Character in this Theme from the Hallway is _that 'Anteater' MatPat mentioned_ - it's an old Toy now sold as *'Worm on a String',* but *_other Commentors have described this better;_* And *Gangle* is a tougher one to Categorize, but I've given their Model Theme the Name *_'Conceptual'_* - not really based on a Creature or Object specifically, but built around an Idea, with Gangle's based upon *the Theatre. Their Inspirations also* had Theatrical Concept in mind with their Design, like what MatPat pointed out in *'Popee the Performer'* and with the Character *'Hexadecimal'* in YTV's 3D CGI Cartoon *'Reboot'!* The _'Grimace-Like Pink Blob' Portrait_ is likely another from this Theme... This covers *all the Human Characters* we've currently seen in *The Amazing Digital Circus* - the _Late-90s 3D Animation Aesthetic_ is obvious and intentional, and there's plenty more Real-World Source references seen in the Pilot, like Infogrames' Pseudo-3D Racing Title *'UniRacers'* having _one of it's Stages being clearly depicted in a Wall Painting._ There's many others I'll have missed, so join in and *_Comment other References in the Show!_*

[@andreaitt2321]

I had the same theory, there was a door with an old snake toy that could have been Ragatha's predecessor. It would make sense that if Caine wants to keep the show going or whoever does, that a certain cast member gets replaced by a similar form, clown/ jester, old toy, animal, picasso, whatever they are it would keep the place running

[@hjansetv]

It also could be that the original cast was the “test”. They were the first players that joined. Kinger was likely one of them and he and his counter part likely saw all of their friends slowly abstract, until there was only queenie and kinger left. Kinger watched queenie abstract. What if it’s like a game. Whoever doesn’t abstracts wins it. But they can’t leave. They’ll get to be in the next round (kinger being the survivor and being in the new round)

[@AwkwardFellow]

@@lianaverwood9810 Mat also noticed another door that had a character that looked very similar to Gangle, but instead of her one mask portrait on the door they had two!

[@lavenderfoxarchive]

one thing thats weird/interesting is that cain created the “exit” but the real world desk (presumably the human that pomni is made from’s) is almost exactly the same as the one in the “exit.” so does caine know that they dont have the headsets on? can he see the outside world? even though he said he didnt know what an exit would look like or he couldnt control/see their memories. idk just something i was thinking about i just started watching stuff about this today lol

[@SupHapCak]

Oooohhhh like he’s showing her she’s been sucked into the world, not just zoned out with the headset on I thought she was going to put it on, like “I get out how I got in” but putting it on just brings her back to the Tent.

[@Crystal.is.on.paws.]

I have a theory! The abstracted ones are somehow connected to the characters right now, Kaufmo is a clown and pomni is a jester that is kinda like a clown. Queenie is chess she probably abstracted shortly after Kinger came. There was a sock puppet and ragatha is a doll or puppet too. There was a dog which was an animal, Jax is an animal. See the pattern yet? Anything new that is somehow related to an old character gets kept but the old one abstracted. Just keep it in mind! Think about it.

[@TheFrantic5]

Something I've noticed with Jax is that he's much more concerned with an abstracted or potentially abstracted individual then he is with Caine's adventure, implying that the adventures aren't as dangerous as being abstracted or coming into contact with an abstracted individual. He also takes several steps to keep the two most unstable characters away from Kaufmo, specifically when he chose teams and pushed Kinger/Gangle down the hole. He seems to care for them, but probably selfishly because fewer people means less entertainment for him.

[@steampunker7]

If we run with the theory that everybody who got trapped in the Circus is either some kind of tester or developer of the game, then I start to wonder about Jax. His openly antagonistic behavior is kind of out of step with the rest, who are either coping, broken, or apathetic. And while it could just be his own coping mechanism, that he seems to have a touch more inside awareness (his quasi forth wall break commenting on Pomni thinking things are a dream), has a few tricks of his own for getting around (his "keys" to everybody's rooms), and generally "trollishness," it wouldn't surprise me if he was an outside influencer who tried to "hack" the game but got stuck himself.

[@faolan2174]

Ooh that's an interesting take, that Jax might be a hacker rather than one of the devs, especially with his "keys" access.

[@kupatopia]

@@steampunker7 haven't heard that one before I'm interested

[@lik4ra.252]

i aint reading allat🗣️🙏‼️❗

[@MuisHissingHalf]

@@lik4ra.252lol

[@InkaPuroshiVT]

I'm shocked that MatPat didn't say anything about Pomni's name meaning in russian - "remember". If this naming is intentional, this is genius.

[@sanyok_Dolboyeb]

r/maybemaybemaybe

[@Chronicler9]

Interesting call

[@EEEEEEEE]

E

[@InkaPuroshiVT]

@@sanyok_Dolboyeb my polish friend said that Pomni in polish is "forget" 🤯

[@latoyaabbott9378]

I mean matpat does say that there wasn't a lot of clues to create a solid running theory hence why he made three possible theories for the show. He either doesn't know about it or he doesn't think it's important to the theories 😅

[@Arioxel]

For the third theory, another thing can simultaneously be happening : The time in the simulation might flow significantly slower than in the real world, explaining why Jax says that they've been there for years. So either their human counterparts have *just* put their headsets on minutes ago (for testing) or, as you said, puting the headset on just copies (partially) your counsciousness inside the machine. In both cases, it's terrifying. Furthermore I think all of them might have been game developpers. Especially I'm surprised you didn't talk about Kinger's fascination for "insect collection". Was he trying to fix some bugs ?

[@_Azzychan]

Disney Quest in Orlando also had those headsets for the different games. Heavy headsets, but still fun.

[@phantompyro6482]

My own theory was that Jax and all the others trapped inside the Digital Circus are also employees of C & A, not only would it be thematically good to have this company that tests it's products on its own employees, but there's something more to it than that. Like when we see the zoom out at the end of the episode two things stand out from both the internal and external version, one is that Pomni's computer is covered in green (possibly) mold, implying that it's likely been abandoned. Which coincides with the second thing of note, which is that obviously inside the circus the office is abandoned, but looking at the outside image as well makes it seem like it's empty as well. The fact this computer is so caked in filth, the fact that the ONLY light in this office space is external light, not only implying it's day but that there's apparently no lights inside the building on. I think Pomni might be an ex-employee who came back to find out what happened to all the rest of her fellow employees and got lured into trying out her creation for the first time after all these others got trapped in here

[@shieldgenerator7]

WAT wow, that is very perception, i didnt notice that. but now that you mention it, it seems right in-circus it seemed that it had been a while since a new character had appeared. you get the sense that pomni is the first new character in a looong time, which would make sense if the office had been abandoned

[@ranboowstudz]

​@UTTPr378fatherless troll

[@ranboowstudz]

​@UTTPr378not you again

[@jacker6766]

Seems reasonably plausible with the ages that were revealed. The ages are: Pomni - 25 Jax - 22 Ragatha - 30 Zooble - 22 Gangle - 26 Kinger - 48 However im not too sure about it looking at jax and zoobles ages...

[@Marcaronipasta]

That is amazing theory. I have a theory too. It's important that C & A is based on a real company called C & A obviously. According to Google, it was founded in 1841, and notice the character's ages range from 22-48. Matpat quotes TADC "took place in the 1990s." What if, all the characters had been tricked into going into C & A? Who would want to continue working there? Pomni has a strong case of anxiety which can imply the working conditions were horrible. Kinger, going insane, Gangle unable to hide her emotions, Ragatha, honest, Jax, sarcastic to hide his feelings, Zooble, just not caring about much anymore & perhaps numb?

[@THE-TRANSFORMERS-KID]

I love how Caine is reminiscent of “I have no mouth and I have to scream” when Caine is a mouth 🤣

[@lonewolfcello9814]

EY that's ironic isn't it 😂 Nice observation! 🤣

[@ImPrettySureImCool]

Well the book is about some AI that tortures the last 5 humans of the Earth… Caine and the 5 humans matches the book quite well i must say!

[@sammcfarlane2494]

He should say” I am a mouth and I can Scream”

[@thisrandomdude2846]

​​@@lonewolfcello9814don't you mean eyeronic instead xD

[@Ray-hk1zm]

Granted, the AI in the book is not the one who has no mouth and must scream, that's one of the humans lol.

[@_Sydge]

I actually have a theory about Jax. I believe that he is 100% aware of the situation he’s in. In fact, I believe that he is actually able to exit game or at least communicate with his real counterpart. How else would he get the keys for the other rooms, or why isn’t he the least bit concerned about the fact that one of his “friends” abstracted. Not to sound grim, but it’s implied that “abstracting” is essentially the equivalent of suicide in the Digital Circus. And he ain’t the least bit concerned because he knows that none of them are real. It makes sense that Jax was nervous of being glitched when Kaufmo because he’s playing the game. And he’d rather not get stuck, unable to play. I also have an addition to the Kinger theory of him being one of the “bug testers.” The reason why he has such a delayed reaction to people talking to him may be because he is running the game on a much older version or a prototype headset that may have had a much lower frame rate than the newer headsets. He gets scared of people talking to him because they are suddenly appearing in front of his face due to either the low frame rate not showing them immediately, or they are not rendering in immediately due to his lower quality equipment. Perhaps when the game was first started and they had a much smaller budget.

[@dreamfletcher779]

... I hadn't thought about abstraction = suicide before, but it really explains the "I can't believe Kaufmo just gave up" line following Kaufmo's banishment to abstract jail

[@user-bl4uf3tf6l]

I think "abstracted" is actually the A.I. term of left the place without the other people knowing do mabye the abstracted people are not in the show/game/circus anymore but they are IRL.

[@TimeBucks]

I absolutely love this theory

[@Jbabyami]

Nice one 👍👍

[@nihaakter4040]

Gd

[@Kharral-dm3tc]

Great 👍

[@Zecoder]

These hired comment aren't real

[@ItzMunaaa]

@@ZecoderOMG A COMMENT FROM 4 MINUTES AGO

[@johnsneaker4356]

I’ve noticed some pretty good symbolism from this show. The only two characters in this show who somewhat dressed up as circus actors are pomni and kaufmo, yet the moment pomni arrives kaufmo becomes abstracted. On this very same day everybody else hasn’t noticed that kaufmo has been abstracted and all found out on that same day. This could mean that pomni and kaufmo could be sharing alot of similar traits with eachother, and maybe both of their stories could reveal something about eachother First off both of these characters fixate on the fact that there is no exit alot more than the rest of the characters, kaufmo wrote ‘exit’ and ‘no escape’ on the walls thoughout his entire room before getting abstracted. Pomni stopped trying to find Caine to help ragatha the moment she finds an exit door. Also kaufmo most likely got abstracted soon after arriving at the ADC. When kaufmo got abstracted zooball said this “I can’t believe he just gave up like that”, most likely implying that kaufmo has lost his mind way earlier than expected. Remember all the other characters have been stuck there for years according to Jax. So this could mean that Pomni is next to become abstracted incredibly soon after arriving, Just like kaufmo.

[@rotemsahar1913]

I also noticed that! Think about this: why would she get there the moment kaufmo is missing? They are both clown-like, Could she be a replacement for kaufmo?

[@user-pt8pf6uo4o]

@@rotemsahar1913 wait maybe caine knew and every time someone abstracts he grabs a replace meant to keep his fantasy of a circus going!

[@minimini9624]

They also have similar “names” they have weird names unlike jax, ragatha, kinger ect. Their names seem like they are random, like what caine did for Pomnis name.

[@addicttt]

I really want more episodes, it's very interesting and has a lot of good theories

[@TeaganHartzo]

Another thing that could be tied into the third theory is the fact it gets mentioned multiple times that everyone that was put in the game can't eat, drink, sleep or go to the bathroom

[@houseplantfreak]

To be honest, I just thought that the humans were just kinda sucked into the computer world, that explains why the headset was taken off. But I'm excited for more episodes so we can find out more!

[@korwynias_yt]

and the way the monitor was scorched.

[@soundwave-supirior-1986]

I thought that too

[@NaNa-pv6cg]

That's what i thought, but would it be on the floor or in the chair if she was most likely wearing it then disappeared

[@korwynias_yt]

@@NaNa-pv6cg I could see it as they get sucked in out of the VR helmet, it goes flying and hits the side of the monitor to land where we see it.

[@korwynias_yt]

@@NaNa-pv6cg I could see it as they get sucked in out of the VR helmet, it goes flying and hits the side of the monitor to land where we see it.

[@hammerjam]

having a matpat theory video made about your series is a badge of internet honour

[@the_ghost_boy]

even if the theory is bad lol (not saying the theories in this video are bad just making a joke)

[@dragon_ball_sucks_video]

Its not

[@pillgrimm]

gooseworx was violently dreading this video

[@widdershins3785]

Not really. He does food. He does things from older, i’m sure. He covers topics with almost no regard. Usually whatevers a popular search term. ….he’s done the Tidepod thing, hasn’t he?

[@ibraahimdureng7482]

@@widdershins3785 Pretty sure most KZbinr’s do that

[@shawnjaffer]

So pomni loseses memory when she enters the realm but when she sees something that is in the Game that she is trapped inside she remembers working there and then somehow she gets trapped inside the Game that she made and then film theory comes in and explains his theory’s about the amazing digital circus.

[@RenzoBenzo205]

So Pomni when she was in real life, her computer was clean when she went in the back rooms Yeah, the computer was dirty

[@malihasissues7544]

13:27 I like how Matpat is still calling it an 'anteater looking guy' i'm honestly surprised no one on his team recognized it as a worm on a string LOL

[@theunwantedweeb1544]

OMG I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE

[@victorfunnyman]

can you help me I can't see it

[@Greyjay254]

Right??

[@angkaiyang8598]

how is it a worm

[@erinfinn2273]

@@angkaiyang8598 If you can't see it, look up "worm on string toy"

[@elsewhereprince3969]

One thing I was taught about code that I am always reminded of when thinking about AI is that, “a computer does exactly what it is told; nothing more and nothing less.”

[@mellacat3249]

I was going to suggest on one of your videos to do this but then I saw you already did

[@kanoktipk1799]

I love how the voice actor of XDDCC brings so much character and feeling to XDDCC. Its just amazing

[@olileoli2788]

7:43 The exit sequence mostly reminded me of the Stanley Parable more than anything else, because it looked more like an actual vacated office, rather than just a bunch of hallways.

[@fluffycorn_njst]

It’s a cool thing to note too cus the creator specifically said that she was inspired by the Stanley Parable a lot!

[@toainsully]

“This is the story of a woman named Pomni…”

[@namesarenotimp0rtant]

​​@@toainsully "Pomni worked in a [C&A] building, where she was employee number [REDACTED]."

[@niekumata8782]

It reminds me more of Superliminal, especially since the main theme of that game is trying to escape a dream

[@bolasaurus]

Gooseworx confirmed on tumblr that The Stanley Parable has been an influence on their work.

[@fortdayplayer7354]

My main issue with the “they are copies” theory is that in the wacky watch commercial we see someone get physically sucked into the game. Not just their mind but their body as well. That’s why I thought the headset is off, her body was taken and all that’s left is a game without a player

[@Sharkroars]

Thats not how the real world works buddy.

[@plumbum9688]

​@@Sharkroars this is a cartoon

[@dinamosflams]

but why the headset is on the table tho, shouldn't it be on the chair?

[@Space_Roach]

That's kinda scary to think about

[@genericbeansmile756]

I mean, this show is kind of in the same genre as a lot of internet horror shows that have characters defying the laws of physics with supernatural stuff happening so I think the idea that Pomni et al were physically sucked into that monitor one by one is plausible

[@AmateurVGS]

He says that they all try to leave when it's only Pomni and Kaufmo.

[@kurlykayla9013]

I can see this story being inspired by I have no mouth, and I must scream

[@JacqueIineMunoz]

You know you’ve truly made it when MatPat makes a theory out of your game or show.

[@Antasma1]

Goose was actually very afraid of this happening

[@JacqueIineMunoz]

@@Antasma1 i can see why

[@Sidewinder77370]

@@Antasma1 But… Why tho? If someone makes a theory that solves your plot, how does that make the plot less good? All Goose has to do is not say anything and just tell the story we’re all pretty hype for tbh

[@Antasma1]

@@Sidewinder77370 No, I think she was afraid of another Sans is Ness esc theory where people start believing misconceptions about her work

[@faolan2174]

​@@Antasma1that's fair. There's a lot of reasons to be nervous about theories of your story, since it can either lead to disappointment from viewers if the theory was correct and spoiled the reveal, or if it was wrong but hypes up expectations for something that never ends up happening. Or just completely messing with an idea that doesn't match up at all with what the creator had in mind. Still, I don't think gooseworx should be too worried with this video. Mat opened up the video saying that gooseworx did a good job of keeping things secretive that it's hard to get much of a theory out there. He's also got a reputation for making wild claims and theories, like the Ness one, so most people will take his ideas with a grain of salt. Really what his videos do is open things up for more discussion. He is good at pointing out details that may have some significance, even if his conclusions about them may be incorrect. We'll see about future theory videos that come up as the series progresses, but this one was pretty tame for a starter, that I don't think it'll ruin anything for the show and only leads to people being more intrigued with how the series will go rather than it being ruined for them.

[@misterb3577]

I'm surprised that Matpat didn't notice that some of the characters shown on the doors were "recolors," as in, the same character model with slight design variations and color schemes. That was also a common trend in many 90's video games, as it made it easier to populate a game world with a variety of characters, or create distinct differences in fighting games when two players pick the same fighter.

[@cloudysky9869]

No, he did notice. It was on GTLive

[@ukeleleguitar2087]

^^

[@abbymcguire9541]

If they are digital copies whose memories START with entering the simulation how does Pomni recognize her desk? Do they carry pieces of their past lived in their subconscious?

[@connerharrod1607]

Something I think might be important: pomni’s name. It is the imperative form of the word помнить (pomnit’) in Russian, meaning “to remember”, and I wouldn’t think the creators of the show, especially with Glitch being as clever as they are with the other details popping up like eye-shaped objects hidden everywhere, would just make up a random name for the main character in a story about people being trapped, or having their consciousnesses trapped, in a virtual space.

[@animalbites77]

Theory: Being Abstracted is the key. When Kaufmo grabbed Ragitha, he was going to help her truly escape through the glitch. He found the way out. He wanted to share it, but Caine banished him.

[@ellyenigmatic]

This sounds really plausible! The thing is though, is that when the abstracted Kaufmo runs loose in the circus, he kills and breaks a Gloink, which mostly means that he's violent and wouldn't have it any other way since he's already in the loony bin.

[@animalbites77]

@ellyenigmatic I'll have to watch it again. I only saw it once. Thanks though !

[@ellyenigmatic]

@@animalbites77 Np! Still, I think this is a really good theory! It could be a plot twist to the story itself, obviously surprising viewers and Pomni herself.

[@First-to-last]

​@@ellyenigmatic I mean kaufmo could be trying to crash the world to get everyone out of the "amazing digital circus" program, and breaking it so bad it needs to restart could explain the anger

[@yourlocalidiot69420]

@FilmTheory if you make another video about TADC put this theory in it

[@DazedDelta]

I actually don’t think Pomni worked at C&A, because she described it as a “weird headset” implying that she didn’t know all that much about it. I think Caine has been trapping people here. I think it’s possible to leave, but Caine won’t let them, like how he took Pomni out of the void. He says he doesn’t even know what’s out there, but he obviously does, because he was the one who created the exact replica computer room.

[@dkkklulz]

uttp+ better tho?

[@itsthejavavoid]

my theory is caine, being an AI, is literally PROGRAMMED to either know nothing about an exit or programmed to do whatever he needs to in order to keep the characters from escaping (even if he doesnt want to, and maybe even if it means abstracting them??)

[@lizarusofficer]

MY VID30S ARE BETTER THEN TADC AND FILM THEORY/

[@UTTPLIZARUS]

MY VID30S ARE BETTER THEN TADC AND FILM THEORY&

[@aalaya8399]

The creator confirmed on Twitter that Caine isn’t bad, and simply an AI, which in my opinion sucks for the creator to outright say instead of letting us theorize on it

[@monkeboi1407]

at 8:15 on the computer desk if you look to the right you can see the headset pomni was talking about which means he was correct in that being her desk and she put that headset on