The OA fans are all freaking out about THAT psychic scene in Part II
Viewers of the new season on Netflix are VERY confused about one moment featuring Brit Marling's character

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*Warning: the following article contains spoilers for The OA Part II, chapter four*
Fans of The OA were never going to be too surprised if the Netflix supernatural sci-fi drama treated them to a few wacky scenes in its second season. After all, in its first run, viewers witnessed lead Prairie Johnson (Brit Marling) swallow a bird while chilling out on an inter-dimensional plane.
However, there’s one moment in Part II that has left fans confused. Seriously confused.
We’re talking about, of course, that psychic octopus.
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The fourth episode of the new season sees Prairie/The OA cross paths with a telepathic squid even more outlandish than the football-score-predicting Paul the Octopus.
While exploring a new alternate universe, Marling’s character and new friendly private detective Karim Washington (Kingsley Ben-Adir) are called to a mysterious theatre. It’s here that Prairie is suddenly strapped to a chair in front of a live audience as a giant octopus called Old Night is unveiled behind her.
And, because this is The OA, Old Night’s tentacles burst from their tank and latch onto Prairie. This is when she learns A) the octopus is psychic, and B) she must translate what he’s thinking to the audience.
Just in case this wasn’t weird enough, the Octopus wants to tell the crowd he’s actually called Azrael, the name of the Angel of Death in certain holy texts. And that he’s going to kill Prairie for 37 seconds. Which he does before Karim beats off the squid and resuscitates her.
Suffice to say, it’s a pretty weird scene. But what was the meaning of it all? Fans have absolutely no idea.
The octopus scene? #TheOA pic.twitter.com/Mnc1tXK862
— Vanessa? (@Banesseee) March 22, 2019
Me watching the scene with the octopus in #TheOA pic.twitter.com/BgXJaEpQFz
— K-Dawg (@GameofTywinning) March 23, 2019
Just when you think your understanding things….a talking octopus shows up #TheOAPartII #TheOA ????????♀️ pic.twitter.com/WP4qiaAf15
— Ruth Davidson (@MyDescentBlues) March 23, 2019
Yeah I have no theories on #theoa bc I have no idea wtf is going on. Is that an octopus or squid and WHY
— ???????????????????????????????? ???? (@naldymarx) March 22, 2019
And many thought the moment was simply too weird – even for The OA.
When you’ve been going along with how far out The OA is but then we get to the talking all knowing octopus #TheOA pic.twitter.com/GQAkdm1GSd
— S.P. (@p_stephiapres) March 24, 2019
That octopus though #TheOA pic.twitter.com/EJ5PDwng7f
— AL (@MissSchliez) March 23, 2019
An octopus??? Nah, I’m out! #TheOA
— Shamz ???? (@shamzz85) March 22, 2019
But some have embraced Old Night as the show’s new standout star.
The ‘O’ in #TheOA now stands for Octopus
— Olga Forolga (@witchykookoo) March 22, 2019
I just watched ep 3&4 of #theOA S2 and I AM DOWN WITH THE GIANT SQUID. Just OMG this series never fails. Beside myself ???????????????????????????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/ZPoFV0G2fn
— Rachael Craw (@RachaelCraw) March 24, 2019
Yet however baffling the talking octopus scene is, we will get answers to its exact meaning – alongside all the show’s other mysteries. That’s according to Jason Isaacs, who plays Dr Hunter.
While recently sitting down with RadioTimes.com, the actor claimed “everybody will be rewarded” when the show finishes its planned five-season arc.
“There’s a very tight logic to everything [The OA showrunners Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij] do,” he said.
He added: “You’re clearly in the safe hands of people who have a puzzle, a labyrinth. They’ve got every piece in the jigsaw and they’re building it very carefully.”
In other words, Old Night will get explained eventually. Or better still, we’ll see his telepathic tentacles strike again.
The OA Part II is available to watch on Netflix now