Season 1 Episode 08:
Invisible Self
After OA recounts a dramatic final night at Hap's, the others begin to see her story in a new light. The fragments of the dream click into place.Tropes present in this episode include:
- Ambiguous Ending: The five use the movements to stop a school shooter, but the OA is shot in the crossfire. She is convinced that the movements worked and she is moving to a new universe, but there is enough evidence to suggest she made the whole thing up.
- Broken Masquerade: Everyone's parents find out that the OA has been telling wild stories stories to Steve, French, Buck, Jesse, and Betty. As a result, the OA is nearly institutionalized (instead she has gets tracker placed on her ankle), the boys drift apart, and Betty has to leave the school.
- Chekhov's Gunman: The sheriff's ill wife knows the fifth movement and shows it to the OA and Homer.
- Chronic Hero Syndrome: Homer suggests refusing to do the movements correctly to heal the sheriff's wife because then Hap will look insane and go jail. The OA can't bear to leave an innocent person suffering so they do it anyway.
- Crazy Jealous Guy: Hap is furious when he realizes that the OA is in love with Homer.
- Crazy-Prepared: The lights go out in the house as the OA and Homer revive the sheriff's wife, which would have hidden the fifth movement from Hap, except he also brought thermal cameras and he learns the fifth movement anyway.
- Kick the Dog: After The OA and Homer use the movements to cure the sheriff's wife, he rushes to her side and they embrace, giving Hap the chance to kill them both with one shot.
- Locked Out of the Loop: Nancy and Abel are hurt that their daughter told the story of her ordeal to complete strangers but not them.
- Mama Bear: Betty runs into the cafeteria where a shooter is rampaging to save her students.
- Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane: Did the movements stop the shooter through its power, or because he was just confused? In that case, is the OA actually traveling through dimensions or is she just dying?
- Meaningful Background Event: As the five begin doing the movements, the OA can be seen approaching in the background.
- My Beloved Smother: Nancy reveals the primary reason she wanted to adopt Prairie over the boy they were going to adopt was because she hoped a blind child would always need her.
- School Shooting: A heavily armed gunman assaults the school but is stopped by Steve, Jesse, Buck, Betty, and French doing the movements.
- Tranquil Fury: Nancy reveals Prairie did in fact leave a note when she disappeared, but she had kept it a secret because she thought Abel would be hurt that Prairie ran away to find her real dad. Abel is so upset about this he doesn't even want to talk to her and instead goes to the hotel lobby to have breakfast, moving the fight to somewhere public to prevent himself from making a scene.Nancy: Come back to the room.
Abel: I'm busy Nance. I'm making a waffle. Then... I'm going to eat it.
Nancy: We can't talk here.
Abel: That's right. You lied to me. For years. Every day for over seven years, to be specific. I'm going to need a little time to think about that. - Wham Shot: French goes through the OA's things and finds a collection of her books: The Oligarchs, an Encyclopedia of Near-Death Experiences, The Book of Angels and... The Illiad.French: "Homer".
- What the Hell, Hero?: The sheriff's reaction to learning that Hap, whom he thought was a decent guy, has five people locked in his basement.
- You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: A non-fatal example. Once Hap gets the fifth movement and learns that the OA is in love with Homer, he leaves her on the side of a highway.Hap: Did you think you were indispensable to my work? To me? Well you're not. I have the fifth movement. I have Homer. I don't need you. I'm leaving you exactly as I found you. I don't have to kill you. And even if you get back, we'll be gone. In another dimension, all of us.
