YMMV / Ride the Cyclone

• Alternative Character Interpretation:
  • Was Talia a real Ukranian girl who loved Mischa? Was she just someone catfishing him? Viewers tend to pity Mischa either way, but the variety differs depending on which camp the viewer is in.
  • Are the videos that are played in It's Not Just A Game supposed to be what Jane/Penny's life will be like now that she's been brought back to life?
  • Is Noel's fantasy alter-ego being a woman more akin to a drag persona, or is it a hint his gender is fluid?
  • Did Noel's mom tell him to "tone down" his effeminate tendencies because she was ashamed of having a gay son? Or was she genuinely worried that if he was too obviously gay, he'd get bullied or even physically harmed by others in town? Is it a little bit of both?
  • Fans have speculated on what Ricky meant when he said he'd been "saving" the name Savannah when he offers it to Jane. Is it a hint that he's perhaps done some gender questioning and might want to use the name "Savannah" for himself? Is "Savannah" a name he'd intended to use for a character in his elaborate daydreams, but never got around to before the accident? Was some part of him still holding out hope that, somehow, he'd live to adulthood and maybe get to have a family, perhaps with a daughter named Savannah? (Especially in the version of the script where Ricky's muteness isn't due to a disease, but trauma; in that version, Ricky likely had every expectation he'd grow up, leave Uranium, and have a shot at building a life and family.)
• Awesome Music:
  • "Space Age Bachelor Man" can best be described as "if David Bowie was a furry," and it is glorious. The electric guitar and high-energy tempo make it an absolute delight to listen to.
  • "Ballad of Jane Doe" deserves a mention as well, such haunting vocals. It's notorious how the actress can shift from a floaty, lost, grieving tone to an angry, gritty one.
• Fanfic Fuel:
  • What happened to Penny/Jane after she came back to life?
  • What if the accident had never happened, or if all the kids came back instead of just one?
  • What if a different kid was chosen to come back to life?
  • What if the kids stayed ghosts instead of moving on?
  • What happened to the children's families after their deaths?
• Fanon:
  • Plenty of Noel/Mischa shippers think 'Talia' was just Noel catfishing Mischa.
    • A little less cruel variation is that Mischa and Noel were in a relationship. But due to it being implied the town they lived in was not LGBT-friendly, 'Talia' is what Mischa calls Noel to avoid coming out.
• Heartwarming Moments: Mischa's monologue at the beginning of "Talia", showing his complete and utter devotion to his girlfriend. Doubles as Tear Jerker since he will never see her again.
  Mischa: My divine Talia, when I look into your almond eyes, I do not see the boy I am, but the man I must become to possess you. I want to take all the pain from your soul, and in the passion factory of my heart, transform it into functional joy. I want to take your hand by the Cheremosh River and with all Ukraine as witness, take you as my wife. And we shall sing, and dance, and drink! And then, I will whisper in your ear, "Let rivers run wild, or let them be damned." My perfect Talia. I lay my masculinity at the altar of your maidenhood."
• Jerkass Woobie:
  • Ocean may be pushy, competitive, and self-centered, but she's also a kid who didn't fit in with her family and truly believes in fairness, even if her priorities are a little screwed up. She then tragically lost her life and is given the chance to get it back, only to face an existential crisis and the ever-changing "rules" set by Karnak, who seems to have it out for her throughout the play. The fact that she gives up her chance to go back in the end, and in some productions expresses true regret for how she treated Constance, helps her case as well.
  • Mischa is "the angriest boy in town," but he's certainly earned the right to it. His mother was dying of uranium poisoning, and gave him up for adoption so he could be safe and looked after. While his adoptive parents were understandably shocked the "toddler" they adopted was a teenager, they responded by treating him awfully, refusing to even acknowledge him most of the time and making him live in their basement, leaving food at the top of the stairs, rather than trying to connect with or reach out to this obviously traumatized kid. His songs reveal that he desires wealth and fame, but also love, and he fantasizes about returning to Ukraine so he can get married to his girlfriend. He's not really a bad kid, just one in a very fucked-up situation.
  • Karnak may be The Chessmaster and a Deadpan Snarker, but he clearly feels guilty for being unable to prevent the Cyclone accident, since he knew the kids would die and couldn't warn them due to being switched to “family fun” mode. His failure also leads to his own demise, since the incident shut down the fair, leaving him to rot in storage.
  • Noel is snide and sarcastic, but being the only gay guy in Uranium sucked, especially since his own mother told him to tone his effeminacy down. He was a seriously unhappy kid due to living in a town that just has no space for someone like him.
• One True Threesome: Some fans who believe Talia is real but also like Mischa with Noel will portray the three in a poly relationship, with Noel and Talia both dating Mischa, and often being good friends.
• Portmanteau Couple Name:
  • Nischa for Noel/Mischa.
  • Mischalia for Mischa/Talia.
  • Nischalia for Noel/Mischa/Talia.
• The Woobie:
  • Constance is framed from the beginning as Ocean's put-upon friend, but it becomes more and more obvious that Constance was suffering more than she lets on, as she grew to hate herself and her "nice" reputation. And then her monologue reveals just how much she's been suffering in silence, before making a turnaround just as she was dying. Still, she leaves with no regrets.
  • Jane's loss of identity, in spite (or perhaps because) of her creepiness, puts her as this. Even self-centered Ocean admits that Jane's story is the saddest.
  • Ricky Potts spent most of his life in a fading body, unable to communicate and no one bothering to try, with only his imagination to keep him going. Then, he gets killed before even finishing high school, robbing him of what few remaining years he had left. Even when the others have a chance to go back, it's implied that he knows, due to his disability guaranteeing a premature death, that he has no chance to win the competition. While he doesn't claim this is the reason he conceded, it's not a stretch to think this was a factor.

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