The following article describes theories and speculations regarding the characters and events of Tell Me Why.
You can leave a comment with your own theories or additional ideas, or add them directly to the list. You can also discuss your ideas and other theories on the discussion board.
1. Prior to Release[]
Promotional Material[]
- After the release of the first two trailers but prior to the release of the FAQ, fans speculated that Mary-Ann had attacked Tyler after he came out as transgender.
- This theory was proven incorrect with the release of the FAQ and Chapter 1. Mary-Ann was supportive of her transgender son and was actively doing research on how to be a good parent and ally to him.
2. After Chapter 1[]
Mary-Ann Ronan[]
- It is speculated by fans that Mary-Ann was hallucinating or in a state of psychosis on the night of her death. She makes contradictory statements and quite obviously points her gun at Tyler, something that seems to go very much against her personality.
- This theory seems to have been proven incorrect as of Chapter 2. In Chapter 2 it is shown that Alyson saw Mary-Ann tell someone “I’m going to kill you“ and went into a state of shock after this.
- Some fans believe that Mary-Ann was suffering from depression that became increasingly severe after October 2004. She appears to have been prescribed some sort of medication that she was not taking at the time, was highly distant from her children and those around her, had a hard time doing basic household tasks, and was not working.
- Mary-Ann May have been attempting to commit suicide on the night of March 1, 2005. Tyler states that she was in a cheerful, upbeat mood that evening; and that dinner had been almost like a party. When Tyler approaches her in the shed, she is fiddling with the gun and seems to be pointing it at herself.
- This theory may be correct if the player chooses to believe Tom’s version of events in Chapter 3.
Tyler Ronan and Alyson Ronan[]
- Fans have theorized that the story will end with the player being forced to choose between the series of events Tyler remembers and the series of events Alyson remembers, and the “truth” of what happened on March 1 is entirely dependent upon this choice.
- This theory was proven (for the most part) incorrect in Chapter 3. The player is not forced to choose between the events Alyson remembers and the events Tyler remembers, but rather choose the truth of that night between the events Tom remembers and the events the twins remember.
The Book of Goblins[]
The Book of Goblins have characters that reflect real people in the lives of the Ronan family; as many of these characters were made up by Mary-Ann, there is speculation about who inspired each character. It would seem that each figurine is generally located in an area related to the characters they were inspired by.
Below are some theories about these characters after Chapter 1:
- Alyson and Tyler were the inspiration for the Crafty Goblins (the sneaky goblins are twin siblings who go on adventures, and the twins openly refer to themselves as having spent more time as goblins than as children).
- It is believed that Mary-Ann is represented by the Wise Princess (a collectible of the Princess can be found in her room, her door is blocked by the ”princess’s puzzle”, the twins make reference to the goblins helping the Princess while they are cleaning the shed for her)
- Tessa Vecchi was the inspiration behind the Pious Pelican (both provide gifts such as food and clothing).
- This theory was proven correct in Episode 2, when Alyson and Tyler realize that Tessa was the inspiration for the Pelican.
- Sam Kansky is potentially the inspiration for the Old Bear, as he is seen as harbouring some affection for Mary-Ann during his encounter with the twins, and was a big help to her when repairing the house; something the bear did during the stories.
- This theory was proven correct in Episode 2, when Alyson and Tyler discover the inspiration behind three of the Book of Goblin characters.
- Some speculate that Eddy Brown was the inspiration for the Bear due to his position on the police force (his job is to protect, much like the bear would in the story)
- This theory was proven incorrect in Episode 2, when Alyson and Tyler discover the inspiration behind three of the Book of Goblin characters.
- There is some speculation that Eddy is actually the Ice King (the figurine was found in the police station, he is certainly a powerful figure in town, the story of the Ice King reprimanding the naughty goblins for their pranks could be inspired by chief Brown responding to complaints from neighbours in the area)
- This theory was proven incorrect in Episode 2, when Alyson and Tyler discover the inspiration behind three of the Book of Goblin characters.
3. After Chapter 2[]
The Mad Hunter[]
- Some speculate that Tom is the Mad Hunter and the true identity of Alyson and Tyler's father. During his conversation with the twins, Tom is the first to mention that Mary-Ann was close with many men. The second is wife, Tessa, who brings up that she had been "running around with married men" in the heat of anger before immediately regretting it. The twins' father's second letter suggests that he was in an unhappy marriage yet wanted to protect his partner from the truth, which could be a reference to Tom's marriage to Tessa. Tom's current involvement in the mayoral election would provide a strong motive for preventing the twins from learning the truth and potentially causing a scandal. He was also aware of the twins' ongoing search for answers, which would give him the knowledge required to burn down the barn. Tessa's negative attitude and lack of forgiveness towards her former friend may have been strongly influenced by this affair.
- This theory was proven for the most part correct in Chapter 3. Tom is the twins’ father, and was seen by the twins as The Mad Hunter on the night of March 1.
- Some also speculate that Alexander Gershwin is the Mad Hunter, due to both his appearances so far showing his enjoyment of hunting out-of-season, his strange reaction to learning that Tyler is a Ronan on the boat, and his reappearance in Chapter 2. In the Book of Goblins, the Wise Princess ran away to the forest from the Mad Hunter, who lived elsewhere. While Tom is only known to have lived in Delos Crossing, Alexander can mention that he is from Anchorage.
- Tom Vecchi and Alexander Gershwin share the same voice actor, Neil Kaplan; as the father's voice sounds similar to Kaplan's, this may indicate that one is an intentional red herring.
- This theory was proven incorrect with the release of Chapter 3.
Memories[]
- Interpreting Tyler's repetition of an earlier voiceclip to Alyson at the dock as prompted by an external force rather than Tyler's subconscious, some theorize that the twins' memories of the night have been purposefully tampered with, as Mary-Ann threatens to kill both the twins' father and a young Tyler with the exact same delivery.
4. After Chapter 3[]
Mary-Ann[]
- Many fans believe that Tom’s memories of the night of March 1 2005 are the truth of what happened that night, aligning with fan speculation that Mary-Ann was attempting suicide and was interrupted by Tyler, and did not mean to hurt her son.