8 "Nine Perfect Strangers" Theories That May Or May Not Be True

    Three episodes in, there are already so many mysteries to untangle...

    Jenna Guillaume
    by Jenna Guillaume

    BuzzFeed Contributor

    Nine Perfect Strangers is a new Hulu drama, based on a book by Liana Moriarty — the same author who penned Big Little Lies.

    nicole kidman looking to the right of her while holding her necklace
    Amazon Prime

    Like Big Little Lies, it balances dark humor with tension and mystery. It's about nine strangers who come together as guests at a health retreat, run by the mysterious Masha (Nicole Kidman). 

    So far, three episodes have dropped, with the rest coming out weekly. Here are some theories based on what's been released so far. (Note: while the series is based on a book, these are theories based on show-only viewing.)

    1. Masha is drugging everyone

    Heather and Zoe stnad outside holding colorful drinks decorated with flowers
    Amazon Prime

    Okay, this one is less of a theory and more of an almost certainty, especially after Heather confronted Masha at the end of Episode 3. From the very first episode, though, it was clear that Masha was sneaking something into the guests' systems through their smoothies — designed specifically for each of them. When the new "protocol" caused everyone to behave differently during the third episode, it was even clearer that they were on something. Exactly what, we have yet to find out.

    2. Lars is an undercover journalist

    Lars stands in a bamboo forrest looking sneaky
    Amazon Prime

    Lars is highly suspicious of Masha, always making snarky remarks and questioning everything about her and the whole experience. He doesn't seem to want to be there, and indeed in the first episode we hear him tell his ex-partner that he's there "for work". There are a couple of options about what this could mean, but with his fixation on recording devices, it seems likely he's investigating Masha and the retreat as a journalist.

    3. Someone will die

    The guests lay in open graves set out in a circle while Tranquillum staff stand above them
    Amazon Prime

    There's so many creepy vibes and foreshadowing of something dark coming — it seems incredibly likely that, before the show is over, at least one of the characters will be dead. While a guest isn't unlikely, right now it seems that Masha could be the one to go — especially with all the flashbacks to her near-death experience, and the way she is kind of literally driving everyone crazy. Which brings us to some other theories...

    4. Someone from Masha's past is stalking her

    Masha leans over a fence and looks at her phone; she wears a cardigan and has damp hair
    Amazon Prime

    We know Masha is being harassed/stalked — getting threatening messages and being watched — but we don't know who is doing this yet. As Masha highlights herself in Episode 2, she has a lot of enemies. It could be someone from her past — someone she screwed over, or her ex, or it could even be an ex-guest of Tranquillum House who is, er, unsatisfied (we know at least one client appears to have sued her). There's also the question of who shot her in the first place — could they be back to haunt her? 

    5. One of the guests is actually stalking her

    Masha lays on the bed with tears in her eyes
    Amazon Prime

    The guests are all hiding secrets — could one of them be that someone has come to Tranquillum House with the purpose of harming Masha? Maybe they've been hurt by her in the past, and have slipped in with a secret identity to destroy her. 

    It's possible, but perhaps less likely than a character we haven't seen, or even Delilah...

    6. Delilah is trying to frighten Masha

    Delilah talks to Masha, who faces away from the camera
    Amazon Prime

    Delilah seems uncomfortable around — and even angry at — Masha. We know Delilah is in a relationship with Yao, who seems in Masha's thrall and is likely having (or had) a sexual relationship with her. Could Delilah's bubbling frustration cause her to try to scare Masha with the threatening messages and video? If so, will she take it to the next level and actually harm Masha?

    7. This is some kind of weird Stepford experience

    Carmel stands in a store looking upset
    Amazon Prime

    Carmel's comment in the first episode that Masha completely changes people rings alarm bells relating to another Nicole Kidman title, Stepford Wives. Between Masha's constant Big Brother-style observations, the invasive blood samples, and all the other weird stuff happening, there's a possibility — small, but there — that Masha's program changes people on a fundamental, and dangerous level. Like, say, brainwashing them or — going more extreme — cloning and replacing them. 

    8. Something even more sinister is happening

    The guests sit around a dinner table outdoors at nighttime, Napoleon is standing to speak to them all
    Amazon Prime

    Okay, so cloning is out there — but what about pushing the sci-fi or supernatural themes even further? Masha could be a witch or vampire drinking the blood samples of her guests in order to get eternal life and beauty. Maybe she's an alien from another planet. 

    More than likely, these guesses are entirely wrong, because while the show has strange vibes, it doesn't seem that strange. But hey, it's fun to speculate in the meantime. 

    What are your Nine Perfect Strangers theories?