One bizarre Full House theory claims that the Tanners may actually be stuck in purgatory. While it was never a critical darling, the late ’80s/early ’90s sitcom was a massive commercial hit during its initial run. Since then, its popularity has only endured thanks to its availability on various streaming platforms, not to mention through regular reruns on TV. In 2016, it was even awarded a spin-off sequel by Netflix titled Fuller House.

The offshoot ran for a total of five seasons before it wrapped up in 2019. While it’s reportedly a great addition to Netflix’s roster of original programming, Fuller House‘s popularity paled in comparison to its parent series. Full House was groundbreaking in the sense that it effectively tackled sensitive issues without compromising its kid-friendly storytelling approach. However, the classic series is not without its odd moments and plot lines, lending themselves to several mind-boggling theories over the years.

One particularly peculiar theory claims that the Tanners are actually stuck in purgatory. First raised by Reddit user “Nadodan”, the theory suggests that instead of the girls’ mother Pam dying, it’s actually the rest of the family who died in the car crash. Meanwhile, both Jesse (John Stamos) and Joey (Dave Coulier) were already dead to begin with, entering this supposed purgatory prior to Danny (Bob Saget) and the rest of the Tanner family. To make this idea so much more interesting, the Redditor adds that there’s actually no third Tanner child—instead, Michelle (Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen) is some sort of demon entity responsible for assembling the entire ensemble.

After gathering all of them, Demon Michelle’s primary function was to keep all of them there, hence why she’s always stopping anyone who wanted to leave. That includes Uncle Jesse, who never thought that his babysitting set-up was going to be his permanent living arrangement. Despite this, Jesse ends up living in the Tanner house throughout the entirety of the original series, even after getting married to Becky—which becomes admittedly ridiculous when she gives birth to twins and there are nine people living in the Full House house at the same time.

Despite the morbid details of this theory, one particular point stays true to Full House‘s core theme of familial relations. Apparently, Demon Michelle was supposedly keeping people trapped in the Tanner house because she wanted them as her own family. She’d been alone and lonely for the longest time and she was simply longing for human contact. Given how loving Danny was to his kids, not to mention Jesse and Joey’s devotion to DJ and Stephanie, Michelle thought it would be great to have them around to adore her, as well. This wild theory then goes on to explain Becky’s (Lori Loughlin) arrival; brought in to give Danny a false sense of happiness through their TV talk show.

Admittedly, this all sounds like an over-complication of a fairly straightforward sitcom such as Full House. But then again, it seems as if fans thoroughly enjoy making the classic series the center of some dark and sometimes, even outright mind-boggling theories. For example, there’s also a separate hypothesis that Joey is the real father of the Tanner kids, not Danny!