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Why Is The OA School Shooting Scene Going Viral?

Photo: JoJo Whilden/Netflix

Twitter is the breeding ground for out of context clips; many different shows or movies have accounts dedicated to sharing the most random clips from their favs. The OA, a two-season Netflix series with a cult following, is the latest show to get the “What the hell is happening here?” treatment. Twitter user @heyyitsjanea reshared a video of what appears to be teens (and one adult) doing a weird dance to stop a school shooter to much confusion: “y’all PLEASE come get me off this floor cause what is this???😭.” Fans quickly identified the show and defended it. @jiff__ wrote, “okay sure out of context this scene is insane, but chances are, if you actually watched the show and got to the s1 finale, this scene and what follows after left you speechless.”

The OA follows a blind woman named Prairie, also known as “The Original Angel,” who returns after being missing for seven years and has cured her blindness. As she reenters society, she assembles a group of followers made up of four teens and one teacher from the local high school to save other people who went missing just like her. Throughout season one, there is a shadow of darkness and violence that bleeds into the finale, escalating to the point where a shooter enters the crowded school cafeteria. Everyone is terrified and has no idea what to do besides hide under a table. Prairie’s followers, who are also in the cafeteria, begin performing “The Movements,” hoping to summon an interdimensional portal to save the school. To outsiders like people on Twitter, this looks absolutely insane— they look like they’re doing an interpretative dance against a guy with a literal gun. However, the whole season had been building to this moment as Prairie trained these five to help save the other missing people with the portal. While the shooter is understandably confused at the flash mob he’s experiencing, he ends up shooting Prairie in the chest and getting tackled by a cafeteria worker, ultimately saving everyone. Because that’s what dancing the movements are all about.

Why Is The OA School Shooting Scene Going Viral?