LOVECRAFT COUNTRY Theories and Questions That Need Answers

Spoilers for the “Holy Ghost” episode of Lovecraft Country

Lovecraft Country’s third episode sets up a ton of intrigue, questions, and theories about what’s coming next. Leti buys a new home on the North Side and, of course, it’s not your typical house. She discovers eight trapped Black souls looking to be set free from the evil ghost of Hiram Epstein, the White scientist who performed experiments on them. Leti manages to get the job done (and save Tic once again) but the mysteries behind the Winthrop house are just beginning to unfold.

Somehow, Christina is alive and in Chicago. Tic finds her in the same realtor’s office who helped Leti snag her new home. He knows she’s behind Leti’s sudden “inheritance” and learns that Winthrop was a founding (and banished) member of the Sons of Adam. Another key scene shows Leti happily in her home with a dark secret beneath. There’s a tunnel littered with skeletons below her house and it appears to be very, very long. What is going on here?

Lovecraft Country book fans may have a vague idea of where the series is going next. But the show is already veering off into its own captivating direction. So we will examine the show as its own unique entity in this post. Let’s explore some questions, thoughts, and possible Lovecraft Country theories about what may happen next.

A Black man in a green shirt sits in a red diner booth

Elizabeth Morris/HBO

Leti’s House Was Once A Secret Society Meeting Place

Episode two shows several members of the Order of the Ancient Dawn coming together in Ardham. George also reveals that there are lodges all over the country. If Winthrop was a founding member of the Sons of Adam, then surely his home could be a Chicago lodge. This would make Leti’s purchase all the more infuriating for anyone currently in the area with knowledge of this secret society.

The Other Braithwaites May Still Be Alive

If Christina is still alive, then what happened Samuel and William? We saw Samuel turn into a pillar, but who knows what is true any more! It wouldn’t be surprising if the others somehow show up. They have magic on their side and have survived for an undisclosed amount of time. If they aren’t dead, then Atticus still has a major fight on this hands.

Leti May Not Be Normal Anymore 

Leti admits that she feels somewhat like a ghost herself after her resurrection. The line seems to be metaphorical as she tries to piece together her life and future. However, it makes you wonder if Leti is really okay or perhaps not quite a normal human. The spirit of Hiram Epstein takes over both the priestess and Tic, but not Leti, and she combines with the other spirits to get rid of Epstein. Perhaps Tic isn’t the only person with magic in his blood now.

Michael Kenneth Williams as Montrose in Lovecraft Country standing hancuffed in a field

Eli Joshua Ade/HBO

What does Montrose know? 

Montrose is obviously a man full of secrets. He’s not Tic’s biological father, he went off towards Ardham without telling anyone, and he knows just as much about books as anyone else. No one knows what information he got from the Braithwaite family prior to Tic’s arrival. Montrose has been doing research about family lineage for some time so surely he found interesting information, right? And it must be dangerous because he kept it from his family. How much does Montrose know about the Order of the Ancient Dawn and magic?

Why did Christina want Leti to buy the Winthrop house?

Christina isn’t some charitable, benevolent character. She’s following her own specific agenda to gain power denied to her as a woman. Christina set everything up for Leti to buy the Winthrop house for a reason. Perhaps there’s an important book or some sort of information hidden in the house. Or maybe there’s something hidden in that grim tunnel that piques Christina’s interest. She likely knows about the house’s history but it’s not clear why she wouldn’t just go in to find what she wants. Christina is a powerful being so even if the Black spirits or Hiram tried to harm her she would be able to dispatch them, right? Lovecraft Country is really making our heads spin right now.

Christina may also use this to blackmail Leti into doing something for her. She may eventually tell Leti the truth about the money and coerce her into performing some sort of task to stop Atticus from digging for more truth. Christina probably won’t get far using this method because no one tells Leti Lewis what to do.

A blond woman sits on a white horse in the woods

Eli Joshua Ade/HBO

Where do the tunnels go?

Maybe the tunnels somehow lead to other areas associated with the Ancient Dawn. The bodies down there are likely people who have somehow discovered this path. They could have been searching for answers like Atticus and became lost forever. Hiram Epstein and Winthrop likely knew those tunnels were there and maybe used them to navigate between Chicago and other important places. Only time will reveal the truth.

Does Leti know about her neighbors’ fates?

Three of Leti’s neighbors are now dead thanks to a couple of spirits. She tells a reporter that she doesn’t know anything about missing neighbors? But is this the truth? Leti obviously wouldn’t incriminate herself if she does know the truth. However, she’s never given us any indication that she knows about a dark, creepy tunnel beneath her house.

The final showdown between Leti and Epstein’s ghost took place in her basement. And, at that time, her elevator is still broken so there probably isn’t a way to get down to the tunnel. So perhaps the spirits did her a solid by taking the bodies down to a place where no one will ever think to look or explore.

Jurnee Smollett as Leti Lewis in Lovecraft Country sits in back of a car

Elizabeth Morris/HBO

Is Lancaster in the Order of the Ancient Dawn?

Police captain Lancaster is a terrible person, to put it lightly. He doesn’t confirm it but Leti pieces together his involvement in providing people to Epstein for unknown experiments. He also calls the house the Winthrop house, so he likely knew Winthrop too.

It’s very, very plausible that Lancaster is a part of this organization. He may not be a high-ranking member and have access to any sort of magic but he seems to know about the spirits haunting Leti’s house. Leti is still in this neighborhood so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him again in some capacity.

Will Leti and Ruby reconcile? 

Leti and Ruby’s already shaky relationship is in a bad place. Ruby believes Leti selfishly kept an inheritance from her mother to herself. Of course, Ruby nor Leti don’t know that this is far from the truth. And, even if Leti discovers the truth, she could never find a way to explain it to Ruby without sounding illogical. The sister have been through some strife before and hopefully they will find common ground soon.

What’s going on with Hippolyta? 

Hippolyta is obviously in mourning following her husband George’s death. She’s ripping pages out of Dracula and having a hard time continuing with the Safe Negro Travel Guide. She admits to Montrose that she thinks he and Tic are hiding information about what took place in Massachusetts. Hopefully, Hippolyta will find a way to get the answers she needs soon. She deserves to play a larger role in this narrative considering she’s a sci-fi/book lover and extremely clever.

Lovecraft Country will surely go deeper into Christina’s next moves, the Order of the Ancient Dawn, and how Atticus fits into the entire puzzle. Whether it follows the book or goes on its own direction, this series is set to take fans on a wild ride.

The above questions and theories are only a drop in the bucket of what fans might be thinking. If you’re into the series, what are your big thoughts, theories, and questions so far? Let us know in the comments.

Featured Image: Elizabeth Morris/HBO