2. Confirmation of the Indoctrination Theory
Almost as soon as the shock wave of disappointment in the ending started to sweep the net, the idea emerged that the ending we saw wasn't actually 'real'. Fans started cobbling together various clues and hints that Commander Shep-dawg (as no one has ever called him) was being subtly deceived by the Reapers in a final desperate act to remove him from the playing field. Whether this is an example of the fans being a step ahead of the creators or being in denial and trying to make the ending less of a let down, it's hard to deny that this presents a golden opportunity to Bioware. Even if the self contradictory and plot hole riddled ending is what they really intended to deliver, they can turn things around by saying "Hey guys, you were right! That was our plan all along and boy were you guys smart to figure it out all by yourselves!" and in return we fans can let them save face by nodding along and not asking about their motives.