Netflix's Maniac: What Does The Ending Really Mean?

5. Options A, B, And C

While at the facility, Owen talks about not wanting to see Annie again, because the two options are either A) she never really existed, or B) she did exist, but he'll mess it up.

It's an insight into Owen's frame-of-mind, but it's also one that gives pause for a second. Given everything else we've seen go on inside his head throughout the show, is it possible that this too isn't real? The show, and especially Fukunaga's direction, enjoys blurring the lines betwixt the two, and there's the chance what we're seeing here is a continuation of that.

If it is, though, the show doesn't give too much credence to it. Instead, it plumps for Option C, where Annie arrives and convinces Owen to run away with him to Salt Lake City. It's another sign of reality starting to mirror the drug trial, with C here reflecting the C pill in the trial, with the pair confronting their problems. This time, though, they're actually able to work through them properly.