This is your great leader? A voice modulator with a YouTube channel who hides underneath a 99¢-store Halloween costume of a skeleton? It’s like something from a parody of a horror movie. Only a truly insane person would be able to accept that thing as a leader without giggling every time it appears, which is probably why his creepy cult is a handy collection of all the most unbearable people possible.
You know what kinda sucks is that I know who the undead prophet is because I read the script when it had just been uploaded and they left in who the undead prophet was
yeah i’m the same!! although im not too mad anymore because of the fact theres less of a chance of being another series for us to find out in!
Or, “Why I Think Victor Halperin Is The Undead Prophet”
Two-part theory with proof and lots of In The Flesh spoilers below the cut.
Part One
Theory: The Undead Prophet is not undead.
Summary of Points:
Simon was the first PDS sufferer to be treated successfully.
PDS sufferers were usually kept chained up, with the exception of Simon.
The Undead Prophet had freedom, abilities, and organization beyond what a PDS sufferer could have had.
In-Depth Proof: Simon was the first PDS sufferer to be treated successfully. The Undead Prophet is already up and moving by the time experimentation starts. That means the Prophet can't be undead, as they are incapable of speech while in the rabid state.
One could argue that he could be one of the other PDS sufferers in the facility at that point. In response, I ask you to consider Simon and Julian.When we see them in their cell, Simon wasn't chained to the wall. Julian was, despite the fact that they were both functioning and no longer a danger. Julian is a restrained person, as shown in episode 5 of season 2. In the hotel lobby he uses intimidation to scare the rude man into silence, but not violence or force. That makes it unlikely that Julian was in chains due to dangerous behavior, which suggests that Simon was being treated differently. His freedom was likely because Victor and John trusted him.
So why would another PDS sufferer be not only left out of chains, but allowed to roam the halls unchecked? That would make it even more likely that the Prophet was not undead, but living. With this in mind, we can proceed to the more important and slightly more complex part of this theory.
Part 2
Theory: The Undead Prophet is Victor Halperin
Summary of Points:
Victor Halperin had access to the intercom when the Prophet speaks to Simon in episode 5
Victor expresses a belief that the PDS sufferers can’t be cured, aren’t necessarily sick, and references them being a superior species partially of another world
Victor would know how to make neutrotriptyline
Victor would have the chemistry know-how and resources to make and mass produce Blue Oblivion
Victor may be the one telling newly treated PDS sufferers about the Undead Prophet
Victor may have provided Kieren’s roommate, Alex, with Blue Oblivion in episode 1 of season 1
In-Depth Proof: There’s a lot of proof for this, so just hold on tight. This follows the summary of points, so if you get lost that can help you out.
The first hints that Victor Halperin may be the Undead Prophet come in episode five of season two. It should be noted that Victor remained in the control booth during the power surge when we first hear the Prophet’s warped voice speaking to Simon. We see John control the intercom through the booth only moments before, meaning that Victor could have turned it on.
John is around during the power surge as well and does nothing about the voice. I thought it might be possible that he is involved, but I don’t think he is. His nervousness about sending the PDS sufferers home is completely the opposite of the Prophet’s belief that the Undead are not ill. Instead, there is probably another reason that John doesn’t react to the voice that relies on information we don’t have, such as the layout of the building, how the intercom works, etc.
In contrast, Victor insists that the PDS sufferers cannot be cured. He does then start talking about how it is a “syndrome,” but the whole speech where he explains their symptoms can be boiled down to him explaining that they aren’t really sick. He even mentions them being partially of another world. This could be a reference to the Prophet’s belief that the Undead are heavenly or angelic. He also calls them a “superior species,” which was a huge red flag for me. Very few others voice that belief.
Another significant bit that points to Victor is the idea of homemade neurotriptyline. While John was credited with the creation of the drug by the government official in episode five, Victor was obviously very involved in the process. It would make sense for him to know the contents and how to create it. While it is not impossible that someone else referenced the neurotriptyline and learned to make it on their own, it is very likely that the Prophet simply knew how.
The Blue Oblivion is another similar situation. Victor is someone who knows his way around a lab. It would not be surprising for him to come up with a drug that can temporarily negate the effects of neurotriptyline, especially as familiar as he is with the compound. He would also quickly have the money to start mass producing Blue Oblivion since his company sells many PDS necessities.
Halperin and Weston were referenced in episode six by the two Halperin and Weston employees. They said that Halperin and Weston had shown personal interest in Amy’s test results. They are also referenced by Shirley when she talks about Neurotriptyline Plus. From this, we can gather that they are both still actively researching. That means that they need somewhere to do their testing and a group to do it on.
The treatment center is a perfect testing ground. The undead there are considered sub-human, have no rights, and nobody is aware that they are “alive” until the family is called. As Rick’s parents were called very shortly before Rick came home, it can be assumed that they don’t call families right away. This means that there are almost no ethical restrictions in the treatment centers and no families who would become upset if something were to go wrong during testing. Since we already know that Halperin and Weston have resorted to graverobbing, we can assume that they’re not really trying to be ethical. That means that they’re probably using the treatment center(s), which won’t limit them.
If Victor is still involved with the treatment center, that would give him a great way to spread the word of the Prophet anonymously to newly treated PDS sufferers. Anyone else would have a hard time doing that. It would also explain how Alex, Kieren’s roommate from the first episode in season one, got Blue Oblivion in such a locked-down place.
If anyone would like to add their opinion, point out an error or two, or ask a question, you can come and chat with me in my ask box.
I'd like to remind everyone that since Simon was the first of the undead to be treated successfully, the Undead Prophet cannot possibly be a PDS sufferer. He was already walking around freely, capable of speech, and getting organized when the others were still chained to the wall.
