Ahead Of The Chair Company Finale, My Wife Reminded Me Of A Huge Question We Still Don't Know The Answer To

Spoilers below for anyone who hasn’t watched the latest episode of The Chair Company on HBO or via HBO Max subscription, so be warned!

True to form for a unique comedic personality like Tim Robinson, The Chair Company is heading into its finale the same way it arrived: with viewers giggling, cringing and questioning what the hell is actually happening. Episode 7 capped off with a bonkers ending that inspired all kinds of predictions about the impending Season 1 finale. (Season 2 has already been ordered up.) Ron finally seemed to figure out who's behind the big Tecca mystery he's been investigating, leading to possibly the biggest dilemma he's ever faced: unveil the corruption or keep his wife's career intact.

While my brain was fully invested in digging into whatever the future potentially holds, my wife reminded me of the huge question we’ve needed an answer for since the HBO series’ first act, and one that could very well indicate how big a piece Ron is in this overarching puzzle.

Did Someone Intentionally Put That Chair On The Stage So That Ron Would Fall Over?

It's one of the strangest high-concept ideas ever for a TV show: what if a man literally falls ass-backwards into a corporate conspiracy? The Chair Company's premiere sets Tim Robinson's Ron Trosper up as a functional human being responsible for designing and bringing to life a giant new mall, only to jettison him into a downward spiral to paranoia-fueled hell by having him take an awkward tumble due to a faultily constructed office chair.

Since that moment, viewers have been following Ron through an extremely shaggy dog mystery that taps into strange men filming their marital affairs, illicit photography, giant red balls and a global company whose staff, CEO and mere existence is entirely up in the air. So I'd completely forgotten about the initial suspicion that Ron's vaguely embarrassing fall (which preceded an amusingly terrible joke about Cheez-Its). But now I'm back to wondering exactly how that malconstructed bit of office furniture made it onto the stage, and who was responsible.

At the time, it seemed ridiculous to think that we were witnessing a predetermined act, given we barely knew who any of the characters even were at the time. But now that we know a bit more about the employees at Fisher Robay and other people in Ron's life, namely how goddamned weird they all are, it seems all the more possible that it was a purposeful low-stakes set-up, even though I still have no real clue who would be responsible, and why they would risk using a Tecca chair in the process.

Unless the idea is that it's Ron's colleague Amanda, whose dress he ended up under, set the chair to break down specifically so he would fall where he did. That idea seems even MORE ludicrous than a chair prank, but Amanda's behavior during their recurring HR meetings has been overtly flirtatious. At first I thought the joke was that she became ironically attracted to Ron's utter lack of interest the longer it went on, but now I wonder if this was all part of her....plan? Scheme?

Maybe it wasn't Amanda, but rather someone who works at Fisher Robay who is/was related to the man that Ron possibly permanently injured in regards to the cursed Jeep Tours situation. It'd be the lamest revenge plot possible, but it's kind of still as feasible as just about anything else.

Also, is it just meant to be a coincidence that the woman who was about to speak when Ron fell was named Alice, the same name of the investor in Barb's company that Ron accused of running Tecca?

Newest Theory-Related Question: Are Barb And Her Work Partner In On It?

At no point during this first season did I suspect Lake Bell's Barb of being anything but exTREMEly patient and understanding with a man who makes every situation as uncomfortable as an iron maiden. Yet the final minutes of Episode 7 skewed that view somewhat drastically. Let's look at some clue-esque details.

• Alice Quintana seemed to only get in touch with Barb for investing purposes after Ron found the photos and started digging more into Tecca.
• Apropos of nothing, Barb's partner George asked Ron about his investigation, making the "reveal" that Natalie told Barb all about it, and that Ron's wife is supportive of it. Which seemed to me like total garbage in one way or another. Barb would amost definitely not be comfortable with Ron's current mental state, and while I could see her lying about it to George, I don't know why she'd tell him about it in the first place just to lie.
• During the final credits, the camera stays mostly locked onto Ron's face as he alternates between laughing and crying at his own reflection. But when it does change, it's on Barb's face laid against Ron's shoulder. Considering she's the life of the party, you'd think she'd still be smiling ear to ear, but instead, she looks more than a little disgruntled. It's definitely not just a resting face, and while it's obviously impossible to guess what she's thinking, she could very well be annoyed with Ron for discovering who Alice Quintana is.

Of course, Barb could be the only one at her company who isn't in on the charade, and that's why she's annoyed in the end, because maybe she knows Ron could potentially deflate her professional life. Or maybe she's just bothered because she has a rock in her shoe, and it's uncomfortable to dance with a rock in one's shoe.

I'm having trouble talking myself into believing that Barb has been a part of this BTS conspiracy from the beginning, as her marriage with Ron does seem to be fruitful and loving 95% of the time. Plus, I don't think she would do anything to maliciously hurt Ron in a way that would harm her relationship with their kids Natalie and Seth. Of course, if she thought she would get away with everything without getting caught — oh, you meddling kids! — then that could possibly justify alienating her own children.

At this point, I'm willing to go all in on the belief that aliens or Santa Claus was responsible for Ron's chair-related snafu. Find out what answers the Season 1 finale will bring when it airs on HBO on Sunday, November 30, at 10:00 p.m.