"True Detective" Creator Nic Pizzolatto Dropped A "Top Gun: Maverick" Theory Online, So Crazy, It Has My Brain In A Pretzel

I've given this a lot of thought

And I am 💯 that Pete Mitchell died (on purpose) flying the stealth fighter in the opening of Maverick, and what proceeds is his last experience in consciousness-- a rewriting of his own past where he saves everything he couldn't in life.

I mean, really: it is totally, physically impossible to eject at Mach 10. Can't happen. Defies any and all physics.

And we don't see him eject.
But we do see the stealth fighter explode like a SUPERNOVA-- even if he did eject, he'd be at the heart of this giant explosion. And ejecting at that speed would murder you, regardless.

He then finds himself in what appears to be a 20th century middle-American diner (how would he still be in the U.S. at that speed?)
And then Mitchell gets a redo of his greatest regrets--
He keeps the woman he shouldn't have let go.
He saves Goose.
He comes home.

THEN think about if, knowing his career was just ended, Pete purposefully pushed the stealth plane to its outer limit IN ORDER TO DIE BREAKING THE SPEED RECORD: A GOOD DEATH... "He's the fastest man who ever lived..."

This interpretation also makes Mitchell's last words on earth, "Talk to me, Goose."

I need to stop now. Chopping these onions is making my eyes water.

Well, that just fucked me up all kinds of ways.

As bad as I want to poke holes in this and laugh it off, I can't. And neither should you. 

Because this is Nic Pizzolatto we're talking about here. 

Guy is pretty fucking smart. Especially when it comes to scriptwriting. 

I saw Top Gun:Maverick at a private screening and immediately boarded the front of the hype train. 

I fucking loved it. As did millions of other people who helped make it one of the biggest action films of all time.

Did I ever consider the fact that it potentially it had layers and depth that would be totally lost on average idiots like me? Obviously not. Which is why my brain is in a pretzel right now. 

Even more so after reading some commentators trying to point out where Pizzolatto's theory falls apart, and him defending it pretty successfully.

Here's the famous opening sequence in question.

And here's Neil DeGrasse Tyson weighing in.

Things that make you go hmmmmm.