"There are no atheists on a plane that's going down"
IMO Richie's accident is the cathalyst that precipitates the Sydcarmy Endgame.
Yesterday, during the podcast, I was introduced to the theory that Richie's accident wasn't part of Gary's flashback TL, it happened on present day instead. When I first watched Gary I had thought it happened in the past, in 2022, shortly after Mikey died, before Carmy inherited The Beef.
BUT then I was told that he was wearing a suit undeneath his leather jacket, and BOOM!
Yes! I was wrong. So that means that the car crush happened in the "I wear suits now" era.
To be more specific, as rumor has it on X, the morning after this:
Which proves that rumor about S5 starting the day after the fight, basically picking it up where they left it off last year in 4x10, is true.
BUT: Plot twist! Or, as Richie would put it: "Yes, surprise!".
So...
My educated guess is that Richie is the game changer that will prevent Carmy from going through with his retirement plan. (directly, but indirectly it'll still be Syd, ofc).
Because he could only go through with it if Syd wasn't left alone in there, she was supposed to get the support network he had put in place for her, basically.
But with Richie in the hospital that changes completely and Carmy will not only have to stay, but also will want to stay, more precisely, FOR SYD, to be there for her and obviously for Richie too.
He's not going anywhere.
So basically Richie's accident is the perfect plot device to bring Syd and Carmy closer together in this time of crisis.
Not just Syd and Carmy, actually, but the whole family, the whole SYSTEM.
Richie will not end up like Mikey and will bring everyone together, they will all want to be there for and with him throughout his recovery.
And Sydcarmy endgame will come about in that dramatic context.
Now, we must take into account that if the rumor about S5 being in The Pitt's format has any true to it, then it will only cover 8 hours of the day. So I'm guessing the 8 hours immediately after the accident.
Not much developement in the ENDGAME department can happen in 8h UNLESS this crisis of Richie's life being in danger puts everythig into perspective for these 2 and they finally realize that it all can end in a split second. They better get to work and cut to the fucking chase.
And make it count.
Sometimes when ppl go through live/death experiences they find the courage to say and do things that they couldn't say or do in "safer" scenarios. As the saying that goes:
"There are no atheists on a plane that's going down".
I'm pretty sure Syd and Carmy are gonna go that way, maybe at the hospital. I can see them supporting each other and finally letting it rip in the waiting room, or at bedside, or something along those lines. Maybe even getting the call about winning the star, at that moment, when they are waiting for the doctors to come and tell them if Richie is dead or alive and not giving a fuck about the bullshit star at that point because what matters is the people.
MANIFEST HOSPITAL SYDCARMY ENDGAME that celebrates with a kiss that Richie is gonna make it after fearing for his life.
It is bare minimum, but I'll take it.
Thanks @squigglysquigglesstuff
