🐨

I tried to draw Wally Darling and practice my coloring, but in the end I ended up seeing different colors compared to my computer and phone 😭

(Just a fan interpretation, not a claim about Clown or canon.)

Clown has confirmed that Wally, Frank, and Julie are autistic, each presenting differently. Frank is fascinated by observing bugs and likes things to be just so. Julie has an over-the-top personality and expects everyone playing her games to follow the rules exactly. There are also neurodivergent themes throughout Welcome Home (e.g. Poppy showing severe anxiety and agoraphobia.)

There are already several theories that Wally is Ronald Dorelaine, or proxy. Wally's curiosity about everyday things like eating, sleeping, and other ordinary behaviors has always reminded me of a neurodivergent person trying to understand and adapt to a world that wasn't built for the way they naturally think.

Here's my interpretation: what if Ronald Dorelaine himself was written as an autistic creator? Not because we're meant to diagnose him, but because it would fit the story's recurring themes. Maybe Ronald created Welcome Home as a safe haven, where everyone follows familiar scripts, sticks to their role, and nothing is ever "wrong."

If Wally truly reflects Ronald in some way, then his imprisonment inside Home becomes more than just horror. It becomes the story of an autistic creator who built a safe place, only to become trapped inside it, forever looking out at us through the screen, unable to leave the world he created.

(Just observations, not necessarily theories.)

I listened to A Darling Broadcast from Welcome Home a few times, and several things stand out to me:

• Howdy's introduction. When he calls in, he immediately launches into his store jingle before stopping himself and saying, "Sorry, sorry, I can't turn that off." That wording really caught my attention. It made me wonder if the neighbors slip back into their "roles" automatically, even when the situation doesn't call for it. (This also ties into my previous Ronald Dorelaine theory if you want to check that out.)

• Julie's phone call. Julie's voice cuts out in the middle of a sentence. The Joyful siblings pause for a second, then start talking to fill the silence. A moment later, Julie's voice comes back and continues exactly where she left off, as if nothing ever happened. I don't know if it's just a fun phone gag or if we're meant to feel like the audience isn't hearing everything that's actually happening.

• "A bug... with a memory." Jonesy's line seemed oddly specific. After the Frank update centered around bug specimens tied to memories, it almost feels like early foreshadowing.

• Franny and Jonesy. I noticed they often react with surprise when Bea says something unexpected, and they seem quick to correct her or steer the conversation back. It almost feels like they have a stronger sense of how things are "supposed" to be than she does.

None of these prove anything on their own, but they're the kinds of little details I love going back and noticing after later updates. I'm curious if anyone else caught other moments in the broadcast that felt just a little... off.

If anyone wants to listen for themselves, here's an archived recording of A Darling Broadcast on YouTube:

Children are capable of understanding more than we give them credit for. Teaching kids to be kind is important, but so is teaching them to recognize patterns of unfairness.

That one!