The wait is finally over, Salad Fingers, it's finally time.
P-pardon?
Time for part 2 of your theory.
Do it now.
Hello internet! Welcome to Film Theory.
And I hope you're ready because in honor
of Halloween, it's time we head once more
Into the twisted mind of Salad Fingers.
Last episode we stablished that Salad Fingers
Is set in the UK, during the year 1939
Trapped in his own mind and force to relieve various
Memories from World War 1
We also saw the recurring theme of Salad Fingers
Feeling trapped by, and abandoning babies
And how his fractured mind constantly
hops between different personalities.
But, what does it all mean? How do these
individuals pieces add up to one overall
narrative, and, What the heck does the ending mean?
You had to wait long enough
So let's not waste any more time, let's get right into it.
When looking at the 10 episodes
of Salad Fingers, there's a definite
shift midway through the series, the first
five episodes are filled with bizarre
moments, unexplained events, strange
characters and veiled plotlines, but
it's in episode 6 "present" that things
start to feel weightier, much more
intentional, it's this episode that makes
it clear that the random, disturbing
moments sprinkled through the series
aren't just there for shock value, but
rather possess a deeper meaning, crucial
to unraveling the plot of it all.
The episode revolves around the first of the
finger puppets, Jeremy Fisher, giving the
titular present of a horse to Salad
Fingers, a gift that seems completely
arbitrary, until we see old Horace
Horsecollar appear again in one of the
final and most gruesome moments from the
series. Episode Ten's visit to Dr. Papanak,
where the doctor is launched
through the air and latches onto the
side of the horse, tearing into it's stomach.
As an animal lover, it's brutal to watch as
the horse stares at Salad Fingers and cries.
So clearly, these moments are highly
symbolic, but symbolic of what, exactly?
Let's hop back into episode 6, to figure
it out. Jeremy Fisher appears and Salad
greets him by saying:
"Jeremy Fisher!
I thought you were out fighting the great war!"
So apparently it's a surprise to see
that Jeremy has returned home from the
war so early, but this is a line that
takes on a whole new tone just a few
minutes later when in the same episode
Salad repeats it again. "Jeremy Fisher,
I thought you were out fighting the Great War."
Things have gotten serious in a hurry. But why
is Salad Fingers suddenly so aggressive
towards Jeremy? To truly understand that...
we need to first piece together their
conversation and piece together is an
accurate description because believe it
or not, the conversation happens in two
chunks separated out and removed from
one another. One side of the conversation
happens when Salad is out playing with
Horace Horsecollar at the local toilet,
and the second half is in the house
directed at the finger puppet. What
seems like two fragmented streams of
thoughts, when spliced together actually
gives us one completed conversation
between Jeremy and an angry father. Both
played by Salad Fingers' fractured mind/
Here it is properly laid out:
"Jeremy Fisher, I thought you were out
fighting the Great War."
"P-pardon?"
"I'd like a word with you."
"I don't understand."
"I'm not one for accusations, but this
one's cast iron."
"What is this?"
"I've seen you tailgating my daughter
with aspirations of deflowering her rose."
"N-no this isn't true. You've got the
wrong bloke, squire."
"I don't make mistakes comrade this one's textbook."
Flash to Salad Fingers eating a version of
himself, and you're left with
crystal-clear storytelling ladies and
gentlemen. I don't know about you but it
makes so much more sense now...
...Yeah right. What we see in this pivotal
moment from the series is a
father-figure actively threatening a
former soldier, Jeremy, for trying to
seduce and deflower his daughter.
Deflower, you know, take a roll in the hay with her,
create the beast with two backs, break
out the old horizontal mambo.. Alright,
enough of- Roast the old hot dog.
I'm done. Remember, this is Salad
rehashing past memories. So the fact that
he eats his puppet in the end or
cannibalizes the head of some other
Salad Fingers seems to indicate that
this conversation didn't quite end all
that well for Jeremy. Most likely with
the father killing him.
Extreme, maybe, but it seems like the
father's fears about Jeremy might have
been well-founded. You see, think for a
minute about the horse Jeremy gives to
Salad, and then remember the fact that it
appears again in a doctor's office to
have its stomach ripped out. Knowing what
we know about the accusations against
Jeremy, let's say for a second that he is
indeed trying to deflower this young
girl.And what's more that he succeeds in
doing so. Under this context Jeremy
giving Salad Fingers the present of a
horse is symbolic of him getting the
girl pregnant.
Likewise, that means she would need to go
see a doctor to have things taken care
of. Be it giving birth, or on the flipside,
having the baby aborted. And that's the
memory we see Salad relive in episode 10
as at the doctor's office Salad once
again flips through
a couple personalities where he starts as the
girl getting examined by the doctor.
"I suppose you'll be checking me for nimpers,
and camel spots."
a girl who really
enjoys her examination a whole lot,
before snapping into a new persona.This
time, that of the mother encouraging her
daughter while the baby is being born.
"I know it hurts, just try and sit still whilst
the doctor eats your blood."
Ah, the miracle of childbirth at the
hands of the swiss army knife doctor. And
for as gruesome as this scene is, we can
confidently say that she gives birth,
since the title of this episode is
"Birthday". So we're now left with the
million-dollar question- Whose birthday
is it?
Why, it's none other than our good friend,
the second and most crucial finger puppet,
Hubert Cumberdale. There are actually
plenty of hints to confirm this.
Sprinkled throughout the videos not only
does Salad Fingers tell us at the
beginning of episode 10 that it is
Hubert's birthday today,
"As it's Hubert's birthday"
but also in a very short scene after the
doctor's visit, we see the important
visual of Hubert being abandoned on the
ground surrounded by branches. Know as I
covered last episode, baby imagery is
everywhere in this series. Especially
babies being abandoned. With Mr. Branches
from episode 9 being one of the
strongest examples. So to depict Hubert
lying there amongst a bunch of broken
branches, all while a tree has somehow
grown between Salad Fingers' legs is an
important visual symbol Hubert is
clearly the baby. But there are other hints
sprinkled throughout the series as well.
For instance in episode 8 Salad adopting
the voice of a scolding parent kicks
Hubert off the bed into a tray of muck,
saying:
"Scrub that muck off at once, Hubert Cumberdale. I'll have no dirty immigrants
in my house."
It's not just an insult, it's pointed to
the fact that Hubert was born of a black
father, Jeremy Fisher, which during the
World War One era was a big deal.
This was a time in history when
immigration into the UK was on the rise,
due to the war as a result what's known
as scientific racism flourished a time in
which white Europeans used false
scientific claims to prove that they
were the superior race. Things like
saying that the Caucasian brain was
anatomically larger than other races, or
relating facial structure to overall
intelligence. That coupled with the
increased immigration caused by the war,
resulted in attitudes like the one Salad
Fingers expresses in this moment. It's a
key point of seeing Hubert ostracized by
his own family because of his parentage.
It's even reflected in the way Hubert
tastes. In episode 2, we see that Hubert
"Ew, you taste like soot and poo."
Again indicating a different status than
someone like Marjory, who tastes like
"Sunshine dust."
Hubert is simply considered
dirty or unclean. Well how does this all fit with the ending? As
a refresher Salad Fingers encounters a
table with five other salad finger
looking creatures except each is
physically mutilated in some way. At the head
of the table is a sixth chair. Empty, and
presumably for him.
Salad is visibly uncomfortable at first,
until the mysterious pole lowers down
with a gift a hat made out of the
remains of the now-dead Milford Cubicle.
The present makes him feel at home, and
series ends with him saying in triumph:
"I shall wear it from here to the grave. What a truly special day" So WTF?
Seriously, we just saw a horse get ripped
apart, and now this is our big ending?
Well, yes actually, and here's why. Salad
Fingers is Hubert Cumberdale. The child
born out of wedlock that never found his
place. Always being ostracized by a
family that never wanted him in the
first place. And this ending shows that
he finally feels as though he's found
acceptance, a place where he fits in.
He's found his family. Granted, it's a
family of deformed mutants who don't
actually acknowledge his existence,
but hey, it's enough for him and who am I to
take that away from our little green
hero.
So first we know that Hubert and Salad
Fingers are one in the same. Well, it's
worth noting that after the doctor's scene
in the forest, Hubert as we discussed
gets left behind.
Suddenly, when Salad Fingers is back at the
house, the birthday party is no longer
for Hubert. It's for him. He's the one the
presents are for. And he's also the one
excited about how the other guests
remembered him on his big day.
"For me? I thought you'd all forgotten!" It's also worth
noting that randomly Hubert is wearing a
top hat in this episode. And what gift does
Salad get at the very end of the video? A
similar-looking top hat. But it goes
beyond that. The Hubert puppet is also the
only one to be able to change form.
Becoming black goo that burns to the
touch.
Unlike the other finger puppets, this one
is supernatural. A construct of Salad
Fingers' mind. Unlike the other characters,
which are more grounded in reality.
Hubert is also seen the most, and is one
that we see in life size scale multiple
times. Even sharing Salad's own memories.
But despite all of this, he also tends to
only interact with Salad Fingers' true
personality.
None of the other characters that Salad
Fingers hops between
both Marjory and Jeremy interact with
other personalities. The angry father, the
disappointed husband. But Hubert seems
mostly connected to the true
Salad Fingers. So if that's all the case
then it makes sense why this ending is
so moving for Fingers. In episode 8, we
see just how lonely he is. So much so,
that he keeps a memorial of hairs. Five
different hairs- each one a different
shade and color.
"You all look so beautiple together. A gay little quintette."
They're mementos of his lost
family. At the end of the episode he's
forced to get rid of them. Something that
is so devastating, that he ends the
episode by crying in the corner of his
safety cover. So we have five hairs, but
also five different people at that final
table. Coincidence? I think not.
In the end, I have no solid proof. But I
can only assume that this scene is meant
to be Salad Fingers being reunited with
the five people in his life who have
abandoned him in some way. People who
have either died, or disowned him. Scenes
that we've witnessed across the series.
Some combination of the father figure we
saw in episode four who fled to France afraid
of being caged by a baby.
Kenneth, his younger brother from "Shore Leave"
who either died young, or during the
Great War Auntie Bainbridge. Probably
represented by the gray hair. And the
most likely candidate for the voice of
Roger the radio. A woman cold and
unforgiving to Salad Fingers as he was
growing up.
Marjory Stuart Baxter, Salad's wife from
episode 9. The wife who left him to care for
their baby alone. And then Ivan, the baby
he just didn't know how to handle and
had to give away. Maybe even his mother
who, if the episode 10 doctor's
appointment is any indication,
potentially died in childbirth. Five
hair,s and five lost loved ones.
Run away, dead, or disappointed. Leaving
Salad Fingers, or should I say Hubert, alone.
In his made-up reality. Stuck in time and
trapped in his own unforgiving wasteland.
That's why the final moment is so
important.Tthe platoon is all there and
the gift he's given is a hat. A friend hat,
like the one he gave to Hubert back in
episode 5. He's finally accepted. He's
found his place at the table.
IIt's as though Salad Fingers has finally
come to grips with who he is, leaving the
puppet behind in the woods, and being
born again into his true role as
Hubert. So the episode titled "Birthday"
Actually has a double meaning.Green
monsters deserve some love too.
What a truly special day.
But hey that's just a theory, A film
theory..... Aaaaandd cut!
Oh and full disclosure, I still have no
idea what's the deal with Milford
Cubicle, or why it's his skin making the
friend hat. Maybe it's just a remnant of
the real world poking in. I don't know, I'm a theorist, I'm not a miracle worker.