Warning! The following contains spoilers for Inside Out 2. If you're waiting to stream it with a Disney+ subscription, read at your own risk!
Inside Out 2 is in theaters, and amidst reviews celebrating the movie's new flood of emotions, a lot of conversations are happening. There's a lot to discuss, though I should note that some of the conversations involve things that have already happened. This might be because many didn't know there was an end credits scene in which we learned Riley's Deep Dark Secret.
In the movie, the character is introduced and locked away with other repressed memories that Riley would sooner forget. The vault was unlocked, but rather than escape, the secret remained locked away rather than be discovered. Readers thought this left the secret open to interpretation, but the answer to what the secret was is actually in the movie at the very end.
Joy Visited Riley's Deep Dark Secret For Answers
Joy, overcome with curiosity, decided she needed to know Riley's Deep Dark Secret she kept locked away in the depths of her mind. She visited the intimidating character, and much like viewers wondered what was so scandalous, it couldn't have been revealed the first time they encountered him. Readers might think the answer was implied to be something some viewers would find scandalous, but the answer is far more innocuous than that.
It turns out that Riley once burned a hole in the family rug, and her parents didn't know about it. In the grand scheme of things, it's not that big of a deal, but for an anxiety-ridden teenager like Riley, I can understand why she'd want to keep it under wraps. She could be grounded if her parents discovered the burn, which would totally wreck her social life, potentially forever. It's not a concept that could make for a third movie, though I like the director's idea for something that would appear in another sequel.
Joy Was Shocked The Secret Wasn't Something Else
The reveal might've shocked those who stayed for the very end of Inside Out 2, but Joy wasn't as impressed. In fact, she felt the Deep Dark Secret was something entirely different, which caused the character to scurry in fear once he was reminded of it. It turns out Riley had another secret that she once peed in a swimming pool, and I would agree I'd be more embarrassed about revealing that than setting a rug on fire.
So, for those who left the movie thinking the Deep Dark Secret was possibly related to Riley's sexuality, not quite. That said, Anxiety voice actress Maya Hawke had some thoughtful commentary on the popular fan theory and felt that viewers were free to speculate on Riley and her potentially having a queer storyline all they want.
One thing that is clear is that there's a lot of runway for storytelling in Inside Out, and the second movie ushering in Riley's high school years could open up a lot of complicated and nuanced storytelling in the future. I'm 100% on board as someone who loved the second movie as much as critics did, and I can't wait for whatever comes next.
Inside Out 2 is currently in theaters, and based on how well it did at the box office, might be staying there for a long time. I highly recommend that anyone who has a chance to see it in theaters do so, because this is by far one of the best movies of 2024.
