Warning! Major spoilers for Lovecraft Country's season 1, episode 5, "Strange Case"
In Lovecraft Country season 1, episode 5, "Strange Case", the showrunners confirmed the long-running theory that Christina Braithwhite and William are the same person. Misha Green's HBO show is adapted from Matt Ruff's 2016 novel, and introduces various characters that were not in the source material or were entirely different in the novel; Christina is one of them. Due to this gender-swap, numerous fan theories connecting Christina and William as the same person started early, but was not confirmed until "Strange Case". Even so, Green left various clues that alluded to one of the show's biggest reveals to date.
The series follows Atticus Freeman (Jonathan Majors), Letitia "Leti" Lewis (Jurnee Smollett), and George Freeman (Courtney B. Vance) searching for Atticus's father, Montrose Freeman (Michael K. Williams). On their journey to find the inexplicably missing man, the trio travel to Ardham, based on the city of Arkham, Massachusetts, which was originally created by H.P. Lovecraft. Along the way, they run into a group of alchemists known as the Sons Of Adam, who are descendants of Titus Braithwhite and composed entirely of men, except for Christina (Abbey Lee). As the origins of the suspicious organization unfolds, Christina's henchman, William, appears to welcome Tic, George, and Leti in episode 2, "Whitey's On The Moon". Curiously, they are never seen together.
Lovecraft Country premiered at the onset of a Lovecraftian revival in horror alongside films such as Color Out Of Space and Underwater. Lovecraft was known for crafting some of the world's greatest tales of monsters, forbidden lands, malicious people, and alchemist magic, so body swapping isn't out of the ordinary, yet it's still a surprising—and grotesque—addition to the show. Misha Green's series includes these crucial elements of Lovecraftian fiction as well as those familiar to the original novel. "Strange Case" effectively added a new layer to Christina and Ruby as well as entirely new possibilities for the series to take after episode 5's shocking reveal. Some may have predicted it ahead of time; Green added numerous clues to this twist from the very beginning.
Caleb Braithwhite (From The Book) Became Christina In The Show
In Matt Ruff's Lovecraft Country, Christina does not exist in the story as a woman. Instead, she is Samuel Braithwhite's son, Caleb, and William doesn't exist at all. Christina retains some of Caleb's characterization, but they are not entirely the same. It is virtually impossible to enforce the same form of sexism in a patriarchal society on a man and a woman in the mid-twentieth century, which partially explains the decision by Lovecraft Country showrunners to gender-swap the character. The core of Caleb/Christina remains the same, but the context in which they exist under deeply alters how they navigate their position.
Christina and William also share a striking physical resemblance. Since the two were introduced in "Whitey's On The Moon", this uncanny connected and seemingly shared morals led to the initial theory that they were either related or the same person. Christina's big reveal relied on Caleb's character, who gives Ruby a polyjuice potion. In nearly every iteration of the magic potion, it allows an individual to appear as someone else entirely. Considering that William gave Ruby the polyjuice potion in the show—and he is actually Christina—it technically means Caleb gave it to her, which was written in the book all along. This clue existed before Lovecraft Country premiered, but isn't quite as obvious as the others.
Christina & William Are Never In The Same Room
Lovecraft Country is officially at its half-way point with "Strange Case". For nearly four episodes, William and Christina were never seen in a room together. Due his position as her henchman, it's assumed that the two would have interacted at some point to discuss matters of her safety after the Ardham chapter of the Sons Of Adam was destroyed. Considering the fact that Christina and William never appeared in the same room together, fans deduced that it was possible for them to be the same person; this clue was the crux of the theory before the confirmation in episode 5.
This is further supported by the Sons Of Adam's men only membership clause that makes Christina's existence and role in the secret society a further mystery. If the alchemists of the Sons Of Adam produce a daughter, it could be assumed that they would not be allowed membership. While members do not acknowledge William, he does exist, and likely allows Christina to enter spaces she would otherwise not be allowed into. This is also further expanded upon with Ruby's use of the potion in episode 5; she adopts the body of a white woman so she can experience privilege and other treatment that she, as a Black woman, is not used to receiving.
William's Metamorphosis Speech
In "Strange Case", William details the ways that metamorphosis works with the polyjuice potion he has gifted Ruby. In fact, he states that he knows the pain she is experiencing, and is well aware that it will not be as bad the more it happens. There is no possible way that he could know this without having done it himself. "Strange Case" made the big reveal at the very end of the episode, but it also established minute clues and details throughout that made for an intricate build up to the big twist.
Alchemist Spells & The 1950s
The most convincing piece of evidence towards Christina and William's existence as the same person is the fact that she has to navigate the 1950s as a presumably single woman, yet has managed to accumulate a staggering amount of success and privilege. While she has the privileges of being white, she is still a woman who was raised under a roof fueled by strong ideologies of patriarchy. Christina even directly experienced her father's disappointment in her based on her gender, and often empathizes with Atticus and Letitia, who are subjugated by a racist patriarchal society. However, they do not share the same experiences in the slightest. It's important to note that women's liberation, the civil rights movement, and the gay liberation movement all took place during the events of Lovecraft Country, and it was entirely common for them to intersect.
Christina represents the fight for white women's rights during this moment, especially when forced into an inferior position in comparison to her fellow members of the Sons Of Adam. By using an alchemist spell to appear as a man, it allows for her to move freely through a society that looks down on women in power such as herself. Christina is further complicated by the fact that she has presumably fallen in love with Ruby while appearing as William. Whether or not Lovecraft Country will expand on a possible lesbian relationship between the two is unknown, but will undoubtedly become a point of discussion in upcoming episodes. While this is not necessarily a clue, it does provide an extra layer of purpose behind Christina's use of the polyjuice potion. Nearly every aspect of her identity was rejected by her father and the Sons Of Adam; her sexuality could have been as well.