Fan Theories

The Ginger Snaps trilogy leaves many questions open for interpretation. Common questions left unanswered by the film have conjured fan discussion and fan theories for explanations. A number of discussion boards and posts can be found under Fan Social Media where users can converse about the series. On this page appear the most common questions along with fan theories providing possible explanations based on what is most logical to film canon or what producers have said about the film. (Spoilers ahead!)

Ginger Snaps
Who was the Beast of Bailey Downs?


 * The identity of the Beast is unknown, but we know it was an infected male, based on Sam's observation of Beast's remains after running over it with his van.

How was the lycanthropy curse first brought to the Bailey Downs community?


 * The lycanthropy curse may have been brought upon the community from the events of Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning where the Fitzgerald sisters broke from the prophecy as told by the elderly Cree seer. The prophecy stated that the sisters must go through with the predictions, or a curse will be set upon the community.  It is probably fate that Bailey Downs was cursed with werewolves, and that the modern day Brigitte and Ginger Fitzgeralds are doomed to become werewolves themselves.

Why were the neighbors and neighborhood kids nonchalant to the unnamed mother's cry at the beginning of the film when she discovered that her dog, Baxter, died a gruesome death?


 * Apathy seems to be a running theme through the film. In the film's first instance of dark humor, the neighbors shrug off the brutal murder of a dog. Later when Brigitte screams for help during the werewolf attack, the lights in several houses turn on only to turn off seconds later.  Little details like this seem to suggest that the residents of Bailey Downs, in their dull suburban lives, are almost numb to the world around them. From Henry shutting down conversations at the dinner table to Mister Wayne's outburst over the slideshow, the world around the sisters is shown to be cold and condescending.

Why was monkshood a cure for lycanthropy (werewolf transformation)?


 * In literature, monkshood (also known as wolfsbane) repels werewolves. It happens that in the world of Ginger Snaps, monkshood also repels werewolves!

In Ginger Snaps, why did Brigitte lie to Ginger about where she got the silver ring from?


 * It is unclear; perhaps Brigitte did not want Ginger to find out that she was contacting Sam for help. Walton stated that this scene represents a further divide between the sisters, where normally they would share everything with each other.

What happened to Trina Sinclair's dog?


 * In the film Morley's collar can be seen on the bathroom floor on top of Ginger's clothes during the scene where Pam barges in, implying that Ginger killed him. The detail is subtle without pausing the film as it barely shows for a few seconds, and the detail is likely to be missed by the observant eye.

Was Brigitte ever in love with Sam, and vice versa?


 * Brigitte develops an appreciation for Sam, but further feelings are never developed. However, she does willingly break from her introverted persona to find Sam to develop a cure for Ginger.  From the deleted scene, "Brigitte and Sam Understand Each Other," Brigitte is seen confronting Sam about being a "cherryhound," and she is seen starting to open up to Sam.  The deleted scenes, if kept in the film, would have shown a stronger support for Brigitte having stronger feelings for Sam.  However, in the film, Sam asks Brigitte to take the syringe herself and to run away with him, signaling that Sam does love Brigitte.  In a Q & A session with Karen Walton, a writer for Ginger Snaps, she stated that a scene where Brigitte and Sam kiss in the cupboard never made it beyond the storyboard.
 * Sam's feelings for Brigitte are more pronounced, as he attempts to search for Brigitte on his own (he spent several days trying to track down Brigitte and learn her name), and he willingly spends time to develop a cure and conduct for Brigitte. He protects Brigitte by trying to convince her to not infect herself with Ginger's blood so she won't be doomed to become a werewolf as well.  After he made the cure with Brigitte, he suggests to Brigitte that curing Ginger was a lost cause, and Brigitte take the cure, and they run away together.  After she refuses, he then insists to Brigitte that he give the cure to Gingerwolf instead of Brigitte, who was weakened from exhaustion and stress and from the initial stages of lycanthropy.

Does Sam die at the end of the first film?


 * Sam is seen bitten in the jugular vein, and he shows a reflex where his hand is raised then lowered, meaning that he has lost consciousness. He might possibly be either in a coma or has died; details from the film do not make this clear, and he was not addressed in Ginger Snaps: Unleashed. If Sam was infected from the bite, and he could have healed instantly to prevent death, then the scene where the janitor was semiconscious after being attacked by Ginger can be used as support that Sam is still alive; however, unlike Sam's injury, the janitor did not suffer from a severe injury.  The janitor suffered concussions and impaled glass in his head, but nothing necessarily lethal.  For Sam, he had already lost a significant amount of blood, and he was grievously injured.  However, if Sam is alive, then he might have transformed into a werewolf, setting up the question of what the unnamed male werewolf's identity in Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed is.

Does the fur coat Brigitte wear have some significance?


 * In some scenes, Brigitte wears shaggy coats that look as though they are made of fur; one heavy gray coat looks like wolf fur. The apparent meaning is Brigitte's closeness to her sister. This also foreshadows her herself becoming a werewolf.

'''What happened to Pamela Fitzgerald (Brigitte and Ginger's mother) at the end of the film? Why wasn't she at home when Gingerwolf attacked Brigitte and Sam? And Henry Fitzgerald (the sister's father)?'''


 * An explanation of Pamela and Henry's whereabouts is not given. Several days earlier, Pamela mentions to Brigitte and Ginger after they leave the dinner table that their father and herself have therapy that night.  Perhaps the parents might be at a late night therapy session.
 * In the deleted scenes, an extended scene is seen where Pamela is sitting is shock after digging up Trina's body in the toolshed. Henry asks her what she was doing in the toolshed, and Pamela replies that she was just reminiscing the old days.  Henry then replies that he was going for late night poker.  In another deleted scene, "Let's Kill Them All!" Pamela distracts the police officers who were looking for Jason McCardy after his terrorizing of a young boy.  She thinks that they were looking for her daughters because they murdered Trina (but the officers did not know that yet).  Pamela shows the officers the severed fingers and declares out loud that she murdered Trina, while the officers arrest her.

Why do the Fitzgerald sisters never pursue outside help (other than Brigitte asking for Sam)?


 * The sisters are seen resentful of their peers and community, and even of their parents! When Ginger was bitten, Brigitte offered to bring her to the hospital, but Ginger refused and showed her sister that her wounds were healing and scars were already forming.  Brigitte may have seen no choice except to find Sam and ask him for more details about what bit Ginger.

What happens if a person is infected by a werewolf but not on a full moon?


 * Ginger Snaps provides the interesting condition that a person can become infected with lycanthropy not only from a bite, but from a scratch or sex. Ginger Fitzgerald was bitten by a werewolf on a full moon and progressed into one; Brigitte infected herself by placing her palm with an open cut on Ginger's also on a full moon.  However, Ginger infected Jason after they had sex not on a full moon, and he showed signs of turning into a werewolf.  It appears that the effects of turning into a werewolf appear at the next full moon (Ginger transformed fully a month later, Jason started to transform since he was infected about two weeks from the next full moon, and Brigitte's transformation was held off with monkshood).

Going on the last question, once a person is bitten, and the next full moon arrives, does the person permanently become a werewolf?


 * Yes, and this is supported by the prequel and sequel as well. The Beast of Bailey Downs was an infected human-turned werewolf who never transformed back, even when killed (as seen in other werewolf films, the werewolf turns back into a person upon death).  With Ginger and Jason, they showed progressive transformation into a werewolf.  Monkshood may be a temporary solution to slow down lycanthropy, but as seen in Ginger Snaps: Unleashed, it is only a temporary cure.

Did the Fitzgerald sisters grow up in Bailey Downs?


 * Yes, because Ginger says when they were little she made Beebster eat worms to get into the backyard clubhouse. This happened in the scene when Trina is being buried by the sisters.

How did the Fitzgerald sisters form their opinion of distrusting the outside world?


 * Pure speculation, but their distrust was probably first developed starting from Ginger's mindset. It's unknown where Ginger developed her mindset, but it is "known" that she influenced Brigitte.  In a deleted scene, it was explained that Brigitte had a friend named Franny as a kid, but Ginger broke Franny's nose and made Brigitte swear Ginger's the only friend she'd ever had and will have.

In Ginger Snaps, why did Brigitte lie to Ginger about where she got the silver ring from?


 * Brigitte lies about the ring because Ginger didn't know Sam was helping yet. Also, in a commentary [citation needed]  Karen Walton intentionally added in this scene for Brigitte to suggest the widening divide between her and Ginger.  Before, the sisters told each other everything.

Why was the werewolf disease able to be transmitted not only through bites?


 * The werewolf disease is supposedly caused by a virus, as speculated by Brigitte and Sam, but this was never proven. Ginger's having sex with Jason and her spreading the lycanthropy disease to him suggests that the disease is not only spread through scratches or bites.  The disease might be able to be transmitted sexually, or the disease still was transmitted though a scratch, as seen on Jason the next day.

Unanswered & Not Fully Addressed Questions* :

How was the lycanthropy curse first brought to the Bailey Downs community?

Was Brigitte ever in love with Sam, and vice versa?

Why do the Fitzgerald sisters never pursue outside help (other than Brigitte asking for Sam)?

* Bolded means the questions have been partially answered above, but need additional information/support from the film trilogy or from the producers.

Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed
How many days have passed since the first film?


 * It is inexplicably stated in the film how many days have passed. Deducing from Brigitte's time log of her healing rate, and the fact that she has not aged much and must have been able to pay for the motel, a few days, not more than a few weeks, must have passed.  However, from a film commentary, 6 months have passed, which is in line with the amount of time where Brigitte would show character growth as she turns 16 while on the run.

How did Brigitte acquire funds to afford a motel and to survive her life on the run?


 * Brigitte might have had to resort to petty theft (stealing of cash and low value items) to acquire funds. As lycanthropy continues its process, Brigitte might have had heightened senses to detect threats, causing her to be more careful while acquiring funds.  She does not seem to have taken any part time jobs or engaged in selling illegal items.  Also, it seems that she does not have contact with anyone for help, and it does not seem that she has access to her family's bank account.

How was Brigitte not arrested for the librarian's murder?


 * It is miraculous considering how dense Alice, her co-workers, and the police are in the film. When Brigitte asks Alice if they found Jeremy's body, Alice shrugs it off and suggests that she was just having delusions as a result from her PTSD.  The blood on her face was told by Alice to be from Brigitte's injuries from injecting herself with syringes.  No police investigation appeared to have been launched, and it is peculiar why Brigitte was not brought in for questioning at the police, nor why no one might have thought Brigitte might have been the run-away girl from Bailey Downs.  The lack of concern is an extension of the apathy theme from the first film, where everyone at the clinic seems lackluster at their jobs and do not take the patients' concerns seriously.

Where is Brigitte in the film?


 * Brigitte is flipping through books in a mid-sized library. When she leaves, she is walking through a small downtown.  The clinic, gas station, and Barbara's house were situated in the wilderness or with no surrounding buildings, meaning the town must have been rural with a small downtown.  She might have been in Bailey Downs, but it is also possible she might have travelled to another small town.  Judging by the location and accents, she would have most likely still been in Canada.

Who was the unnamed werewolf stalking Brigitte in Ginger Snaps 2?


 * The identity of the werewolf chasing Brigitte is unknown. Some viewers have suggested that it was Jason or Sam from Ginger Snaps, but the commentary from the film's producers deny this.  The most likely explanation is that there are other werewolves in and around Bailey Downs, and another one happened to start tracking Brigitte.

Why was the male werewolf stalking Brigitte?


 * All Brigitte knows is the werewolf is a male and wants to mate with her; during a scene at Ghost's old house, Brigitte tells Ghost, "he wants to mate with me". The werewolf was most likely attracted to Brigitte like a male dog in heat following the scent of a female dog.

What does Ghost mean by her "unleashing moral, not mortal, terror?"


 * This is an allusion to Ghost eventually releasing Brigittewolf (Brigitte when she fully transforms into a werewolf) out into the world to "vanquish her enemies." In the world of Ginger Snaps, werewolves exist, but it is taken as fiction by most everyone.  When Ghost plans on killing her enemies and people who have "wronged" her, she intends to use Brigittewolf to correct her enemies' "wrong" morals for mistreating her.  Also, it is assumed that werewolves must live for a long time or are immortal, connecting to her using "moral" instead of "mortal" terror.

What did Ghost have that made her do crazy things?


 * Alice explains to Ghost that she has trouble separating what was real and what wasn't real. Ghost may have had delusions, and might have pictured events that never happened or twisted them.  She does not seem to be addicted to any substance.  Early on, her grandmother Barbara gave her the nickname "Ghost" for her sudden movements.  Her grandmother had some odd quirks, and it is unknown why Ghost's parents would leave her to live with her grandmother.  These suggest that some disease was being inherited through the family.  It is speculated that Ghost might have schizophrenia and might be a psychopath.

Why did Ghost burn her grandmother Barbara?


 * Ghost suffered from delusions where she was unable to separate reality from her own imagination. She might have seen her grandmother who may have been reprimanding Ghost for her actions as an enemy and burned her.

There is a scene '''in the clinic where one of the nurses, while doing a crossword puzzle, circles the word "INNOCENT", which is spelled backwards. Was this intentional?'''


 * This is a subtle scene. Innocence is a major element in Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed:  Tyler was innocent when Brigitte put him out with the wolf; Brigitte was innocent when she was put into the rehab clinic, and also when she was confronted after Ghost's dog was decapitated. The word "innocent" being spelled backwards suggests a figurative meaning that everyone's innocence is made "backwards" through what happens to them.  It has not been confirmed whether this scene was intentional for the message or not.

Why did Brigitte not tell Alice of her werewolf-curse?


 * Brigitte and Ginger's lack of trust of authority and unwillingness to seek much outside help is a running theme in the films. In Ginger Snaps, the only help Brigitte seeks is Sam, a teenage drug-dealer, and this ends with him being brutally murdered by Gingerwolf. Because of this event, it's possible Brigitte may be hesitant to get anyone else involved in her problem for fear of them getting hurt. Additionally, adult figures in the films are repeatedly shown to be inept and not helpful. Brigette does make references to her lycanthropy in the second film, such as telling Alice that she will hurt people if she stays in the care center, but for these she is either punished or ignored. Brigitte probably knew telling Alice would be futile, as she would most likely not believe her.

Unanswered & not fully-addressed Questions* :

Why does monkshood not work after a prolonged period without receiving a dose of the plant?

What happened to Jason by the events of this film?

Why was there no mention of "two missing girls" in the film?

Is Ginger a spirit or just in Brigitte's head?

Why did Brigitte not tell Alice of her werewolf curse?

How many days have passed since the first film?

How did Brigitte acquire funds to afford a motel and to survive her life on the run?

Why was the male werewolf stalking Brigitte?

What did Ghost have that made her do crazy things?

* Bolded means the questions have been partially answered above, but need additional information/support from the film trilogy or from the producers.

Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning
'''Wait, it was mentioned in this film how the curse can be stopped. So why was Ginger from the first film infected?'''


 * There is probably a retrospective plot hole: in Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning, it establishes that the werewolf disease is cured if the werewolf that caused it dies. In the first movie Ginger Snaps, the werewolf that attacked and infected Ginger is ran over by Sam's van less than five minutes after the attack. Based on this, Ginger's transformation in the original shouldn't have happened at all.


 * However, it has also been stated in Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning by one of the fort members that the curse can be lifted only if the werewolf that bit the victim is killed by the victim's own hand. If the werewolf is killed by someone/something other than the victim, they lose their chance to break the curse, so the plot might still stand.
 * Yet, this theory is not supported as well, as even when Brigitte killed her sister Ginger who attacked her when she turned into a werewolf, she still fully transformed into a werewolf in Ginger Snaps: Unleashed, even though she killed the werewolf who infected her. Also, this does not support the first theory, where Gingerwolf was killed, but Brigitte still turned into a werewolf regardless.

Unanswered & Not Fully Addressed Questions* :

Was the Cree seer supernatural?

What happened at the ruined campsite?

Where did the first werewolf come from?

If the Fort was abandoned, then why was the future town of Bailey Downs established there?

'''Wait, it was mentioned in this film how the curse can be stopped. So why was Ginger from the first film infected?'''

* Bolded means the questions have been partially answered above, but need additional information/support from the film trilogy or from the producers.