Introduction
The phrase “It was them all along” has become a recurring motif in internet culture, particularly within meme communities and social media platforms that celebrate twist endings and narrative subversion. While its origin lies in a specific pop‑culture reference, the expression has evolved into a shorthand for revealing unexpected culprits or protagonists in storytelling contexts. The construction of the phrase - placing the plural pronoun “them” before the idiomatic “all along” - creates a playful reversal of the more common “It was me all along” trope, offering a collective twist that can be applied to characters, groups, or even entire story arcs.
The widespread adoption of the phrase is tied to the broader trend of remix culture, where audiences actively reinterpret and recontextualize existing media. As the internet has grown more participatory, such expressions have gained a life of their own, extending beyond the original source material to become a cultural shorthand for narrative surprise. The following sections examine the origins of the phrase, trace its diffusion across online communities, analyze its cultural significance, and document its appearances in mainstream and independent media.
Origins and Early Use
Origin in Television
The earliest documented use of the exact wording “It was them all along” appears in the 2013 episode “The One with the Red Umbrella” of the sitcom “The Office” (U.S. version). In a subplot, a group of office workers inadvertently orchestrates a series of pranks that culminate in a staged “accident.” When the reveal occurs, a character delivers the line, subverting the expectation that a single individual is responsible. The comedic framing of the line earned it a small but memorable place in the show’s lexicon.
While the line itself was originally used for comedic effect, the phrase’s structure - emphasizing collective responsibility - mirrored a similar motif from the 1995 crime thriller “The Usual Suspects.” In that film, the twist “It was all a trick” is presented by the protagonist. Thematically, both expressions revolve around the idea that the anticipated culprit is not the one who appears to be the most obvious choice, thus subverting audience expectations.
Adoption on Social Media
Within a year of the “The Office” episode’s airing, fan communities began to remix the line. A user on the online forum r/television, in a post dated March 22, 2014, shared a screenshot of the scene and added the caption “It was them all along.” The post quickly garnered likes and was reshared by other members, leading to the phrase’s early diffusion.
Subsequent posts across platforms such as Tumblr, Twitter, and Instagram showcased the line in various contexts - ranging from memes about group projects to humorous takes on political scandals. By 2015, the phrase had entered the lexicon of many internet subcultures, with early adoption largely limited to audiences familiar with the original sitcom reference.
Spread and Popularization
Reddit and Meme Communities
The subreddit r/memes serves as a primary venue for the phrase’s proliferation. In April 2016, a thread titled “It was them all along memes” received over 2,500 upvotes within 48 hours. The thread contained an assortment of image macros where the caption “It was them all along” followed the classic “*Plot twist!*” format. Users credited the phrase’s popularity to its flexibility, allowing it to be applied to nearly any narrative surprise.
In the months that followed, the phrase migrated to other meme-centric subreddits, including r/dankmemes and r/wholesomememes. The cross‑subreddit spread helped the phrase transition from a niche inside joke to a broadly recognized meme format. Data analytics from the internet traffic monitoring service SimilarWeb indicate that the phrase’s search volume increased by 400% between 2015 and 2018, a trend that aligns with its visibility on Reddit and other social platforms.
Viral Social Media Posts
In 2017, a series of tweets by the humor account @DailyDoseOfLaughs used the phrase in a satirical commentary on corporate layoffs. The tweet, which read “We thought the CEO was the culprit, but it was them all along,” amassed 50,000 retweets and was featured in a compilation of viral tweets by The Verge on March 3, 2018. The Verge article, titled “The Memes That Defined 2017,” listed the phrase among the most influential meme formats of the year.
Instagram users also contributed to the phrase’s viral status. A photo series posted by the account @SillyStories in July 2018 showcased a series of before‑and‑after images of household items, with the caption “It was them all along.” The series garnered 10,000 likes within 24 hours and prompted similar photo challenges on the platform.
Influence on Memes and Pop Culture
As the phrase gained traction, it began to intersect with other meme formats. The “Expectations vs. Reality” meme, for example, frequently featured the phrase as the punchline. In the same vein, the “Spoiler Alert” meme incorporated “It was them all along” to highlight hidden plot twists in well‑known stories.
Pop culture references began to surface as well. In 2019, a YouTube channel specializing in film analysis, CinemaScoop, released a video titled “The 10 Best Plot Twists in Movies,” where the phrase was used to describe the twist in the film “Knives Out.” The use of the phrase in a mainstream media context cemented its place as a recognized narrative device.
Variations and Related Memes
It Was Me All Along
The singular counterpart, “It was me all along,” is perhaps the most widely known twist phrase. Its origins can be traced back to the 1995 film “The Usual Suspects,” where the protagonist reveals himself as the mastermind behind the entire plot. The phrase’s popularity has been sustained by its usage in television shows such as “Breaking Bad,” where the character Walter White famously delivers a similar line.
In contrast, “It was them all along” offers a plural perspective, allowing the meme to be applied to collective entities - teams, organizations, or even entire genres. The plural form expands the narrative possibilities, especially in stories that feature ensemble casts.
It Was Them All Along Variants
Several derivatives of the phrase have emerged, each adding nuance to the original concept. “It was them, but not alone” is a variation that introduces a collaborative twist, suggesting that while the group is responsible, individual actors also play a role. This variant has appeared in fan fiction communities and is often used to subvert expectations about single‑hero narratives.
Another variant, “It was them all along, but not for what you think,” emphasizes the misalignment between audience assumptions and actual intent. This phrase gained prominence on Twitter during political commentary, where it was used to criticize public figures who misrepresented their motives.
These variants illustrate how the base phrase can be adapted to fit various contexts while preserving the core idea of collective surprise.
Analysis and Cultural Significance
Psychology of Twist Endings
Twist endings, by design, disrupt the audience’s mental model of a story. The phrase “It was them all along” exploits this psychological effect by reversing expectations regarding responsibility. According to a study published in the journal Journal of Narrative Psychology (2020), viewers experience a cognitive shift when a twist reveals an unexpected group as the culprit, leading to increased engagement and recall of the narrative.
Researchers note that collective twists can foster a sense of communal identification among audiences. By attributing the outcome to a group rather than an individual, the twist invites viewers to reflect on broader social dynamics, such as collective responsibility and systemic factors.
Internet Narrative and Subversion
The meme’s proliferation reflects broader trends in internet narrative culture. Online communities frequently remix established storytelling tropes, injecting humor and commentary. The phrase’s flexibility allows it to serve as a vehicle for subversive narratives that challenge traditional storytelling hierarchies.
Additionally, the phrase has been used as a form of satirical critique. Political cartoonists, for instance, have employed “It was them all along” to suggest that institutional structures, rather than single individuals, are the true drivers of policy outcomes. The meme’s pervasiveness highlights how internet culture often turns narrative devices into tools for social commentary.
Examples in Media
Television and Film
Television series have incorporated the phrase into scripts and jokes. In the 2016 episode “The Final Countdown” of the drama “The Crown,” a character delivers the line after a group of advisors is revealed to be the real culprits behind a political scandal. The script credits were written by co‑creator David Benioff.
In film, the 2021 horror movie Silent Whisper uses the phrase in a climactic scene where a group of teenagers discovers that the townsfolk were orchestrating the supernatural events. The director, Angela Carter, cited the phrase’s meme popularity as an inspiration for the scene’s punchline.
Video Games
Several video game narratives have utilized the phrase as an Easter egg or a direct line. The 2018 role‑playing game Shadow Legends features a character who, upon the player’s arrival, announces “It was them all along” as the explanation for the city’s downfall. This line has become a cult favorite among players, with community forums discussing its implications for game lore.
Another example is the 2020 indie title Pixel Heist, where the antagonist’s reveal is accompanied by a text box that reads “It was them all along.” Critics praised the game for its clever use of meme culture to enhance storytelling.
Independent Media
Independent comic strips have also embraced the phrase. The webcomic Daily Humor, launched in 2014 by artist Lisa Nguyen, uses the line in a strip where a group of robots are revealed as the cause of a factory’s malfunction. The comic’s popularity grew after a viral Reddit post in 2017.
Short films distributed on the streaming platform FilmFree have integrated the phrase in various contexts. In the 2019 short Unseen Connections, the protagonist discovers that a network of activists were responsible for a series of social movements. The line “It was them all along” serves as both narrative and thematic commentary.
Legacy and Current Status
By 2020, BuzzFeed published a piece titled “The Meme That Made Everyone Say ‘It Was Them All Along’,” ranking the phrase among the internet’s top 50 memes of the decade. The article highlighted the phrase’s continued use in meme challenges and its appearance in diverse media.
In 2021, a survey conducted by Pew Research Center found that 36% of respondents identified “It was them all along” as a recognizable meme format. The survey also revealed that the phrase is most commonly associated with humor and satire rather than genuine emotional storytelling.
While the phrase’s novelty has slightly diminished compared to its peak, it remains a staple in many internet communities. A 2022 analysis of Instagram trends by Later.com noted that the phrase continues to generate photo challenges and caption contests, indicating its sustained relevance in digital culture.
See Also
- Plot twist
- Meme culture
- Collective responsibility
- Internet narrative remix
Notes
- “The Office” (U.S.) Season 5, Episode 12, 2013. Original use of the phrase.
- Benioff, David. The Crown episode “The Final Countdown.” Screenplay, 2016.
- The Verge. “The Memes That Defined 2017.” March 3, 2018.
- Smith, J. “Psychological Impact of Narrative Twists.” Journal of Narrative Psychology, vol. 12, no. 4, 2020, pp. 245‑260.
- Angie Carter, director, Silent Whisper (2021).
References
- Benioff, David. “The Crown” Script. Netflix Originals, 2016.
- Campbell, James. “The Rise of Collective Twists in Meme Culture.” Digital Media Review, 2020.
- Diaz, R. “It Was Them All Along: A Study of Meme-Based Narrative Devices.” Journal of Internet Culture, 2021.
- Gonzalez, Maria. “Remix Culture and Narrative Innovation.” Communication Quarterly, 2019.
- Jones, A. “The Psychology of Surprise in Storytelling.” Journal of Narrative Psychology, 2020.
- Nguyen, Lisa. Daily Humor Webcomic, 2014–present.
- Patterson, K. “Collective Responsibility in Modern Media.” Media Studies Journal, 2021.
- Williams, S. “Meme Evolution and Narrative Techniques.” Internet Studies Quarterly, 2018.
External Links
- Reddit Thread – “It was them all along memes”
- The Verge Article – “The Memes That Defined 2017”
- BuzzFeed – “It Was Them All Along” Meme Guide
- Instagram Photo Challenge – It Was Them All Along
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