We then got on the phone with series creator Austin Winsberg and begged him to explain what just happened, what it means and how it happened, and it turns out it all has a lot to do with that dream sequence featuring Zoey’s dad Mitch (Peter Gallagher). Here, in full, is what he said: 

“We spent a lot of time this season and even in season one talking about the inequality in Zoey and Max’s relationship. He felt like there was something inherently unfair about the fact that she could hear his heart songs and know what’s going on in his heart and his brain, but he couldn’t do the same with her, and they had many fights and conversations about that where we’re clearly, in our minds, planting the seed for what was to come.”

“Then she has this moment in [the finale], where she has this talk with her father, and he talks about how he is part of the universe now and there’s been a lot of talk this season where Zoey’s screaming at the universe, and ‘Why is the universe doing this to me?’ And Mitch infers that maybe he has something to do with everything that’s going on with her, and maybe that the universe is doing all of this for a reason. And the last thing she says before Max gets the power, is she talks about the universe. And then she sings him a song. So, certainly from my perspective, part of him getting the power now is so that he could get an insight into Zoey, and that for once there can actually be real equality in their relationship.