The foundation of the Friday the 13th franchise has been about the Voorhees family's eternal rage at the actions of teenagers. While that may be an oversimplification, it's proven when Pamela Voorhees sought revenge on the counselors of Camp Crystal Lake because of their negligence over her son's tragic drowning. On the other hand, Jason has carried on his vendetta against teens because he witnessed the death of his mother at the hands of the survivor of his mother's bloody rampage. But what if Jason wasn't as perfect of a son as the films would convey?
According to Reddit theorist, Dontreadthis98, Jason's murderous rampage might've never happened had he saved his mother before her death. The reason for this was that Jason never actually died when he drowned in 1957. Instead, the theory suggested that Jason had somehow gotten away and made it to another shoreline, leading everyone to believe he had perished.
The theory also explored the possibility that Jason lived on his own in the forest for over a decade, watching the camp and his mother from afar. That could help justify why Jason had his own makeshift home that would later include a shrine to his deceased mother and explain his supernatural strength, as he had to spend his life fending for himself and braving the wilds. However, it doesn't give a clear answer to why he never communicated with his mother.
One possible explanation was that he was afraid to see her again and felt guilty over the pain his "death" may have caused. Considering Jason was always a caring son, he likely took responsibility for an event out of his control. But, as shown in the original series and the 2009 reboot, he witnessed her beheading and, outraged, went down the same path as his mother, killing teenagers to bring back a family member he could never get back. However, if Jason had faced his fears, he might've saved the lives of over 150 innocents and had the family life he yearned for when he was an adult.
The only true contention with the theory is the body of Jason appearing in the lake. Although survivor Alice Hardy's imagination seemingly fabricated the attack, there's a sliver of truth because Jason still returned. Whether or not it was his body remained to be seen, but it could've also been something that Alice dreamt it due to the story Jason's mother told her about him. But with Jason's return a key factor of the sequel, it's still hard to tell.
If the theory were true, that would imply that, for 23 years, Jason never spoke to his mother and averted the crimes that would come later. It would also mean that he never made a point to try and save his mother from certain death, as he had to have seen it to be motivated to kill. Therefore, Jason could potentially be one of the worst sons in the slasher genre and hardly as loving as he made out to be.