Theory-based efforts to explain and predict are at the core of communication science. However, theories developed in communication or adapted by communication scholars vary in strength. This working group is focused on questions of theory development and demise (retirement) in the field of communication. This session asks participants to consider what areas of communication are gathering a critical mass of information which could culminate in theory, when theories should be developed, how theories developed utilizing WEIRD samples might be altered to better predict and explain the experiences of broader populations, and which theories are no longer working. We will (a) take a step back and evaluate the theoretical landscape, (b) consider (and workshop) emerging theories, and (c) discuss how theorists and researchers using communication theory can account for systemic/cultural differences that might change the accuracy and prediction power of theory.