The Man in Black is William
This is maybe the most popular of the Westworld theories. It suggests that Westworld is operating on two different timelines, each 30 years apart. When we are with Logan and William, we are 30 years in the past. When we are with the Man in Black, we are in the present. Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood) wouldn’t change because she’s a host and doesn’t age, but that is why we see some differences in the park between their timelines.
‘Westworld’ is a sequel to ‘Westworld’
This is an interesting theory because it suggests that the Westworld of the TV show has already faced the rebellion of Westworld past, which is why we saw the medieval world props and the Gunslinger — throwbacks to the original movie — in the basement levels of Delos.
Arnold is Ford’s father
In Episode 6, when Bernard discovers Ford’s family, we get to meet Ford’s father. But we also have seen a picture of Ford’s partner, Arnold, and they were the same person. Does this confirm that Arnold is Ford’s father?
Bernard is Arnold
This is my favorite theory. I think that Bernard is a recreation of Ford’s partner Arnold in host form. After all, the name “Bernard Lowe” is an anagram for “Arnold Weber.”
Ford is a host
This theory is pretty straightforward. It suggests that the Dr. Ford (Anthony Hopkins) we’re seeing isn’t actually the original Dr. Ford but a host replica imbued with his genius. If Dr. Ford himself isn’t a host, then perhaps he has replicas of himself throughout the park. This could be why the Man in Black suggested that Dr. Ford had something under his skin aside from flesh and bones.
Everyone but Ford is a host
I think this theory is more likely. There are, no doubt, many characters in Delos that are actually hosts, like Bernard, Elsie and Theresa. Why not all of them?
Delos is Dante’s Inferno
A Redditor noticed that the map of Delos looks a lot like Dante’s Inferno, suggesting that either someone has a clever and dark design imagination or there is a deeper meaning in what is happening in Westworld. Some have even suggested that Westworld is actually purgatory with Arnold as God and Ford as the Devil. Even if this isn’t literal, there could definitely be some biblical meanings in the show.
Westworld is actually virtual reality
How is it that the hosts can’t hurt humans? Why do the bullets sometimes bruise and other times not affect guests at all? According to this theory, the humans aren’t really there; rather, they have taken the form of other hosts, à la Avatar.
Westworld is on Mars
There has been a lot of speculation about the location of Westworld. The most popular one is that it is located on Mars since the terrain of the world, as some have noticed, looks very similar to our neighboring planet. Others have suggested that it is located on Antarctica or is even just floating out in space.
There are multiple Doloreses
Who’s to say that there aren’t duplicate hosts running around Westworld? If one personality is so popular, why not replicate it? This would explain how Dolores seems to jump around locations if the timeline theory proves to be incorrect.
Wyatt is Arnold
This theory suggests that the notorious Wyatt everyone is searching for is actually Arnold or, at least, a host with Arnold’s consciousness uploaded.
Wyatt is Teddy
I really like this theory since we saw Ford recently give Teddy (James Marsden) a backstory involving Wyatt. The Delos employees have made a point of saying that they very rarely make big changes to the hosts’ personalities and storylines because that would take a huge, complicated overhaul of memories. Rather, they tend to just tweak moments to create a new story. This could explain why Teddy has memories of Wyatt and thinks he’s the good guy while many hosts in the park seem to disagree.
The Man in Black didn’t actually rape Dolores
This is a theory that would entirely change the way we see the Man in Black and could be an awesome twist. When the Man in Black first gets his hands on Dolores, he says he wants the two of them to get reacquainted, but we never actually see what goes down in that barn. We just assume she was raped. But what if he was actually giving her information, beginning the threads of her awareness?
The maze isn’t physical
This is a really, really interesting theory that suggests the maze doesn’t actually lead to a tangible place but, rather, a mental one. The theory goes that the Man in Black fell in love with Dolores back in his William days, but new Dolores could never genuinely love him back because of her programming. So began his journey to give her free will, which is what he is seeking at the center of the maze.
The center of the maze is love
Going along with the theory that the center of the maze isn’t physical, this theory suggests that love is the final key to free will for the hosts. If they have the ability to form relationships and love without restraint or rules, then they will truly be free. Because the Man in Black wants Dolores to love him truly, he is seeking this key through the maze.
Dolores isn’t really ‘waking up’
On the other hand, there is another theory that Delos is simply manipulating the Man in Black into thinking his plans are actually working. We saw when they triggered the explosions that they are very much still in control of this storyline. This would suggest that they have simply programmed Dolores to make it seem like she is “waking up” and becoming conscious while, in reality, she is just playing along with this ideal storyline they have created specifically for the Man in Black. I hope this one isn’t true just because it’s so heartbreaking.
16 ‘Westworld’ theories to make your head spin
We’re halfway through the first season of Westworld. The show has taken us on more twists and turns than maybe any other show in history, and I don’t say that lightly.
Because of the host/human dichotomy, there are dozens of possibilities for curveballs as we head into the downhill slope of this season and into Season 2. Here are the most likely and most talked about theories so far.
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