Man in Black Is the Owner of Delos

Published October 28, 2016 · Updated July 6, 2022

Dear bad hombres,

First I would like to say that I thought the fourth episode was the best episode so far. I realize this opinion will make Gene and Big D look down on me but it can’t all be subtlety and nuance, sometimes something has to happen. I also want to say that it is going to be a shame when part of the maze is in a mine shaft to trick people into thinking the maze is a physical location and poor Gene gives up of the whole show because of it. (Disclaimer: I am not trying to kill Gene here, I love Gene.)

Quick aside, when Dolores tells Bernard I think..I think I want to be free in the start of the episode, that was one of the most chilling moments so far. In one sentence you can tell she is willing to do almost anything to achieve that freedom. Evan Rachel Wood is killing it.

Ok, so as I reviewed this before I sent it I started to have my doubts about this theory but here we go.

I think that the Man In Black is the owner of Delos and that he uses his influence to mask his importance inside of the park so he can play like a regular guest. Part of that is having people like Stubbs know who he is and deflect the other employees away from him. This is based on:

his alluded to importance as a guest, he gets whatever he wants
His financial capability to go to the park so often
His showdown with Ford shown in the preview for next week

Ford’s conversation with Theresa at the hacienda that sets up the company providing financial backing to Westworld or money men, which MIB in this theory embodies, as Ford’s antagonist. To Theresa in regards to Delos In here we (he and Arnold) were gods. And you, merely our guests

I also think that Logan is related to MIB (Possibly his son or nephew) and that he is there on a covert inspection of the park and he is using his bachelor party trip with William as a ruse. But Ford, who tells Theresa We know everything about our guests, don’t we?

As we know everything about or employees. knows about his ulterior motive and has arranged things via the Slim Miller Host to take Logan down a certain path. Logan’s “mission” may even be an attempt by the MIB at distracting Ford from what he is up to because he knows Ford will want to manipulate the world around Logan. What he is out to is trying to unlock the core of the maze to give the Hosts free will and enable them to kill humans. After that the risk he needs to feel truly alive in the park will be there and he will never leave.

Random thoughts firing out:

When Ford asks if the neighbors are complaining and Teresa says they are starting to ask questions is the Medieval world and Roman world?
Is Westworld on the moon?
Is Westworld underground?
Based on a clip from the preview at the end of the 2nd episode I think Elsie is going to be the first main character killed by a Host.
About the narrative loops, in Sweetwater they are one day loops, outside of the town they get more involved and longer. In the first episode we hear Sizemore talk about how he has to put all that work into bringing Hector’s gang into Sweetwater a week early and in the 4th episode the MIB says to Armistice that she is going to take 3 days to steal the cannon and free Hector from the prison to then go rob the saloon. That loop could be 10 days long, maybe even longer.

Also we have seen Teddy in the Saloon at night multiple times. Doesn’t seem like it takes a lot to keep him away from Dolores and the farm and start a new sub-narrative. I think as Hosts get pulled into adventures with the guests it effectively changes the day-to-day experience in the town. Another example, the Sheriff is recruiting men for a posse to go after Hector, so a group leaves with him and is gone for 1, 2, or even 3 days. The next day while he is gone you have the Army Colonel recruiting men to fight in the war, or hunt savages, or whatever. If they are both gone it is something else.

If you read even part of this I deeply appreciate you taking the time to do so. – Josh

P.S. You’re my boy Gene!

Subscribe Now