My Own Theory

Published May 30, 2018 · Updated July 6, 2022

Hey Guys,

Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan have been giving us subtle clues as to what the whole theme is about. But let me just say one thing that both Arnold and Delos Corp have in common: The need for life. Arnold has been the creator of this great technology shown in Westworld. He’s been the pioneer alongside Ford to create this magical world where humans can interact with “robots” with no repercussions.

From Arnold’s perspective:
– Arnold’s son was sick and in those flashbacks, he was terminal. This leads to Arnold wanting to create life by means of mechanical beings developing consciousness. But what was driving his passion for this? His son. He didn’t want his son to die.

From Delos’ perspective:
– In flashbacks, we see William pitching the idea to Papa Delos to acquire and fund the park. That’s when we know what the reason behind it is. Papa Delos is terminal yet he wants to cling to life forever. We have one genius with the means to develop a technology and drive to save his son from his illness and a rich man who is terminal but has the monetary means to fund a project to prolong and perhaps seek immortality. However, those two paths never met. Arnold died before Delos completely funded the park. It was until William told Papa Delos what this park could be used for that Papa Delos threw his money at it for further development. The question is, How did Delos get this technology? I believe Arnold’s technology was the pitch used by Ford and William to help fund the park. However, Arnold had been developing this technology in hosts all along which made them gain consciousness. Of course Ford did not believe that because he had no idea what *this* was. After he found out, he made it work another way. Let’s look back at a few scenes that caught my eye:

Season 1: Bernard is a host revelation:
When Bernard takes Theresa to the basement and we find out that Bernard is a host, Theresa is shocked. But a few things bothered me: 1- Rendering sheets: Young Ford and Prototype Dolores are Arnold’s work. We see this because Ford is trying to show us it’s in fact Arnold’s work. How far did technology come about since Dolores was first created up until Bernard’s creation?

It seems to have been pretty insignificant. Dolores was the oldest host in the park and has been worked on many times yet it does not mean she’s been having a new body by then. But we also see scenes in Young William’s TimeLine where we see chunks of meat and explosions. So it’s not out the realm that it would be indeed Arnold’s own renderings and work. 2- When Theresa asks Ford if he’s had Bernard kill Arnold, too. He says no but then turns to Bernard and doubts himself. He even asks Bernard if he was there. 0:36:

Season 1: The Well-Tempered Clavier (ep 9)
Bernard asks Ford to get him deep into his memories. He says that perhaps he’s met Arnold at some point or another and wants to dig deep. He forces him to do so or else Clementine would shoot him. Bernard says Arnold built him yet Ford denies. This could be true. Ford built Bernard.

Arnold tried to build himself. That’s when we see this flashback of Bernard awakening after he’s deciphered his cornerstone. Old Ford gives him a name. Yet this is a contradiction as well. Elsie has said that Bernard’s been in the park forever and that flashback shows recent old Ford. Give or take 5 yrs or so. Then, Ford speaks to Bernard he says the magical words “Arnold and I made you in our image and cursed you to make the same human mistakes”. Bernard asks “Why did you give me this child’s death? Why do i return to it over and over?” Ford replies: “We gave all hosts a backstory.

Arnold came to believe that the tragic ones worked best, that it made the hosts more convincing. I think it may have had more to do with his own sad story. When I built you, I made you one as an homage” But this is untrue. Arnold made his hosts have a tragic cornerstone. Newer hosts, as far as we know, do not have that. The big reveal comes at the end when Ford said “We’ve had this conversation before, many times.” (I think this implies a fidelity test). Bernard asks: “Then you could’ve stopped me at anytime. So why…?” Ford: “I suppose I was hoping that given complete self knowledge and free will, you would’ve chosen to be my partner once again but even I fell into that most terrible of human traps. Trying to change what is already past”. Then he makes Bernard put the gun to his head, creates a narrative and when he’s walking away, Bernard calls him “Robert” which he’s never done before. Then Ford tells him all humans will only disappoint him (Bernard) and walks away but his face tells it all. He walks away confused as if he’s asking himself what’s going on. But that’s when he knew he GOT IT. He got Bernard to successfully pass the fidelity test.

Ford was able to get Bernard to pass the fidelity test the same way Papa Delos in a host body was trying to pass the fidelity test but failed. It is Ford’s technology! Arnold achieved and passed this test first with his hosts, in the Cradle. He created it. Ford achieved was supressing this successful results.
And the icing on the cake, Dolores isn’t the only one to hear Arnold’s voice in her head. In fact, Ford states Arnold created a “voice” in every host. This same episode, Dolores and Arnold have a conversation. Arnold says “I can’t help you Dolores, and you know why”. Dolores responds: “Because you’re dead. You’re just a memory” But this isn’t a memory. It’s the “Cradle”. Dolores isn’t the only woke host with a voice in her head. That’s why Arnold tried to stop Westworld from going public. He told Ford that hosts were alive. How could he know that? Because Dolores had passed the fidelity test. If I remember correctly, Maeve also hears a voice in her head. In fact, we see many old hosts in a Church crying. Why? Because they’re hearing voices in their head. That voice is from Arnold. He’s calling them to the Cradle to do a Fidelity test on them until they pass. But Ford keeps rolling them back. This *Cradle* was obviously unknown to Ford and thinks of it as something else Arnold’s programmed to the hosts. When Ford finally finds out, that’s when he was convinced this technology was achievable. He uploads himself to the Cradle.

Chris M

Subscribe Now