Proof That Ford Is a Host

Published November 11, 2016 · Updated July 6, 2022

Hey fellas,

Really enjoy the podcast, it’s been a great edition to the show for me and my roommate as we dive into this thing.

I had done some thinking about Ford as a host because I also wondered how he got in that house so damn fast, and how he alone has so much control over the park. It became clear to me he was probably the 5th host after the boy had killed the dog, although they didn’t show in detail (assuming all the hosts are of the older design including the dog) it would be quite obvious to the boy the dog was a robot head he bashed in its skull. Also, you guys made a great point that the livestock has never been a concern to the registry.

The real point I’m looking at here though goes back further.

At the end when Ford sees the maze on the table and is then followed up going through (assuming) Arnold’s journal as to research the maze, we are led to believe he is not aware of the maze.

However, earlier in the series Ford and the Man in Black meet in a saloon to exchange words. The Man in Black states his purpose is to find the maze, in which Ford replies: “if you want to know the moral of the story just ask”.

Ford offers no insight into the maze itself. In fact, the way he glosses over it is similar to how other host gloss over references of the “real world” made by guests. We know that this is a protocol written in the coding because as we see on William’s timeline when he is talking to Dolores in pariah he says “no one in the real world would notice”. When Dolores asks William what he means he responds “I thought you weren’t supposed to notice things like that”.

Is it possible Ford has been programmed to not know of the maze or acknowledge it in conversation?

So within this small window of a conversation between ford and the MiB we see him gloss over a major plot point, and then later seem to discover it as a new. As of the repetition of the maze convinces him to research it. I also feel like the way in which the MiB says he would need to talk to the real creator who died 35 years ago is very matter of fact and without consequence, much like he talks to other hosts because he knows they aren’t conscious.

So in theory, could it be possible that Arnold, some kind of troubled genius who has created life but seeks to help it find consciousness had created his first robot (ford) To be his highly intelligent, nearly conscious partner in his life’s work of Westworld. It makes sense to me.

There is repeat mention of Arnold’s genius and how he ventured off into the park on a journey of consciousness. A man this committed and this paranoid would clearly prefer a robot assumed to be human by investors as a partner over a real human. Ford even says at one point in his show of power that they “were gods in this place, do you think they would just hand it over”.

Is it possible Arnold is the source of that mentality and although Ford felt like a partner was never truly an equal?

In addition, would Arnold, on such a mission to complete his work journey off into the park to either hide, die, be killed, or be assumed dead, without leaving someone behind to run the park who is still under his control? Perhaps a highly intelligent unregistered host?

Look forward to hearing more or seeing what you think about my findings.

Keep it up. –Nick

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