Westworld S02e04 Telegraph

Have a Theory? Share It Now!

I really hope I’m not too late to get this in for the telegraph! Probably nothing ground-breaking, but had some thoughts re-watching the episode and would love your opinion. Big fan of the show.

1. The digitized copy of James Delos is what the board is so damn set on getting out of the park.

Delos was sure that the Argos Initiative would be able to give him a new body, that he fully planned on continuing to run his company. We know this from the ‘coronation party’ scene when Delos is speaking with William. Once Delos accepted his fate, he was livid with William. He stole his daughter, his company, his life out from under him. And I feel like Delos isn’t above a little spite. I can see him leaving something in his will that says his beneficiaries (most likely other board members) get a huge bonus if the project ever comes to life.

We also know that the code in Peter Abernathy looks an awful lot like the language James Delos’ digital copy is written in. And would make sense why they would postpone all rescue until they’re sure they have that in the bag.

2. Ford is the storyteller, not the coder (ie. Jobs v. Wozniak).

In season one, Ford keeps emphasizing how much he loves stories. He loves reading stories, he loves crafting stories, he loves telling stories. The meeting with Logan where every single host around him mysteriously freezes, he pulled the exact same thing with Theresa Cullen on the patio! He loves to make everything he does into a performance. Constantly shocking everyone around him.

I see Ford as Steve Jobs. The face selling to the world a groundbreaking technology. Technology which was created by a man who cared more about the code than about the paycheque.

Finally, look at how Ford interacts with technology. He’s old school. All of his interactions with the hosts is verbal. Bernard was always by his side with the tablet poking and prodding, but Ford spoke commands to the hosts every time. With that said, I don’t think Ford created Arnold the AI. I don’t think he’s smart enough to do that. I’m not saying Arnold wasn’t an AI, I think the whole thing is super sketchy, but I don’t think Ford created it. I think he found it.

3. Season one was all about how life-like the hosts are. Season Two is all about how far from humans they actually are.

Season one introduced us to questions about morality, ethics, and how those ideas are brought into question when you bring technology into the picture. They wanted us to sympathize with the hosts in one scene, and look at them as plastic in another. Is it morally wrong to shoot a host if you know it’s a man-made machine? Do they feel pain? Or love? Or Envy?

But season two has flipped that on it’s head. They’re being way more obvious with repeating lines, and calling out cheesy dialogue as scripted. That’s pretty much what Sizemore’s side-arc has been dependant on. These hosts don’t think for themselves. Even when they’re given self-awareness and removed from a narrative they still rely on the scripts they were given. Still centred around their cornerstone. Teddy just wants to protect people, Maeve wants to be with her daughter and know she’s safe, Hector wants to be the hero and get the girl.

For that reason, I think Dolores is very much still on Ford’s set narrative. Everyone she’s killed so far were Ford’s way of giving them the middle finger one last time. Everyone who was saved by Ghost Nation he made sure were protected, but still got a good show in the process.

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RYAN SWEENEY
EMPEROR OF AWESOME

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