Westworld’s Critical Failure

Published January 14, 2017 · Updated July 6, 2022

Gentlemen,

I just came across your podcast almost too late (starting at episode 6). I’m new to podcasts in general in terms of listening but have become a fan of your show quite rapidly. You guys do a great job of being honest with your opinions and having an open free flowing discussion about this amazing show. Thanks for reading my long email.

With that said, my final theory is as follows:

The critical failure that happened in the park before it was open to the public was caused from Arnold uploading his code into Delores. From Dr. Ford’s own words, Arnold wanted the hosts to be more life-like and discovered that using “Loss” as a “Cornerstone” of the host’s personality was a way to give them that human quality. Arnold’s quest to give them sentience his initial version of code that was installed in Delores is too much for her to handle. Delores starts to break out of her loop, understand her who she is, she develops the ability to control other hosts and finally becomes angry/violent controlling Teddy to kill everyone. Arnold seeing this happen tries to rush out to stop Delores and Teddy. Delores at that moment finally breaks her loop as she kills Arnold. Ford seeing Arnold die by the hands of Host that chose to kill a Human, recognizes that Arnold’s original source code so to speak has actually worked. Ford decides to save Delores knowing she contains the code to sentience. Ford is able to subdue and reset Delores. He keeps Delores around so he can study the code and try to duplicate it because the newer Hosts he will eventually build aren’t able to accept the code and Ford doesn’t fully understand the code himself. Through the years Ford has been able to add little safeguards to cover up the code inside Delores. The Wyatt narrative I believe is another disguise for the ever growing intelligence and anger that grows inside Delores every time before Ford inevitably has to reset her. Also during this time I believe the only two humans at the park working before it was open was just Ford and Arnold because if their were other actual people it would have been too difficult for Ford to wipe every trace or footprint of Arnold to the point people don’t even know about him.

In the time period which happens just a few years after the park opened with Logan and William. I believe in another attempt for Ford to try and understand the code Arnold left behind he allows Delores to fully explore Arnold’s code by creating the physical representations of the maze we see on screen in order to help Delores find sentience so he can study it. I believe that because Arnold is dead so he isn’t able to create these images of the maze post death in this time period and in present day. During this time Delores reaches that point again where she understands what she is and in order to save William who has gotten into a life and death struggle with Logan she makes the “Choice” to kill Logan. William seeing that there is something more to the hosts then just machine parts and his love of Delores he decides to help Ford cover up the death and donates a bunch of money to keep the Park open and Delores safe under Ford’s control.

In the present day. Mave is on a collision course with Ford and the two meet only to Mave’s dismay. Ford shows Mave that she is really still under Ford’s control. Ford gives Mave the same choice that he gave to Bernard “Be my partner or ……”. Mave being a self described “survivor” will see that being Ford’s partner is the better option and choose to work with Ford. Ford being as smart as he is has never forgotten that he was in debt to William which he hates because it gives William something he has over Ford. Ford has known about William’s (aka Black Hat) love of Delores and his obsession with the Park and Maze and now realizes he can use that against him. Ford will now leverage William’s (aka Black Hat) obsession with the Park to get him to help him fight Charlotte’s potential takeover bid. William will disagree with that and Ford will have Mave Kill William. The host that Ford is building in his secret lab is the Host version of the “Black Hat”. The Host “Black Hat” will then surprise Charlotte by ruining her corporate takeover plans by voting to keep Ford in place. Charlotte will return to corporate defeated. Mave will be under Ford’s control but she isn’t fully under his control and is only biding her time until she can find a way to break free next season. Season 1 complete. Thanks for reading.

Bryan In Maryland

Subscribe Now