{"id":466,"date":"2016-10-18T18:39:03","date_gmt":"2016-10-18T22:39:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shatontv.com\/?p=466"},"modified":"2020-03-18T17:00:53","modified_gmt":"2020-03-18T21:00:53","slug":"westworlds-bernard-lowe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shatpod.com\/tv\/westworlds-bernard-lowe\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Westworld’s Bernard just Dr. Ford’s vehicle for Arnold?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Westworld's<\/p>\n

By now, Westworld<\/em>fans are split into two camps regarding Bernard’s identity: He’s either a meddling human or a liberating robot.<\/p>\n

If you’re in the Bernard-is-human camp, you’ll point to Bernard’svideo chat withhiswife, the tragedy of his son’s death and his covert talks with Dolores as evidence he’s a flesh-and-blood man wrestlingwith grief and sympathy.<\/p>\n

And if you’re in the Bernard-is-a-robot faction, you’ll point to the same evidence for entirely different reasons: Bernard is a robot being manipulated by Dr. Ford to program hosts. Bernard’swife and son, Charlie? They’re just part of a back story meant to keephim anchored. Why else would Dr. Ford so callously remind Bernard of his son’s death? Why else would video conferences happen in a public room? Why else would Bernard’s son mysteriously die on a hospital bed in a worldwe’re told by Dr. Ford is free of fatal disease?<\/p>\n

Why does Dr. Ford need Bernard?<\/h2>\n

But if Bernard is a robot, why would Dr. Ford need him? Aren’t there plenty of talented, living programmers available who are more obedient, more malleable and less obsessed with questions of consciousness?<\/p>\n

Maybe Dr. Ford doesn’t need a living programmer. Maybe he needs the help of someone who’s no longer alive.<\/p>\n

Like Arnold.<\/p>\n

Arnold, if you didn’t catch Westworld’s <\/em>most exposition-rich scene to date<\/a>, is Dr. Ford’s deceased partner. We’re told this genius was a founder of Westworld<\/em> but fell prey to the seduction of treating hosts as humans. And he died before Bernard began his workatthe park.<\/p>\n

So, let’s review:<\/p>\n