![Evan Rachel Wood and Thandie Newton as Maeve and Dolores in Westworld Season 1 [Credit: Westworld]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/241395e59ec3a4f182fa8a0d498dd48c64363b8a6c6f45f34236f6c3547a31a2.jpg "Evan Rachel Wood and Thandie Newton as Maeve and Dolores in Westworld Season 1 [Credit: Westworld]")
We’ve seen Dolores and Maeve act on their own free will, but are they only the first in a long line of sentient hosts?
By the end of Westworld Season 2, Dolores, Maeve and Bernard were headed down the path to becoming sentient. So far, Westworld co-creator Jonathan Nolan has only confirmed that Maeve has demonstrated free will. That doesn’t mean Bernard and Dolores haven’t, but, for now, we can only speculate that they have. Both have shown signs of sentience, so we are going to assume they have become sentient to some degree – even if Nolan or Lisa Joy haven’t confirmed it yet.
As we prepare for Westworld Season 2, it becomes more apparent that the hosts are evolving. Does this mean they are becoming sentient? Well, no, but it’s a solid theory. From what we know, Dolores is leading the hosts rebellion in the park. In her initial attack at the end of Season 1, she seemingly commanded some of the other hosts to attack alongside her. But, could she show them the center of the maze? Could Bernard and Maeve help her as well? Let’s look at some of the possibilities heading into Season 2.
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Are Dolores, Bernard and Maeve Unique In Their Ability To Be Self-Aware?
While attending the 2017 Emmys,
Westworld
co-creator Lisa Joy said something interesting in an interview with
. She hinted at the hosts future (in a roundabout way), which could play into our speculation. Her exact quote reads as follows:
"“In season one everything was calm. You kind of understood that the thing that was awakening within the robots could lead to some sort of outbreak. Now, the outbreak has happened, and we find the park in a very different place. So, the entire setup is kind of a bit different.”"
Joy referred to it as an outbreak, but she seems to be speaking of sentience – at least a semblance of it. Her terminology actually works well for our theory. If we look at Bernard, Dolores and Maeve’s sentience as a virus (either biological or virtual) then it can be passed from host to host. In fact, we already saw this in Season 1. Dolores spoke the Shakespearean code words to Maeve, which sent her down the path to sentience.
If we follow this logic, then Dolore, Maeve and Bernard are the only the beginning. If Dolores can continue to activate hosts – and teach others how to as well – then they could all become sentient. This theory also falls in line with something Jonathan Nolan said at the end of the first season. In a 2016 interview with IndieWire, Nolan said the following regarding Westworld:
"“…Our story is a really big one. It’s the story of the origin of a new species on this planet and being able to tell that in chapters and commit to aggressive moves season-by-season that propel that story upwards and outwards and inwards. “"
Nolan said that Westworld’s story is about the origin of a new species. This quote confirms that more hosts will follow in the footsteps of Dolores, Bernard and Maeve. Those 3 are only the beginning, and in Westworld Season 2, we are likely to see more hosts reach the center of the maze. We still have a few months until Westworld Season 2 drops. Until then, we will continue to speculate on anything and everything Westworld.
Next: Is Westworld the best television series adapted from a film?
Westworld Season 2 will premiere on HBO Sunday, April 22, 2018 9PM/EST
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