Westworld fan theory explains the truth behind Elsie and Ghost Nation
Among the show’s endless mysteries,
Westworld
fans have long debated the true story behind both Elsie Hughes and the Native American hosts known as Ghost Nation. Elsie was last seen being strangled by Bernard–under Ford’s control–after she uncovered too much of the truth behind Ford’s ultimate plan. Many believed her dead until
an online Easter Egg suggested otherwise
, and showrunner
that Elsie would appear in season 2.
Now, practically all season 1 characters have been accounted for as of “Virtù e Fortuna” except for Elsie. The truth behind her actions before Bernard crept up on her may lie in the mystery of Ghost Nation, whose presence loomed large and ambiguous in “Virtù e Fortuna.” Several users on Reddit have formed fan theories about how the two mysteries relate, and the significant repercussions they have on all of Westworld.
How Elsie And Ghost Nation Are Connected
Ghost Nation first encountered Maeve, Hector, and Lee Sizemore in the latest episode. Maeve’s voice commands seemed to have no effect on them. Ghost Nation’s apparent interest in Lee and later in the tiger-slaying Grace got
Redditor dupreem to make the following theory
:
"“I’m assuming that Elsie has successfully reprogrammed the Ghost Nation hosts to serve her, having seen the drone revolt coming after being spared last season by Bernard. That’s why the hosts didn’t immediately kill Stubbs, that’s why they wanted Sizemore to come with them (they sought to rescue him after identifying him as human), and now that’s why they’ll be saving the woman that escaped the India park.”"
This theory explains a great deal of Ghost Nation’s behavior. It explains why even before the host uprising, the Ghost Nation hosts didn’t respond to the voice commands of Stubbs. They don’t respond to the voice commands of Stubbs or Maeve as they’re programmed to only obey Elsie.
Instead of killing Stubbs, Ghost Nation essentially collected him and kept him safe, which explains how he reappears alive and well in the two weeks later timeline with Bernard. It’s also important to remember that Stubbs went to that part of the park in the first place because of a signal from Elsie’s device. Already trusting him as a valuable asset and human ally, Elsie intended for Stubbs to go there and get taken out of harm’s way before the uprising began.
It also explains their actions in “Virtù e Fortuna” as they didn’t attack Maeve, Hector, and Lee right away because they recognized Lee as human and wanted to take him to safety like they’d previously done for Stubbs. Only once it was clear Lee wasn’t going with them did they turn hostile.
When Grace washes up on the shores of Westworld at the end of the episode she thinks she’s only found more danger. Instead, she may have found her saving grace–pun intended–as Ghost Nation recognizes her as a human, another individual to put under their protection.
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Reprogramming the Ghost Nation hosts to protect humans would be a game-changing revelation. It proves the humans weren’t as blindsided and unprepared by the uprising as previously thought. Elsie had a plan and is still using it to save as many as she can in order to regroup and take back control.
There’s still no telling where Elsie currently is, but there’s a good chance she’s staying in the shadows with all the survivors brought to her, controlling Ghost Nation from afar and letting them do the dirty work until true retaliation against the sentient hosts can begin.
How This Theory Affects Dolores And Maeve
In the “two weeks later” timeline, the Delos team examines footage from a slain Ghost Nation host on the beach. The footage reveals Dolores shooting and killing the Ghost Nation host in question. Her actions at Fort Forlorn Hope made it loud and clear she’s not afraid to betray and kill her fellow hosts, but until this theory, it was unclear why she would specifically target Ghost Nation.
Now it seems likely that Dolores will somehow learn the truth about Ghost Nation being reprogrammed and controlled by a human. She will slaughter them all in order to cleanse the hosts of the “corrupted” among them, annihilating one of the humans’ remaining advantages.
Maeve already hates Ghost Nation because of what they did to her and her daughter in that narrative. She made it clear to Hector and Lee that they remain a threat to daughter. When she finds out that everything Ghost Nation does is under the control of a human, she’ll have even more motivation to destroy them.
Next: Westworld season 2, episode 3. Recap of Virtù e Fortuna – Part 1
In fact, their common desire to exterminate Ghost Nation may be what unites Dolores and Maeve despite their drastically different ideologies and missions.
Ghost Nation saved humans like Stubbs and now Grace, but against the likes of Dolores and Maeve and their allies, they appear ultimately doomed.
Beyond serving as a fascinating twist, there is powerful social justice commentary in this whole storyline. Even in an advanced future with lifelike robots, Native Americans are still used and abused by white people only to meet an unjust end.
What are your thoughts on the Elsie-Ghost Nation theory? Let us know in the comments!
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