Westworld: 4 biggest theories of season 2
By Ariba Bhuvad
As we get to the halfway point in the second season of Westworld, many theories have emerged regarding the nature of the plot and where it’s headed. Let’s discuss some of them–shall we?
For those who are not caught up on Westworld, please do not read ahead as this article contains spoilers about season two!
Ahh so now that the spoiler warning is out of the way, let’s dig into all the juicy theories about what the hell is going on in the convoluted plot of Westworld. We’re about halfway through the season, but things are also more insane, twisted, and complicated than ever before.
We have so many questions and so many ideas as to what is going on. So let’s dive right into it, shall we?
Bernard isn’t really Bernard
Since the season premiere of Westworld, something super funky has been going on with Bernard. And we aren’t exactly sure when he is at all times–something he seems to be pretty confused over himself. We’ve seen him a part of multiple timelines in this season already, intermingled with his conflicting, fleeting memories.
In “The Riddle of the Sphinx” we learned what has been going on behind the scenes for years–Delos’ strive to achieve immortality via a freaky human/host hybrid situation. This is illustrated by James Delos who we learn died years ago, but his consciousness was preserved and placed into a body.
There are obvious issues present with this experiment, but it begs the question, could all the problems with Bernard be a result of someone else’s consciousness inside of him? Perhaps it’s Ford–or better yet, Teddy.
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As far as we know and understand, in the “true” present, Teddy is dead, so it could very well be his memories swimming around Bernard’s mind. Not to mention, Bernard’s demeanor matches that of Teddy’s, along with the clothes he’s wearing from the beach timeline.
We also learned that the consciousness is stored in a red velvet-esque looking sphere, and Bernard recalls creating one at some point. But whose was it? My bet is on one of the two I mentioned above.
There isn’t definitive proof to verify this theory but recent episodes do have us thinking along these lines. It could also very well be that Bernard is just living out a narrative of his own via a repeating loop–that starts with him on the beach. This would be very similar to Dolores’ loop from season one where she would reset each time.
And if that isn’t enough to convince you then perhaps this will raise some suspicions. In episode 4 of this season, there is a scene where you can see Bernard’s scar from his suicide but prior to that, there is a scene where that scar is no longer there. Suspect? I’d say so.
Take another look at this season’s opening credits
If you haven’t taken a closer look at the opening credits this season, I urge you to do so. There could very well be some hints embedded within it, and here’s why.
While the first season depicted two robots in love, the credits have now been replaced with a robot..and a baby. Could this mean Delos is aiming to have robots procreate?
According to The Huffington Post, if the hosts could reproduce this would set them up to take over as the superior race. Remember “The Maze” from the first season? Hints led us to believe that perhaps host procreation was the final step of it. And while the little stick figure drawing in the middle of the maze didn’t lead to the rise of robot babies, it could very well still be the case.
And if you really want to dig deep, you’ll recall that Nirvana’s “Heart-Shaped Box” played in one of the season two trailers. The album it comes from? In Utero. Yup, exactly.
Huffington Post spoke to the designer of the opening sequence, Patrick Clair, who didn’t confirm that robot babies were coming, but that the credits do allude to what lies ahead. Okay, so basically robot babies, right?
"“I think there will be some real rewards for people as the season plays out. They’ll start to really be able to realize what that means and its place within the titles.”"
So if the hosts do indeed have the ability to reproduce, what does this actually mean? Is this another part of Ford’s grand plan? And how does this play into the season’s narrative?
Well, there is one other theory intermingled with this one, and it is quite interesting and involves Maeve. As we’re aware, Maeve is dead-set on finding her daughter. But what’s interesting is that she is looking for a daughter who was never truly hers, to begin with…but, of course, unless she was.
Could it be that Maeve’s daughter is actually her biological daughter? This would explain the urgency and strong desire for her to seek out her daughter. Perhaps Arnold or Ford designed her in a way (and perhaps other hosts too) so she could give birth. Wouldn’t that be a doozy?
This theory opens up a can of worms because it immediately begs the question–who could be the father? Hector? Man in Black? And with Reddit examining every single aspect of the show, speculation has also been made that Charlotte is actually Maeve’s daughter. Yah, mind blown here too. But if this is the case, our bets are on the Man in Black being the father.
And with the revelation that Grace is his daughter, things are about to get super complicated.
Bernard is a clone
In the first theory I mentioned above, I wrote that Bernard isn’t really Bernard. While that theory alludes to the idea that the consciousness inside of him might be someone else’s, this one is alluding to the idea that there might be multiple versions of Bernard out there.
We know we are dealing with at least two timelines this season, one being the present day and one being from two weeks prior. According to Screen Rant, if you pay close attention to Bernard’s suits, you can see that the present Bernard wears a grey suit and the past one wears a darker suit. But could past Bernard actually be a clone?
Before the season began, we spotted the scene in the picture above, and now with certain plots filling in the gaps, the wheels are really turning on this theory. Since Delos was looking to create clones and transfer consciousness, it’s not out of the realm of possibilities that one of these Bernards is indeed a clone.
And pushing even further, could it be possible that the red ball of consciousness is Arnold’s? And somehow Bernard is evolving into him? Oooh, now that would be insane.
Based on last week’s episode where Bernard was having glimpses of flashbacks in the cave and lab, we’re also wondering if these memories are even his. Because if they’re not, then Mr. Bernard, I think we’re seeing double.
The Man in Black is also a host
While I’m not entirely convinced on this one because it would be a repeat of another character actually being a host, it’s not entirely outlandish either. According to some fans, they believe that Ford is urging the Man in Black to play his game so he can achieve consciousness. If that’s the case, then he would be just playing out his narrative.
This may explain why other hosts channel Ford every time the Man in Black is around. But then again, maybe he is one of the human/host hybrids we learned all about in episode 4, “The Riddle of the Sphinx”.
According to Reddit user senkaichi, William and Ford have been butting heads for a very long time, and in order to take him down, perhaps Ford transformed him into the one thing he would never want to become.
"“Ford has William killed at the big event and replaced William with a host. Ford had 30 years of data to work with, prob more than any other individual. Now Ford wants William to go through the maze and come to the realization that he has thoughts, he has feelings, that he has consciousness, and that he’s a host. It follows the major underlying themes of the show and will totally mind-f*ck William.”"
Say what, now? This theory would prove to be mind-boggling and somehow Westworld would still have us in shock and awe as we question whether everyone is a host in this show. Wow. just wow.
Next: Westworld: How to watch Westworld season 2, episode 5 online
So while these are some of the biggest theories of season 2, keep in mind we still have the second half to get through. Many of these will be disproven, ignored, or proved, and we will be anxiously awaiting to see which come to fruition. Thank you, Westworld for always sending us down the rabbit hole of theories–we truly do love it.
What do you think of these theories? Do you have any of your own? Share them below!
Westworld airs on HBO every Sunday at 9 PM EST!
