Westworld speculation and misdirection: questions and inconsistencies in ‘Phase Space’
By Ashley Davis
What we learned from Westworld S2E6, Phase Space. Maeve’s a warrior, Teddy’s new consciousness comes with side effects, and Ford is…everywhere?
First of all, “Phase Space” is an interesting name for Westworld season two’s sixth episode, at least from a physicist’s perspective. Undefined axes and coordinates, indeed. A reference to the Cradle specifically or reality in general? Now, let’s talk characters, theories, and speculation from the brain of an astrophysicist with synesthesia.
Westworld Character-by-Character Analysis in S2E6
Dolores & Teddy
Let’s tackle Dolores and Teddy first. Re-watch the first scene with Dolores and Teddy. There’s an oddity that could mean nothing or could be a whole new development, so to speak. Anyway, with regard to her father, Dolores obviously has more of a plan than we think she does, but what?
It’s weird that she’s seemingly just blankly looking for her father—almost like she’s on a loop. As for Teddy, she’s clearly crossed a line, and I don’t think that momentary regret is enough to save her. Has she just manufactured her own ending? A big postulation, certainly, but befitting.
While we’re on the subject, I notice that everyone is busy focusing on Teddy’s inner transformation, but I noticed something else: Teddy’s facial features and clothing are slightly different, quite noticeably so.
Look at his jaw line and profile. Can hosts change or grow? Can they eat? Presumably they’re able to, for certain social situations, but probably do not require food or process it in the same way. Can a host physically change without intervention?
Bernard
Here we’re going to change gears to Bernard, because there’s an interesting moment with Teddy near the end. Bernard arrives in Westworld via train, like the Teddy-Bernard does. He even looks at his Teddy hands. Then they share a look at the saloon door. There’s an understanding there, which is odd given the apparent timeline.
More from Westworld
- After ChatGPT, Westworld creator thinks her show looks “like a documentary”
- HBO boss explains why they removed Westworld from HBO Max
- The Last of Us boss uses Westworld to explain Kathleen’s arc
- James Marsden still hopes they can finish Westworld
- Westworld and other HBO shows headed to Roku and Tubi
This raises some big questions. If Teddy is also Bernard (which we’ve known/assumed for a while now), who is that Bernard version? We would assume Teddy, since he looked at his hands and got off the train, like Teddy. But then they interact. And Ford is already there, and refers to him as “old friend.” I think I know whom we’re looking at and why, but I’m not 100% convinced.
Speaking of Bernard, are we just not addressing how many Bernards there are (a lot) and who is in there? There’s at least one unknown, as evidenced by Bernard’s violent laboratory outburst in S2E4. That behavior wasn’t Bernard. It wasn’t Teddy. It wasn’t Arnold. I’m fairly sure wasn’t Ford. So who was Bernard in that scene?
The Cradle
On to the Cradle. I like the idea, but it lacks significant exposition. Similar to how “the maze” kind of came out of nowhere and then turned out to be fairly underwhelming, though enlightening in the overall story arc. It feels tacked on. They just needed better build-up.
The weird aspect ratios obviously point to scenes taking place in the Cradle. I’m going out on a limb here, but the Cradle could be an allegory to the many aspects of neurological function versus consciousness. Did Arnold and/or Ford manage to separate the two, and, thus, different parts of themselves? It seems that at least Ford has.
The Man in Black & Grace
Let’s discuss the Man in Black (MIB) and Emily/Grace. Ed Harris is such a master of facial expression that it takes my breath away. There’s one blink-and-you’ll-miss-it look during their conversation that I think is going to throw people, or probably it was meant to.
On Emily/Grace, she’s so flat as a character right now that it must be a misdirection. I know we’re supposed to think by now that she committed suicide and then somehow became a host that the MIB may or may not think is Ford or controlled by Ford, but I’m not necessarily buying it.
I think that glitch moment was the MIB. Not sure if she’s a host or not (I’m 50/50 on that), but I’m fairly certain that he is. The name of the game here is who is struggling with reality.
Another note on the MIB and the long game: He’s been made into what Delos sought to create and regrets it. He’s seeking redemption, obviously, so logically his death must be the final redemption, as it’s the ultimate climax to that story arc. It will be big. That’s just a guess, but it would fit the narrative and style nicely.
Maeve
Now we return to Shogun World and Maeve. I liked their ending at the altar—very fitting. However, as much as I hate to say it, Shogun World totally underwhelmed me. That’s very much my aesthetic, so I had high hopes. It got old fast.
I even struggled to pay attention during the last fight on the way to the altar. I like Akane, though, so maybe we’ll see Shogun World in a more interesting light eventually? Did we ever figure out why the ninjas were there, or was that just a distraction?
This is definitely Thandie Newton’s best episode to date, and she’s such a badass. I want to be Maeve when I grow up. Back to the altar, I think their conversation gave away a lot. For instance, the quote, “A man who doesn’t defend his own land…” is fairly broad, but we get the picture. It applies on a master level to multiple characters. Mostly Ford right now, but there’s a big picture there too.
Then the obvious, from the episode description: “We each deserve to choose our own fate.” This is the meta-narrative. In this episode, we explored parents and children. If they aren’t really your biological child, does it matter?
Next: Westworld: The addictive digital fix
The answer is obviously no. So how does that translate to the question of whether it matters if you’re really biologically human? It doesn’t. What is artificiality? We have no precise definition for it except by how we define ourselves, which makes no sense. Non-human does not equal artificial necessarily. Does it matter how someone or something is made?
I sometimes think both Arnold and Ford ultimately came to the conclusion that “artificial” consciousness is not only the same as human biological consciousness, but something greater.
Maeve’s encounter with her daughter was a bit too easy to guess, so I sense we’re being led astray in some way. I’d surmised Maeve was on a loop being manipulated by Ford, but I’m now of the opinion that Maeve is no longer on a loop.
But then again, you can manipulate a truly conscious being, as well. Hector, I’m not sure of. I think they have something in store for him but I don’t know what. I just know I love him and Maeve together.
I’m happy that Armistice stayed, and I think she’ll add some great twists and turns to the narrative.
Finally, a question I’ve been asking myself for a while. Was there more to the MIB’s initial interaction with Maeve and her daughter? I absolutely think so.
Robert Ford
On to Ford—this was an easy guess. Ramin Djawadi gave it away in the music, so I saw (or rather heard) it coming (via my synesthesia). There were some nice visual cues as well, though. Clever. I did postulate last week that Ford would return in more ways than one in either this episode or the next.
The Hive Mind
The hive mind was again confirmed, but we need to look at that from a biological perspective. I need to do some academic reading on how that works in different types of colonies. Look for that in my next article.
Ghost Nation
Overall, the real question for me is what is Ghost Nation? It’s been postulated that they’re a kind of in-park security, helping injured or wayward guests and taking out or re-routing hosts that jump their narrative. They obviously don’t respond the same way as the other hosts—to commands or actions.
However, if that theory were true, the MIB would be 100% aware of it, and Ed Harris has this great flash of “I don’t understand” on his face when they’re ambushed that tells you he doesn’t. So who are they, what are they, and what’s their purpose?
I’d also like to know who was involved with their origin. I have some ideas. Also, why do they appear to be on a loop? It doesn’t make sense. It contradicts the original supposed purpose and the fact that they don’t obey commands or act like the other hosts. Sure, this could be Ford behind the scenes, but I want some back story.
Charlotte & Peter Abernathy
As to Charlotte, I think we’re being directed away from her for a reason. Keep watching this one. I think her background will come into play at some point.
Then there’s her quest with Peter Abernathy. Again, why does she need his whole body to be smuggled out? Why not just take out the control device? There’s more at play here. Maybe Dolores knows what it is that makes him so uniquely valuable.
Tune in to the next episode of Westworld next Sunday on HBO, and don’t forget to listen to the podcast and watch for a few more articles throughout the week.