Westworld episode 4 on HBO revealed a lot of new information about the virtual reality Dr. Robert Ford created. It debunked some of the more obvious Man in Black theories and now viewers are focusing their speculation on Wyatt. Here’s a few fan theories you might be interested in after viewing Westworld ’s forth episode.
Man in Black (MIB) theories debunked, but others come up
If you thought the Man in Black was the older version of Billy, a virus or Arnold, the mysterious co-creator of Westworld that died in the park, you’re wrong. Well maybe. Billy and the virus theory are definitely debunked after episode 4. Both Billy and the MIB exist in the same timeline. The employees of Westworld are aware of the MIB, so he’s not a virus. They wouldn’t keep him around if he was a malfunction; we’re seen them take out Android for less.
However, the theory people seem to be going back and forth on is whether the MIB might be Arnold. Dr. Ford keeps saying his Westworld co-creator went mad and died in the park. He became too attached to the hosts and obsessed with the world. Well, the MIB keeps telling the robots he wants to find the maze and set everyone free. In episode 5, we’ll see an interaction between Dr. Ford and the MIB. The reason why the MIB might not be Arnold is because he keeps referring to him in the third person. He even went as far as to tell one of the robots Arnold’s story. If he was Arnold, he wouldn’t have to hide that from the hosts.
Still, MIB is connected to Arnold and Dr. Ford in some way. Arnold has been obsessed with finding the maze for 30 years, since he arrived in the park. We hope the MIB finds whatever he’s looking for so he can leave the park once and for all.
Dr. Ford and Wyatt
In episode 4 we learn of someone named “Wyatt.” This is a name Arnold has never heard before. Wyatt is a piece of the puzzle that will bring him closer to the Maze.
Dr. Ford had an interesting conversation with Bernard about Arnold in an earlier episode. He told him Arnold tried to give the robots a conscience by giving them an internal monologue. The monologue would act as “thoughts” for the hosts, but it became too much for the robots. Many believed what they were hearing was God’s voice, which drove them to malfunction.
This sounds like Wyatt’s story in the Westworld park plotline. In episode 4, we also learn about the religion of the indigenous people, who pray to these gods that look like people in hazmat suits. Wyatt might be connected to Dr. Ford and Arnold. Wyatt might be the man or entity that can make him human. Who knows what Dr. Ford created at this point, but he doesn’t seem like he’s a good man.
Why the producers want you to keep you guessing
The great thing about Westworld is the HBO show’s creators want fans to piece together the puzzle for themselves. Westworld showrunner Jonathan Nolan recently explained to Entertainment Weekly that some parts are left intentionally vague so fans can speculate and talk about the show with others.
“Part of the fun is people speculating about what they’re are seeing. There’s some amazing speculation out there,” Nolan told EW . “There are some theories that are so elaborate and beautiful that you wish you thought of them yourself. I think we want to burden the audience as little as possible with expectations of what we think the show is. I’m a big believer in this ever since we went to the Venice Film Festival with Memento . My brother gave an interview about what he thought the film meant but stressed it was ambiguous. And afterward we talked about it and I felt from then on that the best thing to do is get out of the way of the audience and let them play with it. And there are some things in Westworld that are intentionally ambiguous.”
Interesting. Hopefully the big twists and reveals will be worth the countless reddit thread searches to see what others believe might be going on. What if the employees of Westworld are also functioning robots and don’t realize they aren’t human? The possibilities are endless.
Catch Westworld on HBO Sundays at 9 p.m.
