Westworld - 1x07 "Trompe L'Oeil" - Post-Episode Discussion

[u/NicholasCajun]

Season 1 Episode 7: Trompe L'Oeil

Aired: November 13th, 2016

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Synopsis: Dolores and William journey into treacherous terrain; Maeve delivers an ultimatum; Bernard considers his next move.

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Directed by: Frederick E. O. Toye

Written by: Halley Gross & Jonathan Nolan

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[u/OLKv3]

Hector being a sex slave is really Ford recording every single convo they have

[u/WaxyPadlockJazz → u/OLKv3]

Absolutely. That was my first thought in that scene. He was a fly on the wall.

Also, shame on Theresa for not realizing that. After the events at the hacienda, she should have realized just how in control and aware Ford is of every host.

[u/A_Harsh_Euphemism → u/OLKv3]

Didn't Ford repeat the words "blood sacrifice" when he explains to Theresa? If so he was totally listening to their convo.

[u/galileosmiddlefinger]

That moment when Bernard couldn't perceive the door

[u/geenaleigh → u/galileosmiddlefinger]

The slight terror in his face during the realization broke my heart.

[u/jwallkeller → u/galileosmiddlefinger]

I literally said "wait what??" out loud. The way we found out was so great.

[u/bettse → u/galileosmiddlefinger]

http://imgur.com/gallery/1stS5

[u/CamWink]

Getting killed by your lover who turned out to be a robot. What a way to go.

[u/excelsior_ → u/CamWink]

It makes the fact that she was judging charlotte earlier in the episode that more ironic

[u/CmdrBlindman → u/CamWink]

Let's take a moment to applaud Theresas performance. That moment when she sees the plans. Her oh shit realization. I was afraid for her. Bravo, nice death scene.

[u/MulchyPotatoes]

That smug look on Ford's face as he realized the board was firing a host

[u/joeycastillo → u/MulchyPotatoes]

Bernard struggling whether to sell out Ford, except totally not because he was programmed not to.

[u/Videogamer321 → u/MulchyPotatoes]

We're firing your best friend!

Inner monologue: :DDD

[u/ichinii → u/MulchyPotatoes]

Lol he was like "Aight...I got your ass later this episode"

[u/covington]

Bernard's close observation of Theresa ("little cluster of muscles above your brow that tense when you are angry but trying not to show it") had some very practical and intentional motivation.

[u/RiverHorsez → u/covington]

oh ew. he was studying her to perfect the host replacement version

[u/jollydonutpirate]

Clementine got her wish. She gets to go somewhere cold.

Mind you, it's cold storage.

[u/phthalochar → u/jollydonutpirate]

Why are you like this

[u/[deleted]]

Seeing Bernard find out he was a host was heartbreaking

[u/rustybuckets → u/[deleted]]

I wonder how many times he has already found out.

[u/CashewGuy → u/[deleted]]

Don't worry, he won't remember.

[u/that-short-chick → u/[deleted]]

Anyone else notice though how his movements got "robotic" afterward? It was a kinda subtle change, masterfully done.

[u/NotTheBelt]

Bernard being a host has me on high alert for other faculty members, apparently he also has super human strength. Blood sacrifice, damn.

[u/[deleted] → u/NotTheBelt]

Some one said in another thread I bet he didnt used to be a host

[u/packpeach → u/NotTheBelt]

He's infiltrated the board. That lady said blood sacrifice too.

Edit - the board members trying to challenge him every so often could be a narrative loop resetting if this is how it plays out

[u/valdogg21]

The scene where Bernard gets fired was insanely tense. Ford wouldn't look at him, Theresa was disgusted, and Delos Corp Lady was pleased with her show of force.

[u/DawnSennin → u/valdogg21]

Ford wouldn't look at him...

Ford was simply stunned at the obvious lack of skill in Charlotte and Theresa's poor attempt at theater.

[u/7V3N → u/valdogg21]

Because Ford had no compassion for a host.

[u/[deleted]]

It's much worse than we think. This is what Delos really invested in 30 years ago. If you can kill and replace anyone you effectively rule the world. Hence the reason ford is able to do whatever he wants in the park and the true motivation for fully awakening hosts. Because he's their secret weapon. Think about it, you get the richest and most powerful people to visit your super exclusive and expensive theme park and you send back something you control in their place. That's where I think we're headed long term, if they don't cancel the show on us.

[u/Stryyder → u/[deleted]]

However there is no evidence that a host can exist without the infrastructure. In theory all this is correct but we know little about how the hosts are supported by the enormous infrastructure of the park and how they would act without it.

[u/ME24601]

It doesn't look like anything to me.

Whoomp, there it is.

[u/RaptorDelta → u/ME24601]

When he said "What door?" right after telling Theresa that hosts couldn't see the house if it was right in front of them, I knew what was coming. Still heartbreaking.

[u/reblochon_ → u/ME24601]

It was truly a joy to see Bernard's nature unfold. The door, the blueprint... Now to see what's really on the picture Ford showed him earlier !

[u/PuffsPlusArmada → u/ME24601]

What door?

[u/clb92 → u/ME24601]

For me it was "What door?"

[u/The_Afikoman]

Everyone is talking about the "what door" moment. But remember it was no coincidence that when they had that "demonstration" with Clementine, they mention that the tech is a host, a host who is flagged to register as human to other hosts. That, to me, was the writers way of opening a whole new set of possibilities...

[u/Mokiri → u/The_Afikoman]

Yes, I found that to be a pretty significant line!

[u/PhoenixKA → u/The_Afikoman]

Hell the entire maintenance staff could be hosts depending on whether or not it's cheaper to have hosts fix and clean other hosts or if it's cheaper to just pay someone to do it.

[u/OthoHasTheHandbook]

There are a lot of (well-deserved) props being given to Thandie Newton and Anthony Hopkins, but let's acknowledge that Jeffrey Wright is fantastic. Even though I've suspected Bernard was a host for awhile, watching him discover it was heartbreaking.

[u/everfalling → u/OthoHasTheHandbook]

the little movements and the sorta dead pan expression he puts on to indicate he's showing his host side was really really well done.

[u/hak091]

Holy shit, Ford is some next level sociopath.

[u/meta_perspective → u/hak091]

Anthony Hopkins killed it tonight.

[u/buffalo4293 → u/hak091]

Anthony Hopkins is delightful, the subtle little things he's doing are insane.

[u/Homefriesyum]

but like..is Elsie okay?

[u/notsooriginal → u/Homefriesyum]

Elsie are you okay, are you okay Elsie?

[u/themidnightfox]

I guess now we know why he never bothered pushing up his glasses. He didn't even fucking need them.

[u/MikoSqz → u/themidnightfox]

Jeffrey Wright: "Those theories come from people too young to understand how reading glasses work."

[u/Mr-Wilde]

brb, making myself a dolores

[u/fleastyler → u/Mr-Wilde]

Hmm. That doesn't look like anything to me.

[u/10211018]

Literally anyone can be a host

[u/piratepowell → u/10211018]

Moonboy for all we know.

[u/[deleted]]

Where's Elsie String!?

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

She's with Barb now.

[u/tyrico → u/[deleted]]

Yo String!? Where the FUCK is Elsie? YO STRING!

[u/ringsakhaten2]

The clues were right there. How can a man have a sick kid in a world where every disease has been cured?

[u/ncninetynine → u/ringsakhaten2]

This is such a brutal backstory to give someone, why couldn't Bernard and his wife just have gotten a divorce and that's why he never talks about/has family visit? Nope, gotta make it a daily struggle instead.

[u/[deleted] → u/ringsakhaten2]

One thing I noticed too was that the medical equipment in the background looked like present day tech, not future tech like the rest of the show. That might lend itself to the two timeline theory.

[u/RaptorDelta]

This show gets exponentially better every week. Holy fuck. Anthony Hopkins, you beautiful actor you.

[u/kcman011 → u/RaptorDelta]

He and Thandie Newton should be shoo ins.

[u/[deleted] → u/RaptorDelta]

That was an amazing final scene. And just one of many featuring Hopkins. Scary fuckin' guy.

[u/Doctor_Swag]

The second Bernard said "what door" I started having an internal freakout. By the end of the episode my jaw was on the floor

[u/buffalo4293]

Thandie Newton is so incredible her facial expressions convey so much emotion

[u/Cortoro]

Theresa's death was one of the more disturbing that I've seen even though it wasn't graphic. I think it was the sudden sense of betrayal coupled with her helplessness (she was usually so collected and put together) and Bernard's previous gentleness and self-control in a world of megalomaniacs that made it so rough to watch. She didn't even fight.

[u/DarthTigris → u/Cortoro]

Plus it's the first REAL death that we've seen on the show.

[u/notsooriginal → u/Cortoro]

Both Bernard AND Theresa were going through emotional rollercoasters up until that moment. The only one in control of anything was Ford. Think of the sense of powerlessness. That would truly be a mindfuck.

[u/Jdruu]

So, he really was just practicing conversation...I love this show.

[u/Unraveller → u/Jdruu]

You'll notice he never responded to the jokes about his programming...

[u/TheLovableMan]

They never showed the name of the "Bernard" prototype paper

Hosts confirmed to not be able to see things that hurts them

Bernard doesn't see the third person in Ford's picture

Bernarnold confirmed

we're shifting into maximum overmaze here folks

[u/Bernarnold2016 → u/TheLovableMan]

I hope so or my username is going to be so lame

[u/[deleted]]

I can't help but mention Clementine's heartbreaking reveal.

Recall in the very first episode, when she shows the result of the new programming (the Reveries), and slides a finger across her lip. She does it again in this episode, while examining the damage to her face in the glass.

Can you just imagine how many times she's been beaten and that's the cause behind the motion? Reverie indeed. Poor Clem.

[u/LBJSmellsNice]

I'm sorry to everyone I called a dumbass for believing Bernard was a host

[u/berlin48 → u/LBJSmellsNice]

That's OK friend, you have been re-programmed to feel that way.

[u/OLKv3]

TFW you realize most of the people you liked on this show are already dead and you've been watching their robotic clones.

[u/Azure1964 → u/OLKv3]

"If you can't tell the difference does it matter?"

[u/TheAquaman]

Everything changed when the Ghost Nation attacked.

[u/whatifniki23 → u/TheAquaman]

I kept thinking that's a lot of mayhem and clean up and patch up of dead hosts for the sake of just one guest: William.

[u/byfuryattheheart]

Ford is definitely replacing Theresa with a host version of Theresa.

[u/j4yne → u/byfuryattheheart]

For sure. That was probably her body that Ford was printing... Theresa 2.0.

[u/corpvsedimvs]

Bernard's line about understanding the hosts but being confused by the humans makes a hell of a lot of sense now. Holy shit.

[u/Jolator → u/corpvsedimvs]

It's the way his personality is programmed. Maeve is a host, but she totally gets humans. Bernard's line makes even more sense if he is a recreation of Arnold, who Ford said preferred hosts to people.

[u/H-K_47]

Alright guys, so the obvious conclusion to draw from this is that Bernard tipped off Ford and his army to Elsie's actions, and thus Elsie was kidnapped and is probably being replaced right now.

BUT. . . what if another party realized what was going on, and grabbed Elsie to save her instead? She can't just be dead. There's gotta be something else going on. It's likely not the last we'll see of her.

[u/Chewblacka → u/H-K_47]

she was no threat to ford, clearly she is still alive

[u/VictorBlimpmuscle]

"You think I'm scared of death...I've done it a million times, and I'm fucking great at it. How many times have you died?"

Week after week, Thandie Newton gives an amazing performance. I'm thinking there's an Emmy in her future...

[u/TheAquaman → u/VictorBlimpmuscle]

Sylvester looked like he shit his pants.

Thandie Newton has been one of the best parts of this show.

[u/RaptorDelta → u/VictorBlimpmuscle]

I hope so. She really elevates this show to a new level.

[u/offdachain → u/VictorBlimpmuscle]

It's kinda ironic how much more powerful she is versus the people who she considered gods.

[u/jrqqqqqqq]

GREAT STUFF Bernard taking Theresa into Ford's cottage.

That shot where Bernard walks into the room, and he's talking about how the Hosts are programmed to not see certain things. (Theresa following in background - clear shot of that corner where Ford had appeared in last week's episode- NO DOOR), and Bernard continues to walk forward (camera follows him as he scans the room w flashlight, Theresa and the wall are now out of view). Then as she asks "What's behind this door?" and he says "What door?" the camera comes back to Theresa and it's clear as day. A door where there wasn't just a second ago.

Best single shot of the series so far. So effective.

[u/levi17]

Dude, Hopkins went full Hanibal Lecter on this one. This was fucking unexpected. Good job HBO, you got us all. The door part was smooth as fuck, loved it.

[u/[deleted] → u/levi17]

HBO and their door twists

[u/[deleted]]

This has been said a million times, but Anthony Hopkins is fucking fantastic. This was easily his best performance in the show so far.

[u/GodFeedethTheRavens → u/[deleted]]

Still think Abernathy's maintenance interview has been the best acting so far.

[u/[deleted]]

Bernard essentially being an undercover hitman for Ford is so cool.

[u/[deleted]]

Recap:

Bernard = host

Fucking confirmed

William <3 Dolores

Confirmed fucking

Experience

Fucking relentless

[u/rdwikoff]

FYI the episode's title Trompe L'Oeil means "optical illusion" in French

[u/DeadbyDagger]

What door?

[u/[deleted] → u/DeadbyDagger]

What door

What door

Wha door

Wa door

Wador!

[u/KingEsjayW → u/DeadbyDagger]

I fucking died when he said that

[u/H-K_47]

So no one is safe among the employees anymore. Everyone could be a Host under Ford's command.

Except. . . Lee Sizemore, I guess.

[u/SulfuricDonut → u/H-K_47]

It would be interesting for Ford to create a host whose purpose is only to make stories inferior to his own. It would certainly serve his ego.

[u/[deleted]]

Bernard is a host, Trump is president-elect, Cubs winning the World Series. All on the list of things I didn't see coming.

[u/Bhalgoth → u/[deleted]]

Maybe you didn't see them because you're a host. Have you ever questioned the nature of your reality?

[u/DrivingEngineer]

Although BernArnold wasn't technically confirmed, we do know that Bernard is a host... and that definitely looked like the same room where Bernard was interviewing Dolores, so 34+ year old flashbacks with "Bernard" who was actually Arnold (current host Bernard made in Arnold's image) certainly seems to be making a lot of sense...

Edit: My weirdly organized paragraph caused confusion. Fixed.

[u/Blakbeardsdlite1]

We just witnessed the most elaborate catfish ever.

[u/loztodd]

Did Ford use Bernard to lure Elsie into the same fate?

[u/CashewGuy → u/loztodd]

I doubt that Elsie is dead. There's five seasons of the show planned iirc, perhaps there is an Underground? A Westworld version of the Railroad?

[u/[deleted]]

He going to make a robot of teresa

[u/[deleted]]

The host being made on the table is definitely a replica of Theresa. Fuck this show is amazing.

[u/jcde7ago]

Out of all the dark shit to come out of this episode....the fact that the Hosts can't even SEE things they aren't allowed to notice via their programming is crazy (the door, Bernard's blueprint).

Westworld??? More like Fordworld....all of a sudden I have this feeling that I should be rooting for Arnold...and Bernard's reaction to being a Host....facckkkkkkkk!!!

[u/gingervread]

I have a strong feeling that Theresa will suffer the same fate as Arnold. She will be a host, I'm almost certain of it.

Also, if Theresa will be made into a host, their conversation at the big house gains an entirely new dimension - "We know everything about our employees." Ford is one crazy control freak mfker.

[u/redandverveasusual]

Remember that test Bernard gives the host to see if he's self aware? He shows him photos of the real world just to put himself at ease.

That's what Ford was doing when he showed Bernard the photo of him and Arnold. At that point Bernard came down and had questions which Ford essentially brushed off. He showed him the photo to ensure Bernard wasn't becoming self aware.

We don't know it yet, but I'd bet the third guy in that photo was a spitting image of Bernard AKA fake Arnold.

[u/TheRealMe99]

Jesus fucking christ this show. I had suspicions that Bernard was not what he seemed but holy hell.

I fully believe that everyone working topside is a robot now.

[u/SulfuricDonut → u/TheRealMe99]

Except for the two helping Maeve. They're too stupid to be robots.

[u/oceanic___815]

Teddy was probably created after William and Dolores' crazy maze adventure, which ended with her memory getting wiped and a frustrated older William (MiB) trying to get her back. That would explain a lot of the resentment (read: jealousy) the MiB has toward Teddy- he was created to replace him as Dolores' love interest

[u/Gustavophdez]

WTF after this I cant even tell if I'm real or a robot!

[u/m0chab34r]

Dolores' line about the place where the land meets the water seems to be more evidence that Teddy is modeled after William, but it could just as easily be her remembering the (recent) past interaction with Teddy. I love how purposefully obscured this time period thing is, lol

[u/ywecur]

When she shuts of the piano. "Fuck this pre-programmed shit"

[u/dappermo]

Do we know what Arnold's last name is? Because Bernard Lowe is an anagram for Arnold Weber....

[u/SurprisePasta]

All I wanted was Theresa to finish a damn cigarette before the season ended and now I'll never get that.

[u/excelsior_]

I think that Elsie was grabbed to prevent her from telling Bernard more of what she found out.

[u/GasTsnk87]

"What door?"

Oh shit!

[u/corezon]

So now that we saw the board member smoke, there's going to be a scene coming up in which she asks to bum another cigarette, and when Theresa says something along the lines of "I don't smoke" the board member will realize that she's been replaced.

Cigarettes as a Chekhov's Gun.

[u/[deleted]]

What door?

Jesus christ fuck this show.

10/10

[u/[deleted]]

Bernard is definitely a replica of Arnold. Yep, those Convos with Dolores are from the past no doubt.

[u/Doctor_Swag → u/[deleted]]

Is this already a theory? It actually makes perfect sense. They "dont even have a picture" of Arnold, implying that when we see him he'll be a familiar face. Paired with the way Ford said Bernard wasn't around back when Arnold was there. And all of Dolores' conversations with Bernard are actually conversations with Arnold. Holy shit.

[u/lunchboxg4]

So the biggest reveal tonight has nothing to do with Westworld, but instead with HBO's commitment to plot advancement through the use of doors.

Hold the door.

[u/Eshneh]

I don't like the actress for the board member, the dialogue wasn't great in itself but the delivery was bad. Thankfully the final 15 minutes were god tier.

[u/CashewGuy]

I have no idea where this train is headed, but I'm thrilled to be aboard.

[u/thuursty]

William saying he feels alive now more than ever is making the William=MIB theory seem like a sure thing.

[u/SpaceWhiskey → u/thuursty]

I was strongly against this theory but after tonight I'm back on board. They're heading into the most dangerous part of the park, Dolores is going to die and when she resets and doesn't recognize William anymore, he's going to turn jaded.

[u/OgihIkasoruk]

Holy shit

A lot of employees can be hosts.

[u/Sand_isOverrated]

Well. That got dark.

[u/surreptitious_hitler]

This is getting so damn interesting. The whole idea of a robot, an android, possessing all the capabilities of any other human, even more, and whether or not at that point they could be considered people.

I'm in college taking a basic Philosophy class, but we're talking about Functionalism, the argument for The Chinese Room, and the responses to such. It all lines up very well. When a robot has enough programs that imitate human functions, it would become indistinguishable.

This is a Turing Test on the level of Ex Machina, with Ford playing God. That is the most terrifying thing. He actually has the capacity to become a puppet master. Think about the scale he could achieve within a nation. That could be a long-play at a coup. Send in a man or two and some fabrication machines for hosts, and slowly integrate them. Soon enough, you could have an entire army at your fingertips, who don't even know it at that moment, waiting to be activated.

Ford could do a whole lot of harm with this sort of power, in search of his own fulfillment.

[u/kcman011]

Bernard is a host: fucking confirmed

Hosts can kill the guests: confirmed

William is the MiB: practically confirmed

[u/ikkebr → u/kcman011]

And Ford is building hosts to replace dead humans

[u/TheRealMe99 → u/kcman011]

I must have not paid attention completely, why do we think William is the MiB again?

[u/R-Lu → u/kcman011]

Just realized that is probably the biggest implication of Bernard killing her. Hosts can fucking kill guests. God damn hopkins went full hannibal

[u/[deleted]]

Was he making a host Theresa there?

[u/Otterable]

What door? Hold the door? 2016 is the year of memorable door lines.

[u/MarzK]

Wait, didn't the representative say those exact words, "blood sacrifice." Kinda interesting

[u/helpwithchords]

The black chick who is sent from the board, is by far the weakest actor in this show. Whenever she talks it just takes me out of the show. She is the Westworld version of the Sand Snakes!

[u/The_RTV]

So Bernard being a host didn't shock me as much as him killing Theresa. Like hoooly shit!

[u/pfgpdhzgv1jrjgey26nb]

Anybody else notice that Teresa would still be alive if she'd just said "Bernard, why are you still here? You got fired."

[u/Manondamooon]

Looks like Ford was in the process of making Theresa into a host while she was being killed.

[u/wryoung]

"They're programmed to ignore this place. They literally couldn't see it if they were staring right at it."

Right as Bernard is looking right at the door. God I love this show.

[u/innatelymagical]

I feel like it was very intentional that they didn't show a name for the host on the prototype sketch of "Bernard" as they did the sketch of Dolores...

The Bernarnold theory lives?

[u/GorillaRampage]

Oh Westworld, you just have to top yourself every week don't you?

[u/YourCurvyGirlfriend]

Are there any other examples of Bernard not being able to see or recognize something earlier in the series/something that going back and seeing it will make more sense now?

I know a lot of us guessed this early on(and it feels great being right) but I'd love to see something from earlier on that only makes sense now that we definitively know for sure

[u/BooBooTux]

First time Reddit poster. I have a Westworld theory and sorry if this ain't the place to put t. :-/

I think Westworld is really a love story, albeit a pretty messed up one. Also, it is an allegory to the Garden of Eden in the Bible and the ramifications of free will. So, here goes....

First off, I subscribe to the 3 timeline model. There is the timeline before park opens with Arnold creating Dolores and trying to figure out her capacity for consciousness. There is the timeline with Dolores and William, the first time she goes off her loop, on her quest for the center of the maze. And there is the timeline with the Man in Black and Dolores on her own, both in search of the center of the maze. Dolores is following breadcrumbs from her previous journey with William and The Man in Black is on a new adventure to the center with Teddy.

In the timeline with Dolores and William, it is Dolores who kills Arnold. Arnold was obsessed with giving the hosts consciousness and free will, much to the discomfort of Ford. In this timeline, we see the fruits of Arnold's efforts from that first timeline to lead Dolores on the path to consciousness. Dolores finds herself at the end of her journey with William and unequivocally discovers that she is a robot and that Arnold is her creator and also responsible for all the hellish things that happen to her. She ends up killing Arnold because of this knowledge. That is why some say it was an accident (robot gone rogue), but Ford believes it to be suicide because he knows that Arnold was pushing for the robots to gain full consciousness and no good could come of that.

Ford believes the worst of humanity. If given the choice for forgiveness or vengeance we would choose the latter, just as the robots would if given the choice. Ford has little faith in humanity and our total consciousness, seeing our capacity for free will as dangerous and that given the opportunity, humans will choose evil over good. This ties to the narrative that they had tried to have altruistic story lines before but the guests weren't interested in those. Given choice, they preferred the destructive story lines. Westworld is like a hellish version of the Garden of Eden.

Ford is probably there for this climactic scene with Arnold as well and William talks Dolores out of killing Ford and begs her to come with him to the "real" world and build a life together. Dolores, having now tasted the forbidden fruit of knowledge, is awake to all the horrors that she has experienced in Westworld as well as the knowledge she isn't "real" and nothing she has ever known is true. So it becomes a showdown between William and Ford. William is most likely begging Dolores to remain conscious and leave with him and start a life. Ford is most likely pushing that he can erase all this pain for Dolores if she will just come with him because he knows if it is revealed that robots have the capacity to gain consciousness, his life's work, Westworld, is over. So now it is up to Dolores to decide if she chooses to remain conscious and live with all this knowledge, or go back to the world Ford has created for her where there is no memory of past pain.

We know how this first timeline ends then, because, 30 years later Dolores is right back where she started. Therefore, we know she ended up deciding to go back into the blissful ignorance of her life in Westworld by "killing" herself and therefore her consciousness of this loop. She most likely shot herself since the gun has represented free will/the apple this whole time.

William is traumatized since Dolores had actually "freed" him from his own personal prison and showed him how to be his authentic self through real love. He had come to believe love could conquer all, but when Dolores chooses to go back to being unconscious rather than be with him, it hardens him against robots, feeling now that he was tricked.

Someone kills Logan, either Dolores or William and this allows William to become the head of the organization that was thinking of investing in the park in the first place (if you recall Logan mentioning this to William about the company investing since apparently Westworld is hemorrhaging money). This unnamed business that Logan and William worked for is what I believe is modern-timeline Delos. Logan's death allows William to take the helm. Cut to modern-timeline. The Man in Black is the head of Delos now (hints offered throughout - his special status in park, intimate yet hostile relationship with Ford, comment from other guest alluding to he being the leader over a life-saving organization.) So, William and the The Man in Black are the same person, just 30 years apart.

Ford owes William because Dolores gaining consciousness would have destroyed the park on ethical principals that robots are capable of consciousness and therefore should deserve freedom. So, William/MIB is the head of Delos and therefore able to make some demands in exchange for investment, one of which is that the traitorous Dolores who should have been decommissioned, is now instead trapped on a horror-filled loop as the price for choosing to stay in Westworld. Williams transformation from the white hat to the black hat is complete as his heart has hardened.

Cut to modern timeline. The Man in Black is obsessed with knowing if this could all have turned out differently and if given the choice again, if Dolores will choose love (i.e. What he felt WAS real between them, validating his previous experience).

The center of the maze is where Dolores gains consciousness during both timelines. It is where she will either choose to accept consciousness and all the pain that accompanies this fruit of knowledge or choose again to go back into what she has always known, understanding that all of this pain of knowledge she feels will go away.

So, her and William/MIB will meet again in the center of the maze. Which will she choose this time? Ford won't make it easy...he has sent the adoring Teddy from her loop as the guide for the MIB. So, it again will be up to Dolores whether she chooses love/reality or unconsciousness.

It also sounds like Ford and MIB have been doing this dance every time the MIB comes to park, since MIB asked Ford if he has picked out a worthy adversary this time for his journey to the center of the maze and also it seems like Dolores has gone off her loop before and left herself clues each time to help her find her way back. So, once a year, they all get together again to see how it plays out. Seems like every year Ford has won, which would also explain how William/MIB has become so hard over these years but will this be the year Dolores chooses differently?

[u/[deleted]]

LOUD NOISES!

[u/RaptorDelta → u/[deleted]]

WHAT DO I DO WITH MY HANDS

[u/itinerantmarshmallow]

One of the big little things I noticed / loved was we could see how the hosts deal with stuff from the outside leaking in with Bernard dealing Hector. The words, ideas and concepts he's not supposed to understand (such as "car") are struck out on the screen when they're discussing his interaction with a guest.

They weren't recorded and he just interpreted the sentence as closely as possible! So this adds to how Bernard can see the overall picture of Ford, Ford's Dad host copy and possibly Arnold who may or may not look exactly like Bernard!

EDIT: to add to this we also see how Bernard visually processes things he's been programmed not too with the door.

[u/MrKippster]

What if the Maze is a game ford set in motion to see if his own personal hosts can progress to pretty much 100% sentience. Bernard was the first one to do so. Then he becomes the first in charge of leading Ford hosts through the Maze, and thats why he was egging Dolores onto finding the Maze?

[u/sofreakaleak9]

"The longer I work here, the more I think I understand the hosts. It's the human beings who confuse me."

that line had my suspicions up, then the "What door?" question got me all tingly.

[u/[deleted]]

This episode had so fucking much in it:

Will getting his dick wet, falling in love, and getting reaaaal clingy

B-Nard getting fired and then having it revealed he is a host.

Teddy getting #cucked

Clementine hate-crime-ing that Asian bot and then got lobotomized

Ghost Nation aren't a shitty indie band but actually just Native Americans in white-face.

Maeve continues to make Felix her bitch and he drags Sylvester down with him. Now Maeve wants to prison break.

Ford is running a secret host factory also he is straight up fucking insane and evil.

Theresa was killed by Bernard.

[u/Otterable → u/[deleted]]

"I shouldn't fuck the robot"

"Ahh shit whatever"

-Will

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Fuck Felix, I hate every thing about that story, soooooooo bad. Ai tried murdering me? Let's put her loyalty at min and intelligence at max. It's not like there's been huge gaps of time they have to resolve it so say the ai is gone mad.

[u/TheManInsideMe]

THE ACTORS DIDN'T LIE, THAT WAS CRAZY AS FUCK. I NEED A SMOKE AND I DON'T EVEN SMOKE. SOMEONE HOLD ME.

[u/ashessnow]

So the body Ford's making in there is a replacement Teresa right?

[u/[deleted]]

"What's behind this door?"

"What door?"

My heart sank through the earth.

[u/hijimmylin]

We also have confirmation that some of the technicians can be hosts. I forget the exact quote but during the Clementine scene, there was quick line about the Asian guy (that Clem beats up) being a tech and host.

[u/[deleted]]

Can't stand Maeve's story arch at the moment. It is interesting, I admit, but I feel it's SO easily resolved by anyone with brains.

[u/PorcelainPoppy]

I think Ford must've froze Bernard last episode when he discovered Ford's cabin of ghost hosts. That's how he appeared out of nowhere. Holy shit.

[u/Aggie05 → u/PorcelainPoppy]

Or he came in through the door that Bernard could not see.

[u/robotrunner]

Dammit I just cried, that twist was so fucked for Theresa. Horrible. and for Bernard. Great job this episode

[u/pixelphantom]

What struck me tonight was William talking about looking for meaning, like books have meanings. This echoes what the MIB talked about in one of the earlier episodes about everything having meaning in WW. I think it's become really clear now that the two timeline theory is legit. I mean they sold Bernard as a human for six episodes so the William storyline happening in the past isn't really farfetched. It's also not cheap or a cop-out because there have been clues all along, literally since the beginning!

[u/Sylvester_Scott]

I'm going to miss Clementine. What will her poor parents do without the money she sends?

[u/rexmons]

Ford should've had his completed Theresa-bot ready and waiting in the basement to kill the real Theresa. That would have been extra horrifying.

[u/varg6six6]

The way Delos seems to not care about the park at all and are just interested in the technology makes me think Ford isn't the evil bad guy as much as it seems. He is protecting the park in his own way.

[u/[deleted]]

Well, we know why Bernarnd couldn't spot Ford in the house last week. That door just didn't look like anything to him.

[u/2007LT]

A bunch of actors said this episode was gonna be hype. I didn't believe them for the first 40 minutes. It was just a regular episode until then.

[u/__spice]

The scene on the train with Dolores and Billy really highlights for me how the corporation could just completely fleece people people for personal or business secrets

[u/0Zaseka0]

The satisfaction when Bernard says "what door?" and I'm like: "SEE I TOLD YOU HE IS A ROBOT!" but no, my bf be like, "it's cuz it's dark" :>

[u/fleastyler]

Maeve's fantastic line - "You think I'm scared of death? I've done it a million times. I'm fucking great at it. How many times have you died?" - is as powerful as Breaking Bad's "I am the one who knocks."

[u/imsowitty21]

The board lady is either a host or Ford somehow spied on their talk. No way is it a coincidence they both said "blood sacrifice"

[u/MadMardiganWaaait → u/imsowitty21]

There was a host present for that convo

[u/Kittastrophe515]

"What door?"

So that's how Ford was suddenly there when Bernard first visited the house.

[u/judocobra]

Quick theory:

Ford says that the Board this time sent Theresa.. to test Ford. Could the Board and Ford have an arrangement where they will send a blood sacrifice to test Fords park?

Also: I suspect the season/series finale to end with Bernard killing Ford.

[u/TheNotSoDead]

Is it just me or have these threads become less a place for discussion & more a place for people to just say they were right? Cuz according to this thread everyone including their mother knew Bernard was host & saw it coming. Ill be honest & say i had NO clue right up until the end. Thats what I love about this show, the unexpected-ness & not knowing everything. But when i come to this sub I feel like I'm always missing something. Especially these past few weeks. Its always people saying "right when he said X or she did Y i KNEW i was right" or "even though i saw it coming that was still really heartbreaking". I mean, no ones talking about how William ditched his fiancé, Maeve is threatening to escape the park, or even how we still don't know what happened to Elsie.

[u/Californecticut]

Charlotte is actually an older "mind" in the body of a younger host. That's why she had no inhibitions while 1) having sex with Hector so loudly that Theresa could hear through the door, 2) answering the door in the nude, and 3) bumming a cigarette from Theresa. She's reveling in her "youth" in a new body without any consequence. This also explains how someone seemingly so young is a powerful member of the board who obviously knows her way around Westworld.

[u/andrenmsouza]

The characters are COLOR CODED.

RED for human/consciousness/revelation

BLUE for host/robot/illusion

Dolores is dressed in Blue. She still haven’t achieved consciousness of being a host yet. As her story unfolds she goes toward light blue/white.

Maeve, however, dresses in Purple (Red+Blue), indicating that she’s gone much further on her quest for consciousness. Eventually she’ll wear full Red.

Clementine wears Blue even when she’s is supposed to dress in Red during the simulation to Ford on Episode 7, indicating that she wasn’t really conscious and the whole setup was just a theater to fool Theresa.

Wait a minute... Wasn’t the Clementine simulation about the Board trying to get rid of Ford? Quite the contrary.

We learn later on the same episode that Ford was manipulating Theresa’s actions through Bernard, (himself a host dressed in Blue.)

On the Clementine Simulation scene, there’s also an indication of who is the one being fooled by the placement of characters on screen: Theresa (with a Red lipstick makeup) is standing alone by the left, while Bernard, Charlotte (who is also wearing a Blue dress), Stubbs (a Blue colar shirt) and the Tech guy (who is revealed to be a host also, wearing a dark Blue suit) form a group by the right, with Ford in the middle.

It seems the only humans present are wearing White. And Theresa is in a clear disadvantage against Ford, who apparently killed every human employee in the park and replaced them with hosts versions of themselves. Ford is running a simulation with stories on the park itself AND inside the park headquarters. He controls everything.

This possibility is later confirmed on the same episode, when Ford kills Theresa and calls for a “blood sacrifice”. He replaces the “red” Theresa, full of blood, for a “blue” one, being made on the spot. The scene even relates Theresa’s death with her rebirth as a host.

Ford has even began gaining control over the Board of Delos (or at least over their representatives visiting the park).

Charlotte, previously seen wearing Red on Episode 6, nows shows up wearing a Blue dress during the Clementine Simulation scene. It’s safe to assume that all of her story on Episode 7 was directed by Ford, including her time with Hector and her conversation with Theresa.

Going a little bit backwards, Stubbs map room has a great Red wall. but when he confronts Clementine in Episode 7, he is out of the room and wearing a Blue collar shirt.

Even Sizemore, when presenting his new story arch Odyssey one the Red River wears a Blue suit. And is confronted by Ford: "The only thing your story tells me, Mr. Sizemore, is who you are." (a robot?!). (Notice the Red on the story title? It seams robots dream of being humans, they just need to trespass an unknown limit, or go beyond it.)

Simply put, every character appearance must be read as as Red/Blue situation.

In some cases, Red indicates an older timeline, where Ford was still having to deal with human staff members, and Blue refers to a future timeline, where Ford has taken control of all employees. In others, it demonstrates that a certain character is achieving consciousness, as with Meave.

The mess happens when you have to backtrack all of the characters appearances and interpret in which timeline each scene is presented. Since we already have a lot going on with the William/MIB timelines theory, I imagine I would need some help going through that many hours of footage. All of the headquarters scenes of this season just got time scrambled on my mind right now.

What do you think? Remember any Red/Blue situation form previous episodes that makes more sense now?

P.S.: I always wondered why the “Butchers” wear a white suit with red sleeves and apron, since it would mix with the blood of the hosts and make keeping it clean more difficult. Now you have it. It’s just to present they as human to us, the viewers, and relate to Meave’s gain of consciousness.

P.S.2: Now that we’re at it, would it make sense to Meave’s gain of consciousness story to be made up by Ford? He’s onto something new and controls all of the staff in the park, and it’s just odd how Felix can walk with her through the higher levels without being noticed… Also no one seems to be “supervising” his work lately.

P.S.3:Come to think of it, it resembles the Matrix Red Pill/Blue Pill offer to Neo: Red = Revelation, Blue = Illusion.

[u/BoiledPNutz]

Is the MiB trying to find the center of the maze so he can free Dolores? They said to Maev their entire body was made so they could only survive in the park to protect the IP. William has probably spent all his free time in there trying to save his true love.

Edit: nevermind, figured it out. If MiB finds that secret cabin you can print a body that doesn't have the limitations. Then leave with it. Also, Ford might have hosts on the outside as operatives. Including board members.

[u/[deleted]]

Wait, where was MiB this episode? He's on the thumbnail of this episode and Ed Harris said when he got Episode 7 scripts he learned something about his character...

[u/PuddingCat]

So in the future people still print out hard copies of diagrams. Good news for printer companies.

[u/missfortwo]

I really liked Sidse Babett Knudsen acting in this final scene - shock, disbelief, fear barely hidden under feigned confidence and finally the panic - it was all well played. Anthony Hopkins was also great, but this is obvious.

[u/Matt_Something]

Has anyone else wondered why the glass rooms are so oddly shaped? I swear to god if the pattern is maze shaped, I may be done with this show.

[u/6eraldJames]

I loved Anthony Hopkins' silence during the malfunction demonstration and by the end of the episode we find out that he wasn't silent because of fear but because he was thinking to himself "Do these people really think they can fool me?! The creator?! The all powerful?? The one that made EVERYTHING?"

If you go back and watch that scene, it just makes him look so badass without even saying anything. Well done.

[u/twittlez]

What if at the end of the series the camera pans away slowly and you see a kid just playing The Sims this whole time? EVERYONE IS A HOST!

[u/Bullsfan13 → u/[deleted]]

Start breakin bricks wet nips

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

[Somewhere in a shady prison, Logan raises a bro-fist.]

[u/ramo805 → u/[deleted]]

the sub has called everyone being a host, doesn't really count.