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'Westworld' Debunks One Major Theory, But Supports Another

'Westworld' Debunks One Major Theory, But Supports Another
HBO
HBO

Everyone’s favorite violent delight likely came to a violent end on Sunday’s episode of “Westworld.”

Until now, one of the most popular theories about the show claims that William (Jimmi Simpson) and the Man in Black (Ed Harris) are the same person. According to the theory, we’re watching two different timelines at once, 30 years apart.

In one timeline, we supposedly see William entering the park for the first time and may witness the tragic event that once happened there. In the other, we see William, presumably now the Man in Black, trying to discover the secrets of the park.

As support, fans point out that the hosts don’t age, so they could look exactly the same 30 years apart, while William would look older.

It’s fun to think about ― and showrunner Jonathan Nolan is known for projects involving unreliable narrators and misdirection ― however, Sunday night’s episode, “Dissonance Theory,” may have finally shot it down.

On the show, we see Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood) reach the town where the Man in Black previously killed a little girl’s mother. (The little girl who shared the next clue about a mysterious maze in the park.)

When Dolores meets that same little girl, she appears pretty motherless and alone.

HBO

This scene strongly suggests that there’s only one timeline. The Man in Black is probably just the Man in Black. William is probably just William. This little girl probably doesn’t have a mother anymore.

Of course, the little girl does end up disappearing while Dolores zones out. Was Dolores just remembering an encounter with the girl from 30 years ago?

You can still make the argument that there are different timelines, but it keeps getting flimsier and flimsier.

Another theory did get more evidence, though. According to some fans, and previously discussed on HuffPost, Bernard (Jeffrey Wright) might be a robot.

As the episode opened, Bernard talks with Dolores about the loss of her parents, saying he can take her pain away. Dolores replies, “Why would I want that? Pain, their loss, is all I have left of them.”

What’s cray about this is Bernard said almost those exact words in a previous episode when talking about the loss of his son.

Bernard asks, “Did we write that for you?”

“In part,” she replies. “I adapted it from a scripted dialogue about love.”

Uh, sure you did.

Ladies and gentlemen, the face you make when you realize you’re a robot:

Oh, shiz!
HBO
Oh, shiz!

We feel you, bruh.

Now, just because Bernard and Dolores seem to have the same exact thoughts about loss doesn’t “prove” Bernard isn’t human. Ford (Anthony Hopkins) knows everything that happens in the park, so perhaps he gave that phrase to Dolores to mess with Bernard.

From Ford’s meeting in the episode with the head of quality assurance, Theresa Cullen (Sidse Babett Knudsen), in which he makes a large part of the park basically freeze (and freaks us the heck out), it’s clear he likes to show people he’s in control. Perhaps this is another example.

Or maybe Bernard is a robot. Yeah, we’ll go with that.