'Westworld' finale had a huge surprise waiting for theory-happy fans
About 30 minutes into last week's season finale of "Westworld," I tweeted: "I'm trying to figure out if there was a narrative/thematic point to making all of #Westworld's twists obvious."
An hour later I discovered the answer was a resounding "yes." (Spoilers from here on.)
Most of the popular online fan theories about HBO's adaptation of Michael Crichton's 1972 film, about a Wild West theme park populated by robotic "hosts," proved to be true:
• Bernard (Geoffrey Wright), the park's quiet, focused programmer, turned out to be a host whose personality and appearance were based on the park's deceased co-founder, a man known only as Arnold.
• The show has been presenting multiple timelines and, consequently, the young, good-hearted William (Jimmi Simpson) and the old, coldblooded killer called the Man in Black (Ed Harris) are finally revealed to be the same person.
• Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood), an innocent rancher's daughter who begins to realize something isn't right with her world, was revealed to also be the ruthless Wyatt, a legendary gunslinger who mowed down an entire village.
But while the internet was busy solving these riddles, former Barrington resident Jonathan Nolan and his fellow writers were springing a trap we never saw coming.
About halfway through the season, Westworld's saloon madam, Maeve (Thandie Newton), emerged as the central character. Her robotic brain began to retain the memories that are supposed to be wiped after every day in the park. She appeared to become self-aware, altering her programming to become more intelligent and plotting her escape. That escape, aided by smoldering outlaw Hector (Rodrigo Santoro) and tattooed terminator Armistice (Ingrid Boldo Berdal), was "Westworld's" most exciting sequence yet. Here, finally, was a large-scale action scene where real lives - not just robots who can hit reset - were at stake.
But Maeve learned from Bernard that her new normal was, much like her theme-park existence, a lie - she was programmed to rebel against her captors. And when we the audience realized who did it, why he did it, and what it meant, we knew what it must feel like for a host to discover its true nature.
The season's final sequence, in which park founder Robert Ford (Anthony Hopkins) introduces his new narrative for the hosts and defies conniving executive Charlotte (Tessa Thompson) and her plans to take over Westworld, made up for the frustration of the previous few episodes that leaned on heavy exposition and unsatisfying answers. Much like Sawyer in "Lost," which remains "Westworld's" closest progenitor, Ford and show co-creator Nolan were playing a long con. Sawyer's cons didn't always work; this one worked spectacularly.
Post-credits sequence aside, "Westworld" could end here and be a satisfying 10-hour experience. But it won't - HBO greenlit a second season on Nov. 14. Where do we go from here? Will there be a war for control of the park? Whose side will William choose? Is Dolores a force of good or evil?
Profound and pretentious in equal measure, "Westworld" blurs the line between reality and artifice, and poses existential questions. This season's journey wasn't always pleasant, but some of its destinations were breathtaking. I anxiously await Season 2's new adventures.
Unfortunately, we may have to wait until 2018 thanks to the production's scheduling and logistical problems. Thankfully, we'll have Saul Goodman, Tyrion Lannister and a new season of "Fargo" to tide us over.
• Sean Stangland is a Daily Herald multiplatform editor. You can follow him on Twitter at @SeanStanglandDH.