What Is Going on in ‘Westworld’ Season 2? 3 Theories That Might Explain It

With Westworld’s second season quickly winding down, I can’t help but feel like we’re being left with more questions than answers. Sure, the show still has three more episodes to clear things up, but considering how Season 1 wrapped, I wouldn’t be surprised if Season 2 also ends on a huge cliffhanger.

That being said, there are a few popular fan theories out there that might help explain exactly what’s going on in Westworld Season 2. Here are three of the best theories out there, which will hopefully be confirmed (or proven wrong) in the next few weeks.

Spoiler Warning: Stop reading now if you’re not caught up on Westworld Season 2 or you don’t want a potential big twist ruined for you ahead of time

B = T (Bernard = Teddy)

This is a popular fan theory that’s been floating around ever since we saw Teddy’s dead Host body floating in the water at the start of Season 2. Combine that with Bernard’s weird behavior in the show’s near-future timeline (more on that here if you need a refresher) and you’ve got yourself an interesting theory.

The basic idea is that Teddy transferred his Host brain into Bernard’s robot body at some point in between the two Season 2 timelines (possibly with Dolores’ help). There’s a lot of evidence to back this up, including matching clothing and a few key lines of dialogue. For a more detailed look at this theory, check out The Ringer’s excellent breakdown.

The real question, of course, is what any of this might actually mean for the plot. If Teddy really is controlling the Bernard Host then there’s probably some secret plan to have him turn on his old co-workers at the exact right moment. It’s possible that’s exactly what he did in episode 7 when he told Delos executive Charlotte Hale where to go if she wants the information that Dolores stole in the form of Peter Abernathy’s Host brain. Is Bernard/Teddy leading Charlotte into a trap? My gut says yes.

Then again, the fact that Ford is now controlling Bernard does cast some doubt on this entire theory. Wouldn’t Ford immediately notice that he was talking to Teddy when they first met in The Cradle? It’s possible the show’s creators have some sort of explanation, but this is a key sticking point if it turns out that the B = T theory turns out to be true.

Bernard’s “son” Charlie is actually Charlotte Hale

Here’s another theory that’s been gaining steam [for a while now)(https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/11/westworld-who-is-charlotte-hale-host-arnolds-daughter-charlotte-is-charlie-williams-daughter). What if Bernard’s memories of his dead son Charlie aren’t as true as we thought? The show previously implied that Ford used Arnold’s actual experience of losing a child to serve as the cornerstone for Bernard’s Host consciousness, but that could be a lie.

In that case, Arnold’s kid is still alive. So what if he actually had a daughter named Charlotte? If her father invented the Hosts, that would explain why a young Charlotte Hale was able to quickly rise through the ranks of a major corporation like Delos. It would also make for a great reveal, and a nice bit of good news for Bernard after a particularly tough season.

The similarities in their names feels a little too obvious, but I still wouldn’t rule this one out entirely. The real issue is why Charlotte doesn’t recognize Bernard as a perfect copy of her dead father Arnold. Either her character is an extremely good actor or she’s somehow never seen a picture of her dad. If this theory turns out to be true then I’m guessing Charlotte also has something to hide and that’s why she’s kept quiet about her connection to Bernard, but what that might be is anyone’s guess.

The Man in Black is a Host

Of all the possible big Season 2 twists this one seems like it’s the most likely to come true.

There’s been plenty of evidence already that William (played by Ed Harris in the present and Jimmy Simpson in the past) is actually a robot. If you think about it, The Man in Black has been playing out a narrative loop of his own for years as he searched through Westworld for a solution to the maze. However, what may really give it away is William’s conversation with his daughter in Episode 7, in which he inaccurately remembered her being afraid of elephants and then responded in a weird, almost Host-like manner when she corrected him.

The real question here is when exactly William became a Host? Did he die during the rebellion at the end of Season 1 only to be replaced with a robot version of himself? Or did this happen years before the show’s central timeline even started? It’s also worth asking if he’s a regular Host, or a perfected version of the human consciousness in a Host body that didn’t quite work out for James Delos.

I’m not sure we’ll get an answer to all those questions by the end of Season 2, but hopefully we’ll at least learn once and for all who (or what) the Man in Black really is.