In times like these, it’s good to have something to take our minds off current events. Fortunately, Season 3 of Westworld is a wonderful diversion, at least for me. Westworld has always offered up puzzle-like plots, and this season has already given us plenty of mysteries to be solved. Here are my thoughts on several of them.
What is Rehoboam?
Episode 1, titled “Parce Domine,” begins with Delores in her new “Wyatt” mode. She’s still waging war on the human race, but in Season 3, she’s doing it with style. I love how she enacted her revenge on Jerry, one of the Delos investors (who raped her as a guest when she was a Westworld host). She took over his security system, stole most of his money, and then used his memories, which Delos recorded at the park and Delores downloaded into her memory core, to torture him before he met a fittingly violent end. But more than revenge, she wanted data he stole from a tech company called Incite.
We later learn that Incite created a massive AI called Rehoboam. One Youtube reviewer even pointed out that the system looks like a gigantic version of the host’s memory cores. Rehoboam runs an algorithm that appears to control much of society in the year 2058. As Rehoboam’s creator believed, “if you could chart a course for every single person, then you could make the world a better place.”
Later we learn that Delores, using a fake identity, is dating Incite’s CEO, Liam Dempsey, Jr. And we also learn that she’s accessed Rehoboam. As one character tells Liam, “We think someone may have acquired access to Rehoboam. A level of sophistication we haven’t seen before. It’s like someone is testing the system.”
By the episode’s end, it’s revealed that Delores has replaced one of the top men in Incite, Martin Connells, with a host. Although we don’t yet know which host’s memory core resides in his head. But the larger mystery is what Rehoboam really does. Apparently, not even Liam knows. As he tells Delores, “No one knows what the system is doing. Other than its original architect.”
That system architect (revealed to be a man named Serac), will likely become a major antagonist in Season 3. But, again, the biggest question posed by this episode is: What does Delores want to do with Rehoboam? The answer is hard to guess right now because we don’t even know what the system really does. But her dialogue with Cornells late in the episode made her motive crystal clear:
“You were free. You had no God. But you tried to build one. Only that thing you built isn’t God. Real gods are coming, and they are very angry.”
You have to love the dialogue in Westworld!
Is Delos Linked to Incite?
You knew that “host” Charlotte was going to exert her will over Delos Corp., and she does so in episode one. While we don’t know which host’s memory core resides in her head, Charlotte Hale is now the acting CEO of Delos and wants to resume host production. I doubt the reason is to reopen the parks, and perhaps the real goal is to create “host” versions of prominent humans who visited the park. This, however, sounds a lot like the plot of Futureworld — the sequel to Crichton’s 1973 movie, Westworld — though I wonder if the show’s writers would so obviously go there. Another guess is that Delos has something to do with Incite. Which begs the question: Is there a connection between the two companies?
My guess is that there was some connection between Dr. Ford and the mysterious architect of Rehoboam. But only time will tell.
Why Does Bernard Have That Button?
Was it just me, or did all the Bernard scenes remind you of Marvel’s remake of the Incredible Hulk with Edward Norton? Bernard is a fugitive working in a meatpacking plant under the name Armand Delgado. But he has this button that allows him to switch from Delgado to “Bernard” whenever he presses it.
First, he uses it to perform a self-diagnostic to analyze whether anyone — especially Delores — has tampered with or altered his code in the last 24 hours. Even then, he’s distrustful of the answers he receives and is worried that his internal system may be lying to him.
Later, he uses the button to switch from Banner, err, Delgado, to a Hulk-like Bernard when threatened by two of his co-workers. Charlotte has pinned the park massacre on Bernard, so now there’s a bounty on his head, and Bernard’s co-workers want to claim it. When Bernard pushes the button, he mutters to himself, “please don’t hurt them too badly.” Then, like the Hulk, he hurts them quite badly. Even more, as soon as the fight’s over, he pushes the button again. Back to Delgado.
Finally, we see him trying to return to Westworld, although we don’t know why. Regardless, I’m glad that this season, which looked like it would mostly take place in the real world, is returning to the parks. And I’m sure as Bernard’s story continues, we’ll learn a lot more about the reason behind that mysterious button.
What Happened to Maeve?
When we last saw Maeve, she was shot to death outside the Valley Beyond. But her friend Felix was close by, and I had no doubt she’d be repaired. What I didn’t expect was to have her wake up in Natziworld. That post-credit scene was mind-blowing, and I cannot fathom how she got there.
Certainly, Felix wouldn’t have put her there, for she seems to be in quite a bit of trouble. I can’t wait for the answer to this question. And I’m dying to know if she still has the superpowers that Ford imbued her with that let her control the other hosts.
Is Everything As It Seems?
The first two seasons of Westworld ended up involving multiple timelines, and half the fun of the show was unraveling which events took place at which times. But this episode appeared to follow a linear timeline. I suppose it’s possible the scenes with Charlotte or Bernard could be occurring in a different time than Delores’ scenes. Yet my gut tells me that’s not the case this time around.
But that doesn’t mean that everything is as it seems. In fact, some of the dialogue mid-episode suggests there may be much more going on in this “real” world.
It’s the scene where Delores is talking with Liam’s friends at the party. Then, one of his drunken friends says something that may be a huge clue for Season 3:
“None of this is real. I’m serious, we’re living in a simulation.”
So, has Rehoboam created a Matrix-like reality in the “real” world? That seems pretty extreme, and I highly doubt the show’s writers would ripoff such a popular film. But you can’t tell me these lines were there for the heck of it. My bet is they mean something — and it will be fun watching as the show delves deeper into this mystery!
All this, and I haven’t even mentioned Jesse Caleb. He promises to be a major character this season, and my guess is that he’s the wild card Delores never expected. But there will be many more blogs to explore how he fits into Westworld.
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