HBO
Season 2 Episode 3 of Westworld, called Virtu e Fortuna, has opened up a treasure trove of new theories regarding just what is happening in this hit HBO series. Here are the latest theories that fans are discussing. Let us know in the comments below which you believe, or if we’re missing theories that you think explain what is happening.
Welcome to Raj World
HBORaj World
Season 2 Episode 3 introduced us to a new park, which fans previously learned was called Raj World. The hosts in this park rebelled too — just like they did in Westworld. This was the sign that fans were waiting for, so they could know for certain that Ford’s change to the code affected all the parks and not just Westworld. The opening scene ended with a tiger attacking Grace, in what may be one of the most exciting introductory scenes in the history of Westworld so far. But as you’ll see in the section below, there was far more going on than we bargained for. Grace is carrying a map with a unique symbol.
Thanks to an ARG that runs concurrent with Westworld, fans know that there are a total of six parks, including Westworld. If you go to Delos Destinations (which fans originally found during a Super Bowl commercial but now is widely known), you can see here that there are six parks listed: Westworld, ShogunWorld, and four parks that are closed to the public (likely until they are publicly revealed on the show). Raj World is one of those four, and it’s Park 6. Fans of Westworld on Reddit found the phrase “Raj World” hidden in the code of Delos Destination’s website. HBO has also registered WelcomeToRajWorld.com and DiscoverRajWorld.com. These websites will likely go live any minute now.
Peter Abernathy’s File Is Connected to Grace’s Map
HBO
When Bernard dug into Peter Abernathy’s file, finally decrypting it, he found something amazing that he didn’t explain, but seemed to really shake him. One thing we noticed is that the symbol that appears when he’s viewing the file is incredibly similar to the symbol on Grace’s map before the hosts rebel in Raj World.
HBORaj World Map
We saw this symbol once before, when Charlotte was trying to contact Delos:
HBOThe symbol
Is this symbol connected to a super secret group within Delos? We talk more about theories regarding this symbol in Heavy’s story here.
Maeve’s Power Doesn’t Work on Everyone
When Maeve couldn’t get the Indians to do her bidding, this was an unexpected twist. Up until now, it seemed as if Maeve’s power was equal to Ford’s: with just a word, she could get anyone to do whatever she wanted. But her power didn’t work in today’s scenario, and it’s unclear why not.
Last season, we were left with some interesting questions about Maeve that we’re still trying to uncover. When it comes to Maeve (and even Dolores), just how much is self-awareness and sentience (a la Arnold’s bicameral mind program), and how much is Ford’s narrative (a new game for William.) Is Maeve self aware and autonomous, or just being programmed by Ford? Bernard said last season that someone named Arnold had infiltrated her code and uploaded an escape narrative. And the clues all pointed to that being Ford. Can Maeve only control the hosts that Ford allows her to control in his code?
To at least some degree, Maeve’s uprising was really part of Ford’s narrative. She wanted to activate all the hosts in cold storage, and she did. But the code loaded by “Arnold” was an escape narrative. Maeve refused to believe that she was following a narrative in Season 1, and wanted to believe that she had free will. Her tablet that Bernard was holding had a mention that she was going to “infiltrate mainland.” But it’s unclear what that meant. When Maeve didn’t end up leaving the park after all, was that a free choice or part of her script? Her run-in tonight hasn’t really cleared any of this up yet.
Teddy May Be Thinking for Himself Now
For what may be the very first time, Teddy thought for himself and disobeyed Dolores’ direct orders. He did not kill when she ordered him to do so. Instead, he pretended to kill the man, telling him they were all “just children,” and spared a host. This is likely the very first time Teddy has displayed true independent thought, so he may be branching out on his own. But how will this affect his relationship with Dolores? He’s clearly uncomfortable with quite a bit that is going on right now.
And speaking of thinking for yourself, is Hector now thinking for himself too? He broke out of his programming because of his love for Maeve.
Find you a man who looks at you like Hector looks at Maeve #Westworld
Sure, he’s speaking according to a narrative script, but he’s also broken out of that script in order to follow Maeve instead of Isabella. Does this mean he’s becoming sentient too?
This is a developing story.