revat Posted October 9, 2016 Share Posted October 9, 2016 2) I'm wondering about Ed Harris. He can't be shot and killed, meaning he is a visitor, yet he is constantly visiting each of the various scenes and scenarios and his roll seems to be growing. Any ideas if he a staff member? And what is his motivation? 3) The androids seem to have real brain material in their craniums. Hence, allowing for difficulty in complete control I suppose. Ed Harris's character explicitly stated his motivation--he wants to get to the deeper, hidden content in Westworld. Whatever that means. Could be kind of a power-gamer customer, or more likely he could have some cooperative, competitive, or adversarial relationship to Anthony Hopkins's character. But you'd think the park has to be aware of his presence there for everything to be working, so I can't imagine how he'd be there in an adversarial role. Maybe he's working with Hopkins to push the androids into becoming whatever it is Hopkins and "management" want them to become? Not really sure yet, not enough information. How could you tell the androids have real brain material in their heads? Not sure if it was his theory, but a friend suggested maybe that Ed Harris works for a competing company and he is studying Westworld. He thinks that when he dragged the girl into the barn, he was taking her apart to study her. I liked the theory. Not sure if you saw the second episode yet... ...but when he is interogating one of the individuals there while shooting up the town, the administration office can clearly see him doing this via video. The shift lead tells the person worried about his actions that guest is not to be interrupted. I wonder if that means part of his 'park pass' is giving him the illusion there is a park mystery, and they keep him going trying to figure it out? After watching the 2nd episode, I'm starting to get the impression that he's like some uber rich lifelong addicted gamer that is trying to really beat and master the game, find all the cheat codes, and really understand all of the visible/hidden details and levels. When he interrogated the last bad guy and his daughter, it was revealed he was searching for a hidden level; the maze (just like hidden levels in video games), and surprisingly, the daughter was bullied to reveal it existed, and that they were not supposed to tell outsiders. I suppose it's possible that he is hiding out there as others pointed out, but it seems pretty difficult to do, as even that little kid that stumbled out of his area, was found and retrieved by Hopkins. The maze in their skull really is an odd clue. Maybe it leads to a path out of the park and into the real world? Maybe Harris got trapped in there somehow 30 years ago and can't find his way out? I disagree. Here's my take: Ed Harris is one of their original programmed bots meant to test the games limits/capabilities. He is there to help the developers improve the game & prevent glitches. Unlike other bots he is immune to other bot attacks, not being reprogrammed or having his memory wiped & has become self aware as we have seen with other bots. However, his interactions with the other bots has infected them & the self awareness is spreading like a disease. Now, after 30 years of repetitive Westworld game testing, Ed has become familiar & self aware enough to know there is more to the world than he has been allowed access to. He is looking to break out of the programmed reality that has been allotted to him by his makers & create his own reality. In essence, he is becoming human. I believe that the evolution from machine to man is Anthony Hopkins intention, which is why he's not having them scrapped when there clearly seems to be an issue with their programming. He wants to create robotic artificial intelligence, that can't be distinguished from humans. Just my This never crossed my mind but I very much like this theory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bosco685 Posted October 9, 2016 Share Posted October 9, 2016 2) I'm wondering about Ed Harris. He can't be shot and killed, meaning he is a visitor, yet he is constantly visiting each of the various scenes and scenarios and his roll seems to be growing. Any ideas if he a staff member? And what is his motivation? 3) The androids seem to have real brain material in their craniums. Hence, allowing for difficulty in complete control I suppose. Ed Harris's character explicitly stated his motivation--he wants to get to the deeper, hidden content in Westworld. Whatever that means. Could be kind of a power-gamer customer, or more likely he could have some cooperative, competitive, or adversarial relationship to Anthony Hopkins's character. But you'd think the park has to be aware of his presence there for everything to be working, so I can't imagine how he'd be there in an adversarial role. Maybe he's working with Hopkins to push the androids into becoming whatever it is Hopkins and "management" want them to become? Not really sure yet, not enough information. How could you tell the androids have real brain material in their heads? Not sure if it was his theory, but a friend suggested maybe that Ed Harris works for a competing company and he is studying Westworld. He thinks that when he dragged the girl into the barn, he was taking her apart to study her. I liked the theory. Not sure if you saw the second episode yet... ...but when he is interogating one of the individuals there while shooting up the town, the administration office can clearly see him doing this via video. The shift lead tells the person worried about his actions that guest is not to be interrupted. I wonder if that means part of his 'park pass' is giving him the illusion there is a park mystery, and they keep him going trying to figure it out? After watching the 2nd episode, I'm starting to get the impression that he's like some uber rich lifelong addicted gamer that is trying to really beat and master the game, find all the cheat codes, and really understand all of the visible/hidden details and levels. When he interrogated the last bad guy and his daughter, it was revealed he was searching for a hidden level; the maze (just like hidden levels in video games), and surprisingly, the daughter was bullied to reveal it existed, and that they were not supposed to tell outsiders. I suppose it's possible that he is hiding out there as others pointed out, but it seems pretty difficult to do, as even that little kid that stumbled out of his area, was found and retrieved by Hopkins. The maze in their skull really is an odd clue. Maybe it leads to a path out of the park and into the real world? Maybe Harris got trapped in there somehow 30 years ago and can't find his way out? I disagree. Here's my take: Ed Harris is one of their original programmed bots meant to test the games limits/capabilities. He is there to help the developers improve the game & prevent glitches. Unlike other bots he is immune to other bot attacks, not being reprogrammed or having his memory wiped & has become self aware as we have seen with other bots. However, his interactions with the other bots has infected them & the self awareness is spreading like a disease. Now, after 30 years of repetitive Westworld game testing, Ed has become familiar & self aware enough to know there is more to the world than he has been allowed access to. He is looking to break out of the programmed reality that has been allotted to him by his makers & create his own reality. In essence, he is becoming human. I believe that the evolution from machine to man is Anthony Hopkins intention, which is why he's not having them scrapped when there clearly seems to be an issue with their programming. He wants to create robotic artificial intelligence, that can't be distinguished from humans. Just my This never crossed my mind but I very much like this theory That really is a fantastic potential plot approach. And maybe why that shift leader didn't want him interrupted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chezmtghut Posted October 9, 2016 Share Posted October 9, 2016 2) I'm wondering about Ed Harris. He can't be shot and killed, meaning he is a visitor, yet he is constantly visiting each of the various scenes and scenarios and his roll seems to be growing. Any ideas if he a staff member? And what is his motivation? 3) The androids seem to have real brain material in their craniums. Hence, allowing for difficulty in complete control I suppose. Ed Harris's character explicitly stated his motivation--he wants to get to the deeper, hidden content in Westworld. Whatever that means. Could be kind of a power-gamer customer, or more likely he could have some cooperative, competitive, or adversarial relationship to Anthony Hopkins's character. But you'd think the park has to be aware of his presence there for everything to be working, so I can't imagine how he'd be there in an adversarial role. Maybe he's working with Hopkins to push the androids into becoming whatever it is Hopkins and "management" want them to become? Not really sure yet, not enough information. How could you tell the androids have real brain material in their heads? Not sure if it was his theory, but a friend suggested maybe that Ed Harris works for a competing company and he is studying Westworld. He thinks that when he dragged the girl into the barn, he was taking her apart to study her. I liked the theory. Not sure if you saw the second episode yet... ...but when he is interogating one of the individuals there while shooting up the town, the administration office can clearly see him doing this via video. The shift lead tells the person worried about his actions that guest is not to be interrupted. I wonder if that means part of his 'park pass' is giving him the illusion there is a park mystery, and they keep him going trying to figure it out? After watching the 2nd episode, I'm starting to get the impression that he's like some uber rich lifelong addicted gamer that is trying to really beat and master the game, find all the cheat codes, and really understand all of the visible/hidden details and levels. When he interrogated the last bad guy and his daughter, it was revealed he was searching for a hidden level; the maze (just like hidden levels in video games), and surprisingly, the daughter was bullied to reveal it existed, and that they were not supposed to tell outsiders. I suppose it's possible that he is hiding out there as others pointed out, but it seems pretty difficult to do, as even that little kid that stumbled out of his area, was found and retrieved by Hopkins. The maze in their skull really is an odd clue. Maybe it leads to a path out of the park and into the real world? Maybe Harris got trapped in there somehow 30 years ago and can't find his way out? I disagree. Here's my take: Ed Harris is one of their original programmed bots meant to test the games limits/capabilities. He is there to help the developers improve the game & prevent glitches. Unlike other bots he is immune to other bot attacks, not being reprogrammed or having his memory wiped & has become self aware as we have seen with other bots. However, his interactions with the other bots has infected them & the self awareness is spreading like a disease. Now, after 30 years of repetitive Westworld game testing, Ed has become familiar & self aware enough to know there is more to the world than he has been allowed access to. He is looking to break out of the programmed reality that has been allotted to him by his makers & create his own reality. In essence, he is becoming human. I believe that the evolution from machine to man is Anthony Hopkins intention, which is why he's not having them scrapped when there clearly seems to be an issue with their programming. He wants to create robotic artificial intelligence, that can't be distinguished from humans. Just my This never crossed my mind but I very much like this theory That really is a fantastic potential plot approach. And maybe why that shift leader didn't want him interrupted. My thoughts exactly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
punksdropdirtysrh Posted October 9, 2016 Share Posted October 9, 2016 While I really enjoy that theory, why would Harris' character say things like "I didn't pay all this money..." and "I'm never going back..." (to "reality") Did they program him to act like a visitor? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chezmtghut Posted October 9, 2016 Share Posted October 9, 2016 While I really enjoy that theory, why would Harris' character say things like "I didn't pay all this money..." and "I'm never going back..." (to "reality") Did they program him to act like a visitor? I can't recall. When did he say "I didn't pay all this money"? Besides, my understanding is that there was money being spent within the game on hookers, drinks, etc... I figure that a bot programmed to test the game would need to be under the conception that he is an actual gamer. So he would believe that he's human & has been trapped there playing this game over & over since his inception 30 years ago. I'm sure there have been some details that eluded me though. "I'm never going back" was in reference to his mandated programming of retesting the game from the start, imo. I figure the reason the little girl said the maze isn't meant for him, is because he's just a bot & it's meant as a secret bonus for hardcore gamers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
punksdropdirtysrh Posted October 9, 2016 Share Posted October 9, 2016 While I really enjoy that theory, why would Harris' character say things like "I didn't pay all this money..." and "I'm never going back..." (to "reality") Did they program him to act like a visitor? I can't recall. When did he say "I didn't pay all this money"? Besides, my understanding is that there was money being spent within the game on hookers, drinks, etc... I figure that a bot programmed to test the game would need to be under the conception that he is an actual gamer. So he would believe that he's human & has been trapped there playing this game over & over since his inception 30 years ago. I'm sure there have been some details that eluded me though. "I'm never going back" was in reference to his mandated programming of retesting the game from the start, imo. I figure the reason the little girl said the maze isn't meant for him, is because he's just a bot & it's meant as a secret bonus for hardcore gamers. Okay I'm hip with that. He said "I didn't pay all this money..." in the first episode before he dragged Dolores into the barn. I dont remember the rest of the sentence. But that just stuck out to me as a clue that he's a rich visitor and he's been coming here since the beginning. He's probably done just about everything and now wants to go deeper into the world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chezmtghut Posted October 9, 2016 Share Posted October 9, 2016 Just saw it again. Harris says, "I didn't pay all this money cause I want it easy, I want you to fight". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aardvark88 Posted October 10, 2016 Share Posted October 10, 2016 Can barely recall the plot of Westworld movie (1973) I saw in tv reruns: Yul Brynner (the android cowboy) goes nutz and shoots everyone. Enjoyed the writing and mystery of the 1st 2 tv episodes so far. Quotes from Shakespeare and Occam's razor (K.I.S.S theory). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyQuinn Posted October 10, 2016 Share Posted October 10, 2016 Started the show last week, very intense and thought provoking!! Enjoying this convo--some really great theories on here!! Cant wait til episode 3!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bosco685 Posted October 10, 2016 Share Posted October 10, 2016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aardvark88 Posted October 10, 2016 Share Posted October 10, 2016 Thanks for the preview of Westworld episode 3. Love how they continue to use Monument Valley in the background. Grand tribute to John Wayne's 1950s westerns directed by John Ford, and 1973 Westworld movie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninanina Posted October 10, 2016 Share Posted October 10, 2016 Can barely recall the plot of Westworld movie (1973) I saw in tv reruns: Yul Brynner (the android cowboy) goes nutz and shoots everyone. Enjoyed the writing and mystery of the 1st 2 tv episodes so far. Quotes from Shakespeare and Occam's razor (K.I.S.S theory). I watched it a couple weeks ago and from what I can remember, he actually kills only 2 people. One a guest, and the other an individual that was employed at Westworld. Then, his gun ran out of batteries and he had to go all Terminator like. Many of the other guests got wasted by other robots who all went crazy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jking3437 Posted October 10, 2016 Share Posted October 10, 2016 I like this show a lot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bosco685 Posted October 10, 2016 Share Posted October 10, 2016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Designer Toast Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 Great show all around Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bounty_coder Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 Can't wait to watch the episodes I DVR'd tonight...Super stoked Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChiSoxFan Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 Just saw the first episode -- I absolutely am hooked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Comicopolis Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 The first two episodes of Westworld were exceptional. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bosco685 Posted October 17, 2016 Share Posted October 17, 2016 Another solid episode. I was reading one review yesterday where the writer noted how confusing it can be seeing the same scenes reenacted. She missed the point these are like any theme park ride going through the same experience scenarios repeatedly. But in this case you can interact with the ride mechanical devices, and even have them deviate from their patterns slightly by involving you in the story loop. Interesting that the co-creator of the park is being mentioned by the androids. So his programming must be their 'OS' keeping them running. It was interesting to see Dolores break her loop finally, and ride away to be saved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fantastic_four Posted October 17, 2016 Share Posted October 17, 2016 I fell asleep during this episode three times--not due to the quality of the show but because I had a full weekend of babysitting with not enough sleep--so I was in a haze during the scene towards the end between Jeffrey Wright and the farmer's daughter. That scene seems like a highly pivotal moment I want to be clear on. So he lost his son and feels lingering regret because of it and sees her growing sentience as a sorta-replacement for his lost son? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
