Fan theories are nothing new to the internet, but it has been somewhat unusual to see the sheer number of thinkpieces popping up around “Westworld.” HBO‘s hit sci-fi series will only get to the halfway mark of its first season this Sunday, but that hasn’t stopped the flood of speculation about the identity of Arnold; which human characters might actually be robots; and much, much more. And it seems fans have been doing a pretty good job at putting the puzzle pieces together.
“There are a lot of theories out there, and with some of them, I’ve been very impressed with how they’ve constructed the guesses. I’ll just say, they’re getting close,” HBO President Of Programming Casey Bloys told Variety.
Co-creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy have certainly conceived a very engaging world with plenty of mystery, but if there’s no payoff, it doesn’t mean much. But Bloys promises by season’s end, viewers will be quite happy.
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“All I would say is, it’s a very satisfying end. I think questions will be answered. I love reading the fan theories online. I think it’s great the way people have engaged. I’m just pleased to see the reception from an engagement point of view, and that it has started all of these conversations. I think people will get the answers they’re looking for by the end of season one. A lot of the ones that people are buzzing about,” Bloys said.
However, he also says that the show will focus just as much on character, too. “I think a lot of the fans are engaging with Dolores and Maeve specifically, and so from an emotional point of view, I think that will grow, in terms of those characters’ journeys. And from a mystery point of view and a story point of view, I think you will get — I don’t know if ‘answers’ is the right word, but maybe it’s ‘satisfaction.’ You’ll see how Ford and the Man in Black play out by the end, story-wise,” he added.
But, for all the excitement “Westworld” has brought to the small screen, the show hasn’t yet been renewed for season two, but it’s looking good.
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“I want to get a very complete picture of the ratings, which seem to be doing very well, so we’re happy with that. [The executive producers are] going to talk to us about what they envision a second season being. But right now I would say it’s looking really good. We’re very pleased with how it’s doing,” Bloys added.
“Westworld” returns on Sunday with episode five, “Contrapasso.” Check out the trailer and new images below.
