‘Westworld’: The Biggest Questions Heading Into Season 2

Back in the winter of 2016, HBI introduced television fans around the globe to Westworld, the sexy and thought-provoking sci-fi series about a theme park made up of android hosts who are on a journey to self-discovery.

Just about every episode of the first season was filled of twists and turns. It was hard to tell who was a human and who was a host, or which timeline you were watching at any given moment. Every reveal brought satisfaction, along with about 13 more questions that needed answering.

There was little closure to be had in the finale, which ended with the now-sentient Dolores shooting park creator Robert Ford in the head, and beginning a massacre in the middle of the park. The hosts have awakened, thanks to Maeve, and they’ve started killing all of the human guests in attendance.

As you’d expect, that action-packed finale left us with about a million questions for the second season. A year and a half later, on the day of the Season 2 premiere, here are seven of those questions that are still burning in the backs of our minds.

Who Survived the Massacre?

Of course, the first question on all of our minds heading into the new season revolved around that cliffhanger finale. 

Who’s even still alive?!

It’s pretty safe to say that most of the hosts made it out, considering they had the upper hand. But what about Bernard, for instance? We know he’s a host, but no one else does. Could that come back to haunt him?

There’s also the issue of The Man in Black (aka Old William) to consider. At the end of the finale, William encountered a group of dangerous hosts charging toward Sweetwater. He probably escaped, but at what cost?

Is Ford Dead?

We saw Robert Ford take a bullet to the head. In most shows that would count as a pretty automatic death.

However, we know that Westworld is a completely different beast.

Let’s remember, Ford is the man who created a literal copy of his business partner, turned him into a functioning android, and hired him to run the park without anyone knowing he wasn’t an actual human being. There’s totally a chance that Ford prepared for his death.

Whether he uploaded his consciousness to a host or made another version of himself, it’s worth wondering whether or not Ford is really out of the picture.

Who Is in Charge?

At this point, is anyone even in charge of Westworld?

The now-dead Ford was running the park, but the board was going to replace him after the event that ended up becoming the Sweetwater massacre. The deaths of multiple board members made everything a lot more complicated.

Bernard is stuck in the middle of a massacre, and he doesn’t really even know who he is, so he’s not running things. Dolores is sort of in charge of the hosts but she can’t give orders to the Delos employees. 

Anyone with any ounce of power was at Sweetwater. There’s no telling who could be running things at this point.

Where Is Westworld?

This question has lingered since the very first episode of the entire series. Where is Westworld even located??

The park seems nearly endless and, as we learned last December, Westworld one of multiple parks under Delos control. Where could there be space for this kind of operation.

Some theories suggest it’s on an island, some say it’s hidden in the mountains. There are even fans who are convinced Westworld is on the moon!

There is no telling where this place is but, with the promise that Season 2 will dive more into the history and operations of the park, we’re hoping to finally get some answers.

What About Elsie?

The fates of many characters are up in the air after the Season 1 finale, but none moreso than Elsie Hughes.

If you recall, she disappeared multiple episodes ahead of the finale, abducted while investigating some corruption within the park. As we learned later on, Bernard had taken her while under the control of Ford. No one has seen or heard from Elsie since.

Ashley Stubbs, head of park security, also had a similar disappearance late in the season, but he seems to be okay. The character has appeared multiple times in the trailers for Season 2.

The situation surrounding Elsie’s disappearance remains one of the biggest mysteries going into the second season premiere.

What Other Parks Are There?

In the Season 1 finale, a room full of Samurai-inspired hosts was revealed, confirming the thought that Delos had more than one functioning theme park. This experience goes much deeper than Westworld.

We’ve learned in the months leading up to the Season 2 premiere that the hosts in question belong to Shogun World, one of the more violent parks Delos has to offer. One of the show’s viral website has teased as many as six parks in total, though no clues as to the other parks’ identities have been revealed.

This season is supposed to be much bigger than the first, and we know that Shogun World is going to be involved.

How many more parks could we see over the course of these ten episodes?

What Is the Door?

The entire first season of Westworld revolved around “The Maze.” Arnold had sent Dolores on a quest of self-discovery, while the Man in Black was obsessed with finding the answer to the one riddle he had left to solve in the park.

Creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy said that, rather than the maze concept, Season 2 would be all about “The Door.”

That poses so many questions, I’m not even sure where to start.

Are you excited for Westworld to return? What are your biggest questions regarding the new season? Let us know in the comments below!

The Westworld Season 2 premiere will air on Sunday, April 22 at 9pm ET on HBO.