When the small screen adaptation of Westworld premiered on HBO last year, it captivated fans pretty quickly. The show’s high concept world and cast of characters kept viewers watching week after week – as well as coming up with plenty of theories about what the show’s real perogative was.
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As it turns out, members of the show’s cast were just as inquisitive – and one star guessed a popular theory very early on. Evan Rachel Wood revealed in an interview with the Los Angeles Times that she figured out the Man in Black twist as early as the show’s second episode.
While the popular fan theory – that Ed Harris‘ character was the older version of William (Jimmi Simpson) – took most of the season to reveal itself on the show, Wood considered the possibility of it after filming very similar scenes with both of the actors.
“It’s different when you’re on the show.” Wood explained. “I had done the scene with Ed [Harris] in the pilot where he picked up the can and gave it to me, tipped his hat. And I just had a déjà vu. I was doing the same scene with Jimmi [Simpson]. And I could just tell the energy on set was very specific, and they were being very specific about how we were shooting, and how he was picking it up. The first time he did it and I took it, I looked in his eye, and I just went, ‘Oh, that would be messed up. Which means, that’s what it is.’ But then it wasn’t confirmed and I kinda threw it out.”
As filming went on, Wood ignored her initial instinct about William being the Man in Black, instead focusing on developing the romantic relationship between William and her character, Dolores.
“And then halfway through,” Wood revealed, “we’re sitting there on set going, ‘I really, really hope you’re not the Man in Black, man. It’s just so heartbreaking…’ Which is why I knew it was right. Whether you figured it out or not— the payoff of the explanation is so good. I knew that was coming and I knew there was going to be a big reveal.”
According to Wood, this wasn’t the only theory she had while filming the show’s first season, even participating in a group text with her castmates about what plot twists they thought would happen.
“I was certainly the main geek on set coming into the hair and makeup trailer every day going off on some tangents.” Wood explained. “I think I had about 100 theories and four were right. The running joke on set was that everyone thought they were Anthony Hopkins. ‘No, guys, I’m Dr. Ford.’”
While Westworld‘s sophomore season is still quite a ways away, fans are already buzzing with theories about what will happen when the show does return.
Westworld will return some time in 2018.
More Westworld: Creators Say Season 2 Won’t Pick Up Where Season 1 Left Off / What We Know About Season 2 / Creators Confirm Major Finale Theory / Man In Black & Samurai World / Westworld Proves TV is Better Than Movies
