‘Westworld’ Maze Game: Did Teddy just Confirm This Game Is For Hosts, Not Humans? So What Does The Make The Man In Black?

Episode 5 of HBO’s new futuristic series, Westworld, may have just dropped a huge reveal in the form of a speech by one of the hosts. Could Teddy have just revealed that the Maze Game is for the hosts and not for humans? If so, what does that make the Man in Black?

Spoiler alert: This article discusses HBO’s Westworld. Please proceed with caution if you wish to avoid spoilers.

The Man in Black (Ed Harris) has been chasing the game within the game of Westworld since the very start of the series. However, in Episode 5, when the Man in Black questioned Teddy (James Marsden) about this game (also known as the Maze or the Maze Game), the host was quite forthright in what the Maze meant in regard to Westworld.

Teddy’s full recollection of the myth is below, courtesy of The Verge‘s transcript of his speech.

“The Maze is an old Native myth. The Maze itself is the sum of a man’s life. The choices he makes, the dreams he hangs onto. And there at the center there’s a legendary man who had been killed over and over again countless times. But always clawed his way back to life. The man returned for a last time to vanquish all his oppressors in a tireless fury. Built a house and around that house he built a maze so complicated only he could navigate through it. I reckon he’s seen enough fighting.”

Let’s break it down a bit. Teddy states the Maze is an old native myth, which probably doesn’t mean much other than to place a way for attributing a mythical status to the game, allowing some players seeking the Maze Game to brush the concept off as superstition or not true.

Having Teddy state that Westworld‘s Maze Game has a “legendary man” at the center “who has been killed over and over again,” seems to be a reference to the hosts, who are killed over and over again by the humans visiting Westworld. For the hosts themselves, however, they are unaware of this, so perhaps, if they made their way to the center of the Maze, the realization of their existence would be revealed. If this is the case, Maeve (Thandie Newton) has been playing the Maze Game and is not even aware of it, since, in Episode 5 of Westworld, she received the help of Felix (Leonardo Nam) and Sylvester (Ptolemy Slocum) to gain a greater awareness of her own world.

The Maze Game myth, however, directly references a man, not multiple men, so many viewers are speculating the next part of the Maze Game in Westworld is related to one of two legendary figures: Dr. Ford (Anthony Hopkins) or Arnold. The myth explains this “legendary man” returns for one last time to “vanquish all his oppressors.” If this were the case, it seems likely the Maze myth is referencing Arnold, since he is the only one out of the pair who has not been seen for a very long time (and is generally regarded as deceased).

But, there is some reason to suggest Dr. Ford could also be this legendary man. After all, an event occurred 30 years prior to the assumed current timeline in Westworld. Could the myth be based on whatever happened 30 years ago? If this is the case, Dr. Ford was present then and lived to tell the tale. And Westworld is certainly a maze so complicated that only he can navigate all of it.

There is still that tricky reference at the start that seems to indicate they myth could be referencing the hosts. Could this mean Dr. Ford is, in fact, a host masquerading as a human? Many viewers on Reddit think Dr. Ford could be a host for a variety of reasons. And if Dr. Ford is a host, not a human, could this mean the Maze Game is designed for hosts alone?

To expand on this Westworld theory even further, could the Maze Game be designed to be played, or recognized, only by hosts? If this is the case, it means the Man in Black is a host and doesn’t even know it yet. Maybe that is the aim of the Maze Game, to help the hosts become self-realized. Or, alternatively, as a flag for the team behind the scenes in Westworld so they know which hosts could become a danger. Only by tuning into further episodes of Westworld will answers be revealed.

Who do you think the maze game is meant for in HBO’s Westworld? Let us know your thoughts and theories by commenting below.

Episode 7 (entitled “Trompe L’Oeil”) of Westworld will air on HBO on Sunday, November 13, at 9:00 p.m. You can view the preview for Episode 8 below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCFYIoPJ23M

[Featured Image by HBO]