So for anyone else who, like me, has watched that ‘Westworld’ Superbowl spot a number of times looking for clues about the upcoming second season of the HBO drama, you might have noticed a new figure in the background of a few shots, most notably standing behind Bernard (as pictured above).
Who is the weird looking white (and frankly, menacing-looking) robot?
According to showrunners Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy while speaking to Entertainment Weekly, the white robot is called a “drone host.” Nolan went on to explain:
“The drone hosts relate to the corporation’s secret project which is hidden in plain sight in this park. As we talked about in the pilot, the park is one thing for the guests, and it’s another thing for its shareholders and management — something completely different. We’ve used the Google analogy — for consumers, it’s for search and email, yet for the company, it’s for advertising. There is an agenda here that Delos has undertaken for a very long time. As Bernard is making his way through the wreckage of the fallout from the first season, he’s discovering things about the park that even he doesn’t know and coming upon creatures like the drone host.”
If you watch the entire trailer again looking for drone hosts, you might notice there are clearly more than a few of these things, and see them pop up a few more times, and realize they can be a bit violent, as they appear to be attacking people in a few shots. Which does not bode well for anyone, as it is not clear whether the drone hosts can be controlled by Delores and Bernard and the other hosts, or if they are only answerable to their masters at Delos. I like that it also raises the stakes for the season as it is no longer just humans versus robots, as now the Delos corporation has a chance to make a difference in the “war” with these drone hosts (assuming they are indeed under Delos control).
What are your thoughts on the “drone hosts”? Do you have any theories on how they are going to be used in Season 2? If you do, please go ahead and share your thoughts in the comments below!
