We’ve all been operating under the assumption that Arnold built the maze so that the hosts could prove they are sentient, but this Westworld theory argues that might not be the case.

SPOILER WARNING: THIS WESTWORLD THEORY POST CONTAINS SPOILERS FROM RECENT EPISODES OF WESTWORLD. IF YOU AREN’T CAUGHT UP ON WESTWORLD AVOID THIS POST! THIS POST ALSO CONTAINS CONJECTURE ABOUT THE FUTURE OF WESTWORLD, IF YOU DON’T WANT TO HEAR POSSIBLE WESTWORLD SPOILERS AVOID THIS POST!

We have all been assuming that the maze was designed by Arnold to prove that the hosts were sentient and offer them a way out of the park, but what if that’s not the case? What if just like everything else that’s happened in Westworld the maze is just another piece of Ford’s plan. What if the maze is a trap?

We’ve seen that Ford has no problem taking the things Arnold built and using them for his own purposes, so why not the maze as well? Ford obviously knows about the maze, because he discussed it with the man in black. So if Ford knows about the maze, then there’s little chance that he isn’t using it in some way. Why would Ford just ignore something that could allow the hosts to show sentience and go free?

Ford built a backdoor into the hosts that he used on Clementine and Bernard, so perhaps he has done something similar with the maze. Perhaps Ford is using the maze in a similar fashion. What if we are all running around thinking the maze is going to let a host out of the park, when it’s actually the exact opposite.

What if Ford has built a fail safe into the maze itself. He can use the maze as a warning system of sorts that a host has achieved sentience. The very moment that a host gains sentience is the moment they are wiped by Ford’s fail safe. It would make for a tragic end of the story for Dolores and William, and it would fit right in with Ford’s manipulations. If the maze is a trap all the hosts are walking straight into it.

The other side is of course that perhaps Ford wants the hosts to prove their sentience as well, but that would be a huge twist with everything he has done. Westworld may not have a very happy ending for anyone other than Ford.

What do you think about this Westworld theory, is Ford aware of the maze and using it? Let us know on Facebook or in the comments below.