Anthony Hopkins Is God, Ed Harris Is The Devil: If Only It Were That Black & White In 'Westworld'

It seems like HBO's Westworld is fulfilling its promise to be the next Game of Thrones. It is only Episode 2 and we are already hooked on the network's sci-fi slaughter. Ramping up the action from the premiere's stellar episode, the second outing, "Chestnut," delved deeper into the mythology of the show. There became a clear paralell between the good and evil residing in Westworld, with new addition Logan joining the slimy Lee Sizemore as "villain of the week." While to some it may be easy to label Ed Harris's Gunslinger as a bad guy, so far he has only shot up a few autonomous robots. Now there is a new theory that Westworld itself is a whole allegory for God vs. the Devil. Put on the tin foil for this one -- spoilers ahead for Episode 2 of Westworld.

A Little LOST

You only have to consider that the man behind the show is J.J. Abrams and the theory gains legs. We know the guy likes God/Devil comparisons, because six seasons of his show LOST revolved around two brothers fighting over an island. While never confirmed, the LOST message boards swirl with theories that Jacob and the Man in Black represented God and the Devil themselves, while the mythical island is Eden. Now Westworld finds its very own M.I.B. in the form of Ed Harris's Gunslinger. In the LOST analogy it was Jacob's mission to prevent the evil from escaping the island -- so who is who down in Westworld?

Hat's All, Folks

The symbolism of white and black hats is a starting indication of who is good and who is bad in the wild, wild, West. This week we met Jimmi Simpson's William and Ben Barnes's Logan. The latter was a sex-crazed maniac who was just there for a good time (black hat), and William (white hat) was there to experience the park and the hosts. William seemed strangely drawn to Dolores, who in this analogy would be Eve, while William is Adam.

Back to the God/Devil analogy -- Anthony Hopkins plays God, and Ed Harris the Devil. You may notice that both Hopkins and Harris wore black hats this episode, so does Ford's black hat show that he is off to be a vengeful God in the desert? We have all heard that well known argument of "How can God do bad things?". Much like the island from LOST, Westworld itself represents the Garden of Eden, and is about to feel the rapture of its God (Ford).

Feeling Lowe

The concept works until you bring Jeffrey Wright's Bernard Lowe into the equation. Whereas many people think that Ford is the creator of life, he is in fact the park's Creative Director, and Lowe is the head of the Westworld Programming Division. There is of course a simple answer to this though: Lowe himself is a creation of Ford, used as a cover. If you don't think that Bernard is just another one of the robotic hosts, then see his interaction with Westworld's Operations Leader Theresa Cullen. As the two canoodle in bed:

Lowe: They're always trying to error correct, make themselves more human. When they talk to each other it is a way of practicing.Cullen: Is that what you're doing... practicing?

It could be a throwaway comment, but I'm not so sure. If Lowe really is a creation of Ford, it puts him nicely in the theory as Jesus, and therefore the ultimate savior of the park! We have already seen Lowe's empathy toward Dolores the defective robot, and he seems like an all-round good guy.

Not convinced?

Admittedly to read so deep into a show as new as Westworld may seem like a stretch, but the imagery is there. This week we saw Ford and Lowe visit a crucifix marker, and the whole idea of creator/creation pairing stirs the religious plotline. Also, considering the show comes from the minds of one of the Nolan brothers, take nothing with a pinch of salt. In a show as stylized as Westworld, everything means something! So what do you think?