Any thoughts on whether Aaron Paul is a human or a pearl?

we have a precedence for humans helping out the hosts, so I'm going to go out on a limb and say human (for now lol)...

Definitely hints in the trailer that it could go either way but my instinct is that he's real. Partially because so many other characters aren't and so many humans got killed off last season. We need some new human characters.

Paul's character being human also fits/expands on the "choice" theme hammered home in season two.

We're introduced to Incite (video below) in season three, a company that "charts a path to a better future" for its clients; everyday humans who sign up for its services. According to the Incite website, it's essentially a service that analyzes everything about you and then "helps" you find not only your perfect career path, but aids in networking, dating, everyday navigation, and even your music selection. It's basically a career counselor, LinkedIn, Tinder, Google Maps, Spotify, etc. all in one, all on steroids using, some kind of insanely complex (and likely insanely invasive) A.I.

Their motto is literally "With Incite, the only choice you'll have to make... is us."

Which, to me, sounds eerily similar to the way the hosts' "paths" were controlled and decided in the park, without choice of their own.

In other words, as we venture into the real world, season three is looking to further underline season two's thesis that hosts can change and grow beyond their programming, while humans cannot - i.e. hosts such as Dolores are truly "free," while humans such as Paul's character are not. It's why Dolores says in one of the trailers, "I thought your world would be so different from ours. There isn't any difference at all, is there?"

Also in the trailers, it's heavily implied that Paul's character signed up for Incite (though I can't be sure), but is basically miserable now and feels stuck in a loop, so to speak. So he seems to be our human version of season one Dolores, someone who is "controlled" (via Incite) but is starting to see the cracks in his world, and it's season three Dolores who looks to be "waking him up"/exploiting that in some way for her agenda.

I could be wrong about this as well, but Incite looks to be the "system" that was initiated on April 17, 2039 in the video below, a system that has apparently cured catastrophes, wars, and "divergences" over the 19 years it's been online (as the series looks to take place in 2058). Vincent Cassel's character narrates, saying that "For the first time, history has an author." That "author" has to be Incite (or Incite is at least an aspect of it, as there is mention of ending war on its website), and Vincent Cassel's character is its owner/the new big bad (as he is the person Dolores says "took [Paul's character's] future" in the latest trailer). Cassel's character then says, "And up until very recently, the system was working. But there's someone we haven't accounted for: you." Presumably, he's talking to/about Dolores.

In other words, Cassel's character looks to be the James Delos of the real world in that Cassel seems to own Incite and control the "paths" of humanity, as most of society has seemingly signed up for or bought into whatever "system" Cassel's character has created. The real world, it seems, *is* - in some ways - just another "park" controlled by an "author." And Dolores entering that system is an unexpected wrinkle that threatens Cassel's character' control, thus he needs her eliminated (which is what he asks Maeve to do).

My guess is that, either over the course of season three, or the rest of the series, Dolores ultimately comes to feel empathy for humanity, realizing that they're being controlled just the same as she was in Westworld. So, perhaps she'll be responsible for not only setting the hosts free, but humanity as well.

Wouldn't surprise me at all. I'm sure they're connected in some way.

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/westworld/s03

Apparently season three is only eight episodes as opposed to the usual ten...

Currently midway through season 1 for my first rewatch. It's crazy seeing all the things, both subtle and obvious, that I completely missed one the first run through.

One week to go

Speaking of, these will be my two primary episode recap resources this season...

Westworld: The Recappables
https://www.theringer.com/the-recappables-westworld

AltShiftX
https://www.youtube.com/user/JaiWbio/videos

In the "Escape from Westworld" video above, I love the way this season is framed... "The hosts become the guests." And then in the interview video, there's mention of Dolores falling into Caleb's arms much the same way she falls into William's arms in season one. Both mentions seem to hint that season three may be a bit of an inverse of season one in a way, which could be pretty cool.

All I know is that I cannot wait for Sunday. I'm looking forward to this season almost as much as I'm looking forward to some of my most anticipated movies this year. Five more days...

https://collider.com/westworld-season-4-will-it-happen/

TCTTS said:

---

All I know is that I cannot wait for Sunday. I'm looking forward to this season almost as much as I'm looking forward to some of my most anticipated movies this year. Five more days...

---

I kept getting conflicting web results when I lazily googled, so I didn't have it on my mind that it came back this weekend.

This is one of those shows that I think will look cool, regardless of how the last season was executed. Aside from Better Call Saul, it's one of the shows I can count on for high production value.

TCTTS said:

---

That's commitment.

---

Normally reading the threads wouldn't have even crossed my mind but for a show like this I feel like it is almost a necessity.

Started watching season 1 when it first came out, got maybe five episodes in and just gave up. What brought me back honestly was seeing the trailers for season 3 - looks awesome.

In hindsight, wish I'd have started my re-watch/catch-up project after learning there'd be no sports for the foreseeable future .

Might try that for Lost. Watch an episode then read the posts/theories discussed in the season long thread during the following week

Westworld Season 1 marathon just started on HBO2

Nice nugget:

You don't have kids at home, do you, Bernard?
No.
If you did, you'd know that they all rebel eventually...

tk for tu juan said:

---

Might try that for Lost. Watch an episode then read the posts/theories discussed in the season long thread during the following week

---

From a time kill perspective, there's no better way. Seeing what good Ags had to say after all these WW episodes was great.

With no sports this show could really blow up this season if it's good

TCTTS's summary was great, but so much was going in last season even that wasn't helping, I had to go back and watch the finale again.
The question that came out of it for me, she brought four brains with her right? We know Hale, Maeve and Bernard, who's the last one? Did I miss it?

As for reviews on the season, it's at 73% on Rt, last year was 76%. So expect a similar season, which for me is fine.

That's not quite accurate, re: the brain pearls. I broke all this down in another recent post. She smuggled five out and we only know the identity of one: Bernard. Then she rebuilt Bernard and rebuilt her own body, and placed Bernard's brain pearl in his body and placed her own brain pearl back into her new body. We have no idea which of the four remaining brain pearl's is now in Charlotte's body, though, nor do we know the identity of the other three that Dolores has yet to build bodies for.

TCTTS said:

---

I am so ready for tonight. I don't care how good or bad it is. After consuming coronavirus news all weekend, braving the grocery store just now (which looks and feels like the apocalypse - there's nothing left), and no new movies for who knows how long, all I want to do is sit on the couch and get lost in Westworld.

Bring it.

---

I say it a lot, I give shows like this a ton of slack because they at least try in scope, story and originality. Don't care if it makes some mistakes as long as it makes me think, and makes me go "oh ****" a few times, either because of plot or amazing visuals. Give me this kind of stuff over another crime law or doctor show any damn day.

Same. Well said. No other show swings as big as this one, and because of that, I can forgive a lot.

High hopes for tonight.

The world has gone ****ing mad. Hope this show is good.