The fifth episode of Westworld, titled “Contrapasso”, was noteworthy for a few reasons. Last year, much was made of the fact that HBO shut down production on the series so that showrunners Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy could regroup, catch up on scripts, and plot out exactly where the show was going. That shutdown happened after Episode 4, with everyone taking a couple months off before coming back together for Episode 5, which was last night’s installment. So this episode was the first one produced after -- we think -- the writers had plotted out exactly where they were going, and what everything means. This assumption makes sense when you factor in the enormity of information divulged in “Contrapasso”, as well as the further teasing of mysterious Westworld co-creator Arnold.

But one of the biggest aspects of last night’s episode was how much evidence it seemed to present in support of a popular Westworld fan theory regarding Ed Harris’ Man in Black character. Consider this your official spoiler warning if you don’t want to know what this theory entails, and what twist it might spoil.

So, the theory that was formulated early on in this season is that Jimmi Simpson’s William becomes Ed Harris’ Man in Black, and that his adventures with Logan and Dolores are taking place in the past. There was some evidence early in the season to suggest this—when William was shot by a host, he developed a bruise, while bullets simply brushed off of the Man in Black. The reason? Advances in technology from William’s time to the Man in Black’s time.

In “Contrapasso”, however, Westworld came extremely close to explicitly stating that William and Logan’s storyline is taking place in the past. Let’s run down the new evidence.

William and Logan’s Pariah Conversation

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Image via HBO

As William and Logan entered the town of Pariah, they were discussing the history of the park, with Logan revealing that Westworld itself is losing cash fast and that his company/foundation is looking to buy them out. He notes that Westworld’s co-founder (i.e. Arnold) committed suicide right before the park opened, sending it “into a freefall.”

What’s interesting about this discussion is that they talk about Arnold’s suicide as if it’s in the recent past. There’s no mention of this taking place “30 years ago” like when others mention the incident, and in present day-set scenes with Ford and Bernard, there’s discussion about board oversight, but nothing to suggest the park is in financial trouble. Moreover, Dolores tells Ford in this episode that Arnold died 34 years ago, leaving a six-year buffer between his death and the incident.

Another interesting piece of insight that could be gleaned from this conversation is that at the very beginning, Logan is discussing how the park gets more adventurous and dangerous as you venture further out, noting that the entrance of the park is very “market-tested.” This could be a coincidence, but you’ll recall that when the Man in Black broke Rodrigo Santoro’s Hector out of prison, he remarked that Hector was always too “market-tested” for his taste. Could Logan be introducing William to the concept that some of the park is too family friendly and “market-tested”, informing Williams’ perception of the park going forward?

The Death and Resurrection of Lawrence

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Image via HBO

Towards the beginning of “Contrapasso”, we discover why the Man in Black has been keeping Clifton Collins Jr.’s Lawrence alive for so long. With James Marsden’s Teddy in dire straights, the Man in Black slits Lawrence’s throat and injects his blood into Teddy to keep Teddy alive. Then, a couple of scenes later when William, Logan, and Dolores finally meet gang leader El Lazo, it turns out he’s Collins Jr., who tells them they can call him Lawrence.

Now, we’ve seen that the technicians at Westworld can repair and put hosts back into service quickly, but Lawrence seems to be in an entirely different narrative in Pariah, which would make perfect sense if this scene is taking place in the past. We know Maeve was a mother in one narrative before becoming the brothel madam, so of course Lawrence could be playing an entirely different character 30 years prior to being roped like a piece of cattle by the Man in Black.

It’s also possible that there are duplicate hosts—that Lawrence could be both the gang leader in Pariah and a different outlaw in a different part of the park, but A) We don’t have any confirmation of that just yet and B) That would seem rather shortsighted on the part of the park’s creators/technicians; what if someone encounters both hosts? Doesn’t that break the illusion that they paid a fortune to be immersed in?

William Is Breaking Bad

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Image via HBO

We also see in this episode that Logan pushes William on his “goody two-shoes” worldview, which has gotten him an average life and average position at their company. After this altercation, which took place following William’s killing of a few hosts, we see William refuse to save/help Logan from the Confederales. It would appear that William is being set on a more aggressive path, and with the knowledge that the Man in Black is the figurehead of some big corporation/foundation in the Ed Harris timeline, it’s not out of the realm of possibility to think that this is leading to a point where William seizes control of Logan’s foundation (maybe Logan dies in Westworld? Maybe that’s the “incident”?), and Logan’s foundation and the Man in Black’s foundation are one and the same. Which brings us to…

Ford and the Man in Black’s Sitdown

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Image via HBO

At the end of the episode, Anthony Hopkins’ Ford confronts the Man in Black in the park. Instead of shock or awe, they greet each other with a sense of familiarity and formality—one that would certainly arise from the Man in Black’s foundation holding a commanding/strong investment in the Westworld park itself. This would also explain why, a few episodes back, Luke Hemsworth’s character mentioned that the Man in Black earned the right to do whatever he wants in the park.

The conversation between Ford and the Man in Black is icy and fascinating, with the Man in Black noting that “Arnold almost took this place with him. Almost, but not quite, thanks to me.” This signals that the Man in Black plays some key role in the incident that occurred 30 years or so ago—which is perhaps precisely what we’re leading up to in the William/Logan/Dolores story.

What Does It All Mean?

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Image via HBO

So what does this add up to? And isn’t it depressing to think that Dolores gains consciousness or awareness, only to be rebooted and put back on her loop for 30 years? Well, here’s my guess.

The William/Logan/Dolores story is indeed taking place 30 years in the past, and we’re being shown the buildup to the big “incident” that occurred. I’m thinking that Arnold set some protocol or made some adjustment in the hosts before he committed suicide, and that’s the voice Dolores keeps hearing in her head. This will build to some kind of confrontation in or around the maze, where William plays a key role and where he’s set on the path that builds him into the dark, ambitious character we see in Ed Harris’ Man in Black.

Dolores, meanwhile, will come thisclose to gaining full self-awareness before she’s rebooted. However, in the present day timeline, the reveries that Ford installed in the pilot are making all of Arnold’s adjustments resurface when the hosts are triggered—perhaps by the phrase “These violent delights have violent ends.” Therefore, while it’s upsetting to think that Dolores will live a live of servitude for three decades, we may be building towards a major breakthrough, as evidenced by her lying to Ford’s face and telling the voice inside her head that she told him nothing.

Or maybe I’m crazy. Maybe none of this is taking place in the past and I’m way off base. But given the non-linear quality of Nolan’s previous work (Memento, The Prestige), I’m inclined to think that’s what’s happening here, and I’m hoping we get some resolution by season’s end to the question of exactly when we are.

What do you think, folks? Does any of this make sense? Sound off in the comments below and click here to read Kayti’s full recap of “Contrapasso”.