Did Westworld Just Tell Us Why the Man in Black Gets Whatever He Wants?

Slowly but surely, the Man in Black is becoming a more well-rounded character, and “Contrapasso” may have just revealed the most interesting tidbit about him so far.

Note: This article contains spoilers for Westworld episode 5, “Contraspasso.” Please watch that episode first or check out our recap before reading on.

The conversation between the Man in Black and Robert Ford on Westworld was always destined to be a good one. It didn’t go quite as one might have expected, with Ford insisting he’s not out to stop Ed Harris’ mysterious guest from doing as he pleases, but it still had its fair share of intrigue.

It wasn’t even the insight we got into his motivation that raised an eyebrow. We’ve always known that he longed to find something deeper below the park’s narrative, and that he believes getting to the center of The Maze is the key to uncovering it.

No, what really stood out was the Man in Black discussing the “critical failure” that was referenced all the way back in the season premiere. It sounds like he was a key to stopping it, perhaps leading humans to stop out of control hosts.

What makes us think that? The Man in Black spoke extensively about Arnold, the park’s co-creator and driving force behind making the hosts more lifelike. What we learned in “Contrapasso” that we didn’t already know is that Arnold intended to use Dolores to help him destroy the park — indeed, Ford said as much to Dolores earlier in the episode.

But what the man in Black added is that Arnold almost succeeded until he did his part. That suggests he helped put down an uprising. That, in turn, would explain why he gets whatever he wants. It’s quite possible Westworld owes him a debt that it’s still trying to repay.

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This series has been excellent in peeling away its mysteries like the layers of an onion, so it’s likely we’ll get more insight into this situation before too long. One thing we already know is that the Man in Black has evolved well beyond what he first appeared to be, surprising us at any turn. Here’s to five more episodes of the same.