sneakyflute

I really like where Maeve's storyline is headed, but I really wish they had provided more realistic or satisfying incentives for Felix and Sylvester. Was it just pure desire to help someone they thought was essentially human at that point? She lost all leverage the moment she incinerated herself.

I believe Maeve's decision to remain was both part of her programming and free will. The memories of her daughter are triggered and her maternal instinct kicks into gear the moment she sees the mother and daughter on the train. Without this chance encounter, she would have fled to the mainland. However, her existence is rooted in this memory or "cornerstone" and it's not something she can easily shake, effectively keeping her prisoner of the park.

This show wasn't designed to deliver unforeseen twists at every turn. All of these theories were based on evidence that was quite obvious from the beginning. Each episode peeled back another layer, further revealing parallels between William and the person we know as Man in Black. Speculation about Bernard was only natural given the nature of the show.

I did spot Maeve in the dancing scene, but I'm not sure if that has any significance. She doesn't share any scenes with William nor does she appear in the saloon where she's presently a madame. That gives more credence to the idea that William = MiB.

Ford explains that his colleagues went to great trouble to scrub Arnold from the history books. No one in the present has even heard the name. As far-fetched as it may seem, it is what it is. I'm kind of surprised by how many people are still rejecting the William = MiB theory. They planted the seeds for 7 episodes and this current one hammered the point home. I just don't think people are paying attention.

This episode confirmed the theory. MiB was married for 30 years and saves the same host that greeted him 30 years ago. The church that was buried has been unearthed by Ford in the present.

Boom

Bernard is a robot clone of Arnold. The scenes that appear to be depicting Bernard interviewing Dolores are actually flashbacks to Arnold talking to her 30 years ago. And this further supports the William = MiB theory

There's a reason they keep flashing that retro logo. They even referenced the changing logo in a tweet before the show premiered.

You're touching things before you even open the gloves' packaging. The gloves are presented with with the interior of the cuff exposed so you can don them without touching the sterile exterior.

I just revisited that scene. He puts on the gloves last.

The reason there's so much focus on the logo is because the black and silver (and what appears to be a more retro style) logo is shown upon William's arrival and also in one Ford's flashbacks yet it's nowhere to be seen in the present-day park. An entirely different logo shows up during an unveiling of new hosts in the present and is also the show's official logo, suggesting a modern rebranding of the park. The train scene I'm talking about happens at the end of episode 5.

It's a subtle editing trick to convey the fact that she's alone in the present before it shifts to a memory of her with William in the same location. Also, to everyone who is opposed to the theory that they're depicting two time periods at once: how do you explain the changing logo and the absence of William and Lawrence from the shot immediately following their meeting in the caboose? These things are not done by accident.

I think an origin story like this would be better served by a television series. It was really hard for me to accept that he went from narcissistic neurosurgeon to selfless, time-manipulating wizard over the course of 90 minutes.

It's possible that William's scenes take place just a few years prior and that he may not even be the MiB, but it's hard to discount the idea that they're conflating two timelines at this point. Episode 3 - wakes up with a gun at her side, the camera slowly pans, and William seemingly pops into frame out of nowhere. Episode 4 - has flashbacks during an encounter with the girl at the fountain and what immediately follows is the scene of her being accosted by an employee dressed as a cowboy. We're intentionally misled here because we see two present-day employees flagging her rogue behavior. However, I am convinced that this exchange is what allows Ford to intercept Dolores later on at the parade. The subtle editing of some of these shots and the vestiges of herself that Dolores is seeing suggest that she's retracing her steps from her journey with William.