Sumith Prasad
The fourth season of HBO’s science-fiction series ‘Westworld’ begins with several astounding developments. The host William devises a plan to kill Maeve Millay and Caleb Nichols, who have teamed up to fulfill Dolores Abernathy’s mission to destroy Rehoboam. The Man in Black also shows his potency as a host by acquiring a plant without spending a single penny. However, the most shocking development has to be the introduction of Christina, a video game writer who looks exactly the same as Dolores. As the premiere episode of season 4 progresses, the character must have raised several questions in the minds of the viewers. Well, let us answer two significant ones! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Is Christina Host or Human in Westworld?
In the first episode of season 4, Christina is introduced as a video game writer who leads a lonely life. She hasn’t been in a relationship and her roommate Maya’s efforts to set up dates for her do not yield good results. Her life takes a wild turn when a man named Peter confronts her about events in his life happening according to one of the storylines Christina had written for a game. Since the show, along with the creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, has not yet revealed whether Christina is a human or a host, let us dive into the possibilities.
Christina can be a human and her company, Olympiad Entertainment, can be running a park similar to Delos’ Westworld. The game production of the company is possibly a front for obtaining storylines for the park. The company might have conceived Peter as a host as per Christina’s storyline, which explains why the reality of his life imitates the fiction. The encounter with Peter will most likely lead her to the reality of the Hosts and she may eventually get involved in the possible war between humans and Charlotte Hale’s Host army.
However, the symbol of Westworld’s maze that appears in Christina’s apartment in the premiere episode of the fourth season is a strong indication that she can be a host as well. The maze symbolizes the inward journey of a host to be aware of their existence as a host or in other words, to attain sentience. Arnold Weber, who co-founded Westworld, considered the maze as a test for a host to get freed from its scripted life on a loop. Christina can be a host and the symbol can be indicating the start of her inward journey as she meets Peter on the same day.
The ambiguity that revolves around Peter and his death may intrigue Christina to know more about him. The curiosity may lead her to know about Hosts, which may pave the way for her possible realization that she is a host as well.
Why Do Christina and Dolores Look the Same?
If Christina is a human being, the most probable reason behind her resemblance with Dolores is that it’s a coincidence. Co-creator Lisa Joy had revealed that she wanted Evan Rachel Wood on the show even after her character Dolores’ death in the third season finale. “I really like Evan and she’s also kind of clinging so I had to bring her back [to season 4]. We write a whole new character for her,” Joy said about Christina, via Deadline. Apart from the same actress portraying both characters, there may not be any reason or connection behind Christina and Dolores’ similar appearance.
However, coincidence is the last thing we expect from ‘Westworld.’ The similarities and ambiguous connections between Christina and Dolores, which ranges from their similar way of waking up to Christina writing a story resembling Dolores’ Westworld storyline, do indicate that they are likely attached in some way, which may reveal the reason behind their same appearance. There’s a possibility that Christina is a host created by Dr. Robert Ford and Arnold Weber as a copy of Dolores.
After creating Dolores for Westworld as their first-ever masterpiece, Dr. Ford and Arnold might have grown fond of her to create an alternative version outside the park. Considering that Bernard is a spiritual copy of Arnold and Dr. Ford had created the host versions of his family members, they might have wanted the same with their foundational creation Dolores, which possibly led them to create Christina in the same form.
Read More: Is William Dead or Alive in Westworld?
