In Support of Multiple Timelines (And a Ridiculous Theory)

Published November 4, 2016 · Updated July 6, 2022

Hey Guys —

I’ve been hesitant to accept that William might be the Man in Black 30 years ago, but last night finally convinced me (for the time being at least). When William, Lawrence and Dolores are in the train towards the end of the episode, after El Lazo surrenders his weapon to William he says “Well, now that we’re all friends, you can call me Lawrence”. Immediately this brought to mind the scene in episode 2 where Lawrence angrily asks the Man in Black “Do you know who the fuck I am?”, who then replies “I know exactly who you are Lawrence. After all, you and I are friends.”

Additionally, once they reach Pariah, Logan tells William that his family is considering buying out the park, and that it’s hemorrhaging cash because one of the founders killed himself and “sent the park into a free fall”. It doesn’t seem relevant to share that information unless they are in the park not long after Arnold’s death.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on these.

Now, please put on your tinfoil hats. Or just wrap yourself in tin foil like a burrito. I believe the private talks Dolores has with Bernard in the underground bunker are in fact her recollections of the conversations she had with Arnold as he helped guide her to consciousness before his death. At some point in a future episode I suspect we might see the person sitting across from Dolores in one of these chats change from Bernard to Arnold right before her eyes. If it sounds far fetched, remember it’s already happened with her two fathers and Rebus/Man in Black in the barn.

The story arc involving William and Logan takes place after these initial talks with Arnold, because her actions and dialogue throughout suggest she is already questioning her existence and going off script. So what we are actually watching is the run up to the first “incident” that Ford and Bernard talk about. I imagine it will probably take place at the church Dolores sees in her flashbacks, and will end with at least Delores and several humans dead.

The incident and his relationship with Dolores has a profound effect on William, and after helping to bail out the park financially with the fortune he inherits marrying his wife, he completes his transition to the Man in Black. Astonished that Delores actually achieved consciousness but angry with her for trying to carry out Arnold’s plan to ruin the park, Ford decides to keep her but punish her by putting her in a loop where she repeatedly gets raped after witnessing her parents get killed. This continues for decades until her father finds the picture and whispers the “violent delights” line to her. It jogs her memories and she immediately sets out to retrace her steps from 30 years ago, at the same time the Man in Black is trying to find the maze himself.

Thanks so much for making such an awesome podcast, and I look forward to hopefully getting a response to my first two points! Apologies for the ridiculous wall of text, but this show just fucks with my head. I promise I’m not insane. – Mike

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