Westworld
HBO
Since this is a show about immortal, sentient robots, death means relatively little in Westworld. But one character has died more than any other at the moment, James Marsden’s Teddy, who recorded more than 4,000 deaths, more than any other host during his ill-fated time on Westworld. But the latter seemed to stick around at the end of Season 2, given that he was out for all of Season 3.
Here in the unexpectedly great Season 4, however, Teddy is back and for once, he seems to know a lot more about what’s going on than Dolores herself. While fans previously theorized that Dolores saved Teddy’s pearl from Westworld, we still know little about who this version of Teddy really is, everything he knows, and what he’s planning next. So I tried to get James Marsden to tell me. Here is our conversation:
PAUL: One thing I’ll say to start off here is that I know this is Westworld, which has like the most mysteries of any TV show, so I know there’s a lot of things you can’t talk about yet, but I ‘ I’ll do my best here.
JAMES: But you’ll go out of your way to test me.
PAUL: Yeah, I’m sure you’re used to that by now.
JAMES: I’ve become quite aware of what I can talk about and what I can’t.
PAUL: One thing I’m curious about is if you knew you were coming back in a future season when he died in Season 2, or was it a surprise that you were asked to come back for Season 4?
JAMES: That’s something I can answer. I sat down with Lisa Joy and Jonah Nolan at the beginning of Season 2 before we shot a frame of the movie, and we not only talked about my arc for Season 2 and the exciting journey that Teddy is on and that I act as an actor. , which is fun with the big change right in the middle of the season. And beyond that, they let me know that “we’re going to do something that’s going to be really powerful with the story we’re telling: have Teddy go away for a while.” To which I went “like, for good?” No, specifically, they said you’re coming back in season 4, but you’re not going to be in season 3, and we think there have to be stakes with the show. The idea of taking away one of the beloved characters is going to upset audiences, and hopefully if we do our job right, when we bring you back in Season 4, they’ll be standing up in their seats and applauding. And that’s just some kind of wicked game we play with our fans (laughs).
PAUL: So they’ve traced it pretty far?
JAMES: Yes, they did. I will say that they didn’t go into detail about what he would do in season 4 or how he would return. Only “you’ll be back in Season 4.” They are very good at limiting what they can say even to actors.
Westworld
HBO
PAUL: So how different has the experience been coming back to the show now that it’s not at all Western and now you’re in this modern city? How has this transition been?
JAMES: I mean it’s been fun. It’s definitely weird, because it’s the same familiar faces without all the dirt, dust, and horses. But welcome, to be honest. It’s been fun to bring shades of Teddy to this season, but also speak in a very contemporary way. The first scene you see us on the date, Lisa Joy was like “I want this to feel like modern conversation. I don’t want any western affectation in your voice. Like you’re a modern guy. It feels like this with he who could remember things from the past (laughs).
PAUL: That’s my next question here. I know you have to… cover up a little. It’s a simple question, but in Westworld it’s pretty complicated. What can you tell us about this version of Teddy? We know he’s a guide for Dolores, but he seems disconnected from Bernard and Maeve, like he’s not part of their plans. Is this old park Teddy?
JAMES: Well, I think it’s important that we say there has to be a certain level of mystery to him, and that has to be maintained throughout the season. My goal as an actor approaching this was well, how much of Teddy is still there, and I’m not even going to ask who he is, where he came from, if he’s rebuilt, if he’s a host, a human, the whatever I won’t even think about it. I’m reading the scripts, and that’s my goal. My goal is to gently open Christina’s eyes to the world she believes surrounds her and her powers within that world. And do it in a confident, gentle way that feels like a friend. Like an old friend. And that’s it. That’s how I’ve come up with everything so far. What are we doing, episode six?
PAUL: Yeah, I saw the screen before that and I was like, “Oh no, he’s not in this!” But I guess you’ll be in the next one,
JAMES: (laughs) Exactly. Well, I can tease the next couple of episodes…episode 4 was such a bomb on so many different levels, and full of crazy intense action that allowed us in 5 and 6 to lay more groundwork for to what will come 5 and 6 are a bit of the calm before the storm. So there’s a bit of a joke. I think… right now, he’s a calming, supportive presence that Christina relies on, and somehow connects on a deep level that she definitely doesn’t understand yet. Whether he knows everything or just… some things, there is a mysterious basket into which some things must fall.
PAUL: I found a lot of them in Westworld.
JAMES: Yeah, in episode 5, she can say who did this to me, who did this? And his answer is that you did. Teddy can say this, but he won’t explain it. Because that’s what Westworld is, it’s a puzzle box. It’s a slow burn and I think we’re on a really good track this year to do something really cool and powerful and have the fans really excited and really satisfied.
I often worry, am I not specific enough, am I too complicated? Everyone enjoys a puzzle, but they should also have the satisfaction of figuring it out, or at least having it figured out for you. So I think we’re on track to make the fans very happy with the direction we’re going, and yes, a lot of that still has to stay in that mystery box. But what I want from the fans so far this season is to enjoy seeing them back on screen together, at least for the first couple of episodes, they have it easy, they’ve been through hell in season 2 and it’s nice to see them . these iconic Westworld characters are back on screen together, albeit now wearing leather jackets and red hair and modern outfits. So yes, its purpose is to bring her into this existential awakening.
Westworld
HBO
PAUL: So this is an old question and I don’t know if you can still answer it, but I remember you were talking about your exit from season 2 and you were asked if Teddy was one of the pearls. Dolors smuggled out of the park. And now that you’re back in the flesh, is that something you can still answer or is that still supposed to be a mystery?
JAMES: My God, yes, a mystery (laughs). That would be a big mess on my part.
PAUL: Okay, it’s something that will probably come up at some point.
JAMES: Yeah, I mean we want these theories, we want these questions to be asked. It’s frustrating because it hasn’t been answered yet, but it will be. At least we think it should be, and I think it will be. And I say believe because it is not a fact that it does. They even cheat me on this show.
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Thanks to James Marsden for talking to me. My final theory? (Not that, Marsden didn’t reveal). Dolors/Christina built and wrote Teddy as a failsafe using her old pearl and her memories to inform her of what was really going on, since he doesn’t seem to be connected to the old host brigade, nor the human resistance , nor with Hale. . But we’ll see!
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