Westworld is a show all about unraveling mysteries and solving puzzles, so it shouldn't really come as a surprise that each season of the HBO sci-fi drama has a secret title. Furthermore, these tiles - which are used by the writers and producers - potentially offer major clues about the overall scope of the season. Until now, the titles of Westworld's seasons have been kept a secret, but in a new interview with EW showrunners Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy have finally revealed them.
“If the first season was a journey inward, this is a journey outward,” Nolan said told EW. “This is a search for what is else is beyond the park, and what else is in the park. Are there more parks? How big is the park? What’s beyond the park? We think of our seasons as discrete components in the series, to the point where we’ve named our seasons. The first season was called ‘The Maze.’ The second season is called ‘The Door.'”
Looking back, it's pretty obvious as to why Season 1 of Westworld was titled "The Maze" - the hosts navigated a meticulously constructed mental labyrinth crafted by their human creators to ultimately discover true consciousness.
In the same way "The Maze" turned out to be a metaphor in Season 1, the same can be assumed for "The Door" in Season 2. As Nolan suggests, "The Door" could be a metaphor for all of the possibilities that have opened up to the hosts now that they've overthrown their creators. We already know one of the places we'll probably visit is ShogunWorld, the Samurai/feudal-Japan themed park. But where else will these doors lead?
We'll find out when Westworld Season 2 premieres on HBO on April 22.