The ethos of ‘Westworld’: Do you go White Hat or Black Hat?

There are so many questions that come with a simple viewing of HBO’s “Westworld.” Existential questions, queries inspired by the symbolism strewn throughout the vast landscape… and one simple question that dictates the overall identity and experience of anyone’s Westworld visit: Would you go white hat or black hat?

Taking into consideration the amount of money it costs to even go to Westworld, one has to wonder if they would be able to afford multiple trips. The fictional park doesn’t cater to anyone less than the 1%, so it’s possible the guests venturing into the saloon and across the river are flush in cash.

But what if Westworld was a real place? We had a chance to ponder this notion of good vs. evil with some of the cast of HBO’s new Sunday night offering and received an array of intriguing replies.

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“Oh, I mean come on… you’re gonna go dark first,” insists Leonardo Nam, the actor who plays robot technician Lutz. “You’re gonna figure out what that world is, to then go light.”

Jimmi Simpson, who plays William on the series, had a more intricate approach.

“I think I would start white hat because I would be interested in how to play kind of within the rules of the sandbox first. Because my nature wouldn’t be necessarily just to blow things up or to exercise like the basest id. It’d be, like, to explore. And so, I think I would go white hat because I feel like, with more information, you can explore more.”

Shannon Woodward, better known as Delos employee Elsie Hughes, has her own fun idea mapped out. “I would go white hat, and I think… I think I would just go on an adventure, you know? Like a treasure hunt, you know? I want to live in ‘The Goonies.’ Wild west ‘Goonies?’ I’m down! Let’s do it!”

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Who wouldn’t be down for a wild west “Goonies?” Honestly, someone needs to get on that.

Louis Herthum (who plays Peter Abernathy) admits he’d go black hat on his first visit. Joining him on his black hat quest is Ptolemy Slocum — he shows up in Episode 2 as robot tech Sylvester — who sayearns for a very “Dances with Wolves” sounding experience.

Making this choice isn’t as easy as some would think. As the show’s newfound hero, Simpson lays it out quite simply: “I’m not saying if I went repeated times, that I might be like, ‘What’s it like to shoot someone without them deserving it?’ Maybe, but that wouldn’t what I’m first curious about… maybe.”

“Westworld” airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO.

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