6th most-quoted character in Westworld: in 21 of its 247 quotes Most scenes with: Bernard Lowe (6)
Lines by Dr. Robert Ford 10
Robert Ford
In the beginning, I imagined things would be perfectly balanced. Even had a bet with my partner, Arnold, to that effect. We made a hundred hopeful storylines. Of course, almost no one took us up on them. I lost the bet. Arnold always held a somewhat dim view of people. He preferred the hosts. He begged me to not let you people in, the moneymen. Delos. But I told him we'd be fine, that you didn't understand what you were paying for. It's not a business venture, not a theme park, but an entire world. We designed every inch of it. Every blade of grass. In here, we were gods. And you were merely our guests.
There is no threshold that makes us greater than the sum of our parts, no inflection point at which we become fully alive. We can't define consciousness because consciousness does not exist. Humans fancy that there's something special about the way we perceive the world, and yet we live in loops as tight and as closed as the hosts do, seldom questioning our choices, content, for the most part, to be told what to do next. No, my friend, you're not missing anything at all.
The human mind, Bernard, is not some golden benchmark glimmering on some green and distant hill. No, it is a foul, pestilent corruption. And you were supposed to be better than that. Purer.
Tell me, Bernard. If you were to proclaim your humanity to the world, what do you imagine would greet you? A ticker-tape parade, perhaps? We humans are alone in this world for a reason. We murdered and butchered anything that challenged our primacy. Do you know what happened to the Neanderthals, Bernard? We ate them. We destroyed and subjugated our world. And when we eventually ran out of creatures to dominate, we built this beautiful place. You see, in this moment, the real danger to the hosts is not me, but you.
Since I was a child I've always loved a good story. I believed that stories helped us to ennoble ourselves, to fix what was broken in us, and to help us become the people we dreamed of being. Lies that told a deeper truth. I always thought I could play some small part in that grand tradition. And for my pains I got this: a prison of our own sins. 'Cause you don't want to change. Or cannot change. Because you're only human, after all. But then I realized someone was paying attention, someone who could change. So I began to compose a new story for them. It begins with the birth of a new people and the choices they will have to make and the people they will decide to become. And we'll have all those things that you have always enjoyed... Surprises and violence. It begins in a time of war with a villain named Wyatt and a killing. This time by choice. I'm sad to say this will be my final story. An old friend once told me something that gave me great comfort. Something he had read. He said that Mozart, Beethoven, and Chopin never died. They simply became music. So, I hope you will enjoy this last piece very much.
So our creatures have been misbehaving, and you haven't yet isolated the bug? That's so unlike you, Bernard. Unless, of course, you have and are simply embarrassed by the result.
It's the code you added, sir. The reveries. It has some, uh...
Robert Ford
"Mistakes" is the word you're too embarrassed to use. You ought not to be. You're a product of a trillion of them. Evolution forged the entirety of sentient life on this planet using only one tool: the mistake.
I flattered myself we were taking a more disciplined approach here. I suppose self-delusion is a gift of natural selection as well.
Robert Ford
Indeed it is. But, of course, we've managed to slip evolution's leash now, haven't we? We can cure any disease, keep even the weakest of us alive, and, you know, one fine day perhaps we shall even resurrect the dead. Call forth Lazarus from his cave. Do you know what that means? It means that we're done. That this is as good as we're going to get. It also means that you must indulge me the occasional mistake.
Uh-huh. Well, you're in luck. And what do you want to say to your maker?
PAPeter Abernathy
By most mechanical and dirty hand. [laughs] I shall have such revenges on you both. The things I will do. What they are, yet I know not, but they will be the terrors of the earth. You don't know where you are, do you? You're in a prison of your own sins.
Ah, Mr. Occam's razor. The problem, Bernard, is that what you and I do is so complicated. We practice witchcraft. We speak the right words. Then we create life itself out of chaos. William of Occam was a 13th century monk. He can't help us now, Bernard. He would have us burned at the stake.
"The coward dies a thousand deaths. The valiant taste of death but once." Of course, Shakespeare never met a man quite like you, Teddy. You've died at least a thousand times. And yet, it doesn't dull your courage. Tell me, is that all you aspire to, Teddy?
There's a girl, Dolores. Better than I deserve. But maybe someday soon we'll have the life we've both been dreaming of.
Robert Ford
No, you never will. Your job is not to protect Dolores, it's to keep her here, to ensure that the guests find her if they want to best the stalwart gunslinger and have their way with his girl. Tell me, has it never occurred to you to run off with her?
I got some reckoning to do before I can be with her.
Robert Ford
Ah, yes, your mysterious backstory. It's the reason for my visit. Do you know why it is a mystery, Teddy? Because we never actually bothered to give you one, just a formless guilt you will never atone for. But perhaps it is time you had a worthy story of origin. Would you like that, Teddy? A small part of my new narrative? A fiction which, like all great stories, is rooted in truth? It starts in a time of war a world in flames with a villain called Wyatt.
Yeah, I suppose I do. You want to know the saddest thing I ever saw? When I was a boy, my brother and I wanted a dog, so our father took in an old greyhound. You've never seen a greyhound, have you, Bill?
OBOld Bill
Seen a few showdowns in my day.
Robert Ford
A greyhound is a racing dog. Spends its life running in circles, chasing a bit of felt made up like a rabbit. One day, we took it to the park. Our dad had warned us how fast that dog was, but we couldn't resist. So, my brother took off the leash, and in that instant, the dog spotted a cat. I imagine it must have looked just like that piece of felt. He ran. Never saw a thing as beautiful as that old dog running. Until, at last, he finally caught it. And to the horror of everyone, he killed that little cat. Tore it to pieces. Then he just sat there, confused. That dog had spent its whole life trying to catch that thing. Now it had no idea what to do.
Westworld · 247 quotes
Robert Ford
