Westworld season 2's secret title is a major hint

HBO’s Westworld contains mysteries upon secrets upon riddles that are written as anagrams that are hidden inside a puzzle box opened with a key buried somewhere in the desert outside Sweetwater.

But did you know — and you don’t — that each season also has a title?

Not just “season 1” or “season 2,” but an actual title that’s only used by the writers and producers, titles that have never been publicly revealed. Until now. And the title for season 2 is potentially a major clue.

The season title revelation came up during EW’s chat with showrunners Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy about the new episodes. We’ll post the full interview later, but we thought this one excerpt was especially fun.

“If the first season was a journey inward, this is a journey outward,” Nolan said. “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.'”

At this, Joy exclaimed about her famously secretive partner: “I can’t believe he just told you that!”

So let’s discuss: “The Maze” is a pretty clear title for season 1 — the hosts navigated the meticulously constructed mental labyrinth crafted by their human creators to unlock their past. The center of the maze was true consciousness; the voice that Arnold wanted Dolores to hear was her own.

The season 2 name “The Door” is rather intriguing because doors, after all, always lead somewhere. So “The Door” could be an opening to another of the Westworld parks (such as ShogunWorld) or even could take the hosts outside the park for the first time.

Keep in mind, however, “The Maze” turned out to be a metaphor (which was a bit of a bummer for those hoping for a literal maze to pop up at some point). “The Door” is almost certainly a metaphor to some degree as well, though it also could turn out to be quite literal, too. Or not.

For all the scoop on Westworld season 2’s violent delights, pick up the new issue of Entertainment Weekly on stands Friday — or buy it right now here. Don’t forget to subscribe for more exclusive interviews and photos, only in EW.

Westworld season 2 premieres on HBO on April 22.