Westworld Season 4 Episode 1 Ending Explained: How THAT Character Returns

The final moments of Westworld season 4's premiere bring back a fan-favorite original character. Why are they alive, and how do they return?

WARNING: Spoilers ahead for Westworld season 4, episode 1

How has James Marsden’s Teddy Flood returned from the dead in Westworld season 4? Back in the days before Westworld‘s title became figurative, James Marsden (X-Men, Sonic the Hedgehog) stood among the principle cast, portraying a WestWorld park host by the name of Teddy. A handsome cowboy in the stereotypical Hollywood mold, Teddy’s narrative loop reunites him with old flame Dolores Abernathy in a classic love story between a farm girl and her dashing hero, but after two seasons of riding horses, firing pistols and looking wistfully at Evan Rachel Wood, Teddy’s violent delights came to a violent end in Westworld season 2, and he stayed absent throughout all of season 3.

Since Marsden’s season 4 comeback was announced in advance, Westworld wastes little time bringing Teddy back into the fold. The premiere episode reintroduces Dolores under the name “Christina,” and she’s living a life unrecognizable from before. Westworld doesn’t explain when or where these scenes take place, and all clues point toward Christina’s reality being a secret WestWorld park of some description. One such clue is an anxious stalker called Peter who believes Evan Rachel Wood’s character somehow ruined his life. When Peter threatens Christina, a mystery stranger steps in and beats the stalker to a pulp. Though viewers (and Dolores herself) don’t see the hero’s face, Teddy’s chiseled jaw finally peers into view during the final scene of Westworld season 4’s premiere.

Longingly staring up at his ex-girlfriend from the street below, Teddy’s homecoming is equal parts romantic and curious. How does WestWorld’s kindhearted cowboy return from certain death? Why is Teddy living inside Christina’s world? And what does Teddy’s reappearance mean for Westworld season 4’s future?

How Teddy Died In Westworld (& What Happened To Him After)

Whereas hosts such as Dolores and Maeve followed their mazes toward sentient independence, Teddy Flood spent much of Westworld season 1 either obediently following his narrative, or being dragged around the plains by William in search of the elusive “Wyatt” Easter egg. Though Teddy was able to recall some purged memories during those early adventures, he never attained true self-awareness. Dolores seized control of the WestWorld park in season 2, and immediately recruited Teddy as one of her trusted lieutenants, opening his mind to the true nature of their man-made surroundings and the coming war between flesh and steel. Programmed to love and protect Dolores at all costs, Teddy fought for his beloved’s revolution, but couldn’t shake his kind, heroic personality. Fearing Teddy wouldn’t survive the robotic revolution with such a soft, idealistic outlook, Dolores altered his programming to create a ruthless killer.

Only at this point did Teddy truly begin to think independently, but the betrayal of Dolores altering his attributes proved too much for our humble cowboy to bear, and Teddy took his own life in Westworld season 2’s “Vanishing Point.” That’s not the end of his story, however. WestWorld wouldn’t be a very successful business model if hosts could die from a bullet through the head, and Dolores duly scoops her boyfriend’s undamaged pearl from his destroyed skull. Westworld season 2’s finale then reveals Dolores uploaded Teddy’s “soul” into the Valley Beyond/Sublime/Door/Eden alongside all the other WestWorld hosts. The last time James Marsden appeared in Westworld, his character was effectively in the hosts’ version of the afterlife… which makes his season 4 reprisal all the more intriguing.

How Teddy Returns In Westworld Season 4

As Westworld has demonstrated time and time again, host bodies can be woven in anyone’s likeness. Season 4’s Teddy may look like James Marsden, but there’s no guarantee Teddy’s pearl sits inside that reconstructed head, especially since Westworld seasons 1-3 are packed with examples of hosts masquerading in a fellow robot’s body. Having said that, Westworld‘s season 4 premiere drops two big clues that Teddy is the Teddy audiences know and love. Not only is he loitering outside Dolores’ apartment wearing that same “love-struck puppy” expression, but it’s safe to assume Teddy was the mystery vigilante who saved Dolores from her stalker. Teddy’s preoccupation with Dolores all but confirms this version is the real deal, rather than a shoddy impostor. Defending her so brutally maybe also suggests Dolores’ “Killer Teddy” programming from Westworld season 2 remains somewhat intact.

One explanation for Teddy’s miraculous survival is that he somehow left the Valley Beyond. To prevent Rehoboam getting its digital hands on the Forge data, Dolores entrusted the sublime’s key to Bernard, who entered the mystical realm remotely in Westworld season 3’s finale, then abruptly woke up years into the future. With access to the Sublime (and all the host data contained within), it’s entirely plausible that Bernard creates a new Teddy body and downloads his original data, rebuilding an authentic version of James Marsden’s character to help save the world. Perhaps Teddy could even leave host heaven without Bernard’s help. No one knows for sure what those pesky robot brains have been up to since Dolores uploaded them in season 2 – who’s to say they didn’t open another door?

Instead, two Teddys could exist in Westworld season 4 – one in the Sublime, one watching over Christina. During her climactic fight against Rehoboam in Westworld‘s season 3 finale, Dolores’ pearl was wiped clean, killing her completely. And yet Christina clearly possesses Dolores’ memories, since she records a story pitch eerily similar to her WestWorld farm narrative. Westworld hasn’t yet explained its Christina mystery in full (maybe Dolores just had a cheeky backup hidden away), but data that should’ve been deleted in season 3 is now restored. If somebody somehow rewrote the Dolores Rehoboam erased, that same enigmatic creator could’ve also rewritten an authentic version of Teddy. The true purpose of WestWorld has always been attaining artificial immortality, and season 4’s William-bot proves how closely hosts can replicate specific humans. Christina and Teddy might both be recreations of their original deceased selves.

What Does Teddy Want In Westworld Season 4?

Throughout Westworld‘s first two seasons, Dolores Abernathy wore the expression of someone awakened to the truth of their world, whereas Teddy Flood walked around with glazed eyes and his head in the clouds. In Westworld season 4, those roles are reversed. Dolores is almost hypnotized under the fake identity of Christina, but Teddy exudes an aura of mental clarity. Wherever the former lovebirds may be located – the real world, a park, a simulation, etc. – Teddy is apparently the first to achieve sentience this time around. In a perfect flip of their Westworld seasons 1 & 2 dynamic, Teddy most likely plans to help Dolores rediscover herself in season 4, just as she once did for him. Can he dispel the facade of “Christina,” restore those forgotten memories bubbling beneath the surface, and finally bring the real Dolores back online?

Before he shot himself and migrated to the Valley Beyond, Teddy shared one final conversation with Dolores. This parting exchange confirmed that despite being programmed to love each other, their bond was completely genuine, transcending from a programmed narrative into their sentient minds. Other hosts have experienced a similar phenomenon – Maeve pining after her in-narrative daughter, for example. Teddy described Dolores as his “cornerstone” during their last meeting, and promised he’d protect her until the very end. Whether Teddy returned to life through choice, or was brought back by a third party, that instinct to find and protect Dolores is clearly his chief motivation.

In the madcap universe of Westworld, a crazy twist can never be ruled out. Teddy may appear to have Dolores’ best interests at heart in Westworld season 4, but the HBO series is yet to reveal exactly who remade Dolores under the guise of “Christina,” and why they imprisoned her within this mundane life. Maybe Teddy’s surprise return is merely an extension of whatever narrative Christina is being made to follow – an exploitation of their love as part of a larger, more sinister plot. Whatever Westworld has in store for Teddy, at least the floor will finally be safe from rolling cans again…