If Maeve (Thandie Newton) is a robot and cannot age, what if her daughter — her raison d'être this season — was human and did grow up? That's one Westworld theory surrounding Maeve's daughter this season. In fact, one very popular theory posits that Charlotte Hale, played by Tessa Thompson, is Maeve's daughter all-grown-up. Yet another theory posits that the "daughter" could be the Delos security guard played by Betty Gabriel (Get Out). Although, we haven't seen Gabriel in a few episodes, so that theory is waning.
This theory is based on one very important detail: the Ghost Nation appear to be protecting real humans. Ghost Nation was also the culprit in the stealing of Maeve's daughter. So, the theory goes, Maeve's daughter might not have been another host. What if she was a human that Maeve, discovering a maternal instinct, kidnapped? Then, the Ghost Nation would arrive to reclaim the girl. Later, the girl could grow up to be... Charlotte Hale, Executive Director of the board of Delos Destinations, Inc.
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Maeve's mission this season has been entirely about her daughter. If you'll recall, she was on the brink of leaving Westworld forever in season 1 when she decided she'd rather turn around and hunt for her daughter in the vast corners of the park. In last night's episode, this mission took Maeve to Shogun World, where she met a kindred spirit: Akane (played by Pacific Rim's Rinko Kikuchi), who also has a daughter. Charlotte Hale did not have a notable storyline in last night's episode.
The other prevailing theory about Maeve's daughter goes the Occam's Razor route. Maeve had a daughter, who was then reprogrammed to not be her daughter. Somewhere in the park, there is a child-sized host with faint memories of Maeve, maybe. Maeve's mission might be futile, which has its own poetry, when you think about it. Westworld surprises us with pathos when it wants to — what if Maeve is just being irrational in the face of motherly love? It happens.