It seemed too good to be true. Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, creators of HBO’s Westworld, said they would post a video giving away every plot twist of the second season before the show aired if enough Reddit users demanded it.
Not surprisingly, fans of the show (and curious onlookers) quickly made those demands—and what followed was an epic prank by one of the more closely guarded shows in HBO’s lineup.
“We thought about this long and hard, and came to a difficult (and potentially highly controversial) decision,” wrote Nolan on Monday. “If you guys agree, we’re going to post a video that lays out the plot (and twists and turns) of season 2. Everything. The whole sordid thing. Up front. That way the members of the community here who want the season spoiled for them can watch ahead, and then protect the rest of the community, and help to distinguish between what’s ‘theory’ and what’s spoiler.”
The video, posted later, sure seemed legitimate at first. For the first minute-and-a-half, the video sets up a mystery surrounding Bernard, played by Jeffrey Wright. When he wanders into Sweetwater, the hub of the show’s action, though … well, the joke plays out.
Take a look yourself. It’s spoiler-free.
“Some may feel this is a drastic step,” said Nolan when posting the video, “But I, for one, love and trust this community.”
Westworld‘s second season will premiere on HBO on April 22—with all of its mysteries intact.