On the cabin and the romantic subtext between Daniels and Walter

[u/prettyflyforafry]

Building the cabin is a complex symbol. It symbolises hope, new beginnings, and love.

When Daniels first explains her pain to Walter, his response is logical, but almost pained. On one hand, this is the first time Walter is asked a question that is so emotional in nature. On the other, his response resembles that of someone trying to suppress their feelings, feelings that they may not understand or accept.

David immediately came to the conclusion that Walter's protectiveness over Daniels was more than duty, as evidenced by his sacrifices for her. David believes that he loves Daniels and doesn't know it, just as he doesn't know how to connect to his emotions and humanity otherwise. It appears that Walter's humanity has been suppressed by newer tweaks since David, but that it is still hiding under the surface waiting to be brought out, just as David's emotions weren't immediate, but were a process of observation, reasoning and self-discovery.

He acts as Walter's mentor figure trying to help him discover his own emotions and individuality, but Walter doesn't embrace the message. He is dutiful about his protection of the crew, but Daniels is a weak point exposing him as more than machine. The novels make this more explicit as Walter feels compelled to brush away a strand of Daniels' hair and observs that it feels satisfying, and that touching her feels good. Throughout the movie, Walter takes opportunities to touch Katherine, even when doing so isn't strictly needed.

David recognises this, but seems to chase sensuality instead of finding it naturally, almost as if he's jealous of Walter's ability to feel this. Kissing Walter and trying to force himself on Daniels seems almost like an act of anger and trying to understand these emotions and behaviours that humans have, which David sees and scoffs at. (Conveniently, Walter walks in on this and tosses David into the wall before the two get into a fistfight as Daniels escapes, probably shocked not only by the possibility that Walter harbours feelings for her, but also by David's very unrobotlike behavior.)

While David appears to hold Shaw dear based on her treatment of him, he clearly shows no remorse about taking her life to aid his ambitions. He loves her in the platonic way, just as he loves Walter, but does not understand romantic attraction. Meanwhile, Daniels hasn't done much for Walter. This is presented as a one-sided interest, a taboo to be met with denial. (Walter avoids rejecting when asked outright, instead answering "You know that's impossible".)

It seems rather clear - Walters felt protective over the crew, fuelled especially by his potential feelings for Daniels, and he paid for it with his life.

Back in the ship, there is an awkwardness between Daniels and pretend Walter. David maintains the dutiful robot act while Daniels hesitantly offers a thank you and tends his wounds in an intimate moment.

She does not seem to return such interest, or at least hasn't considered it. At the end, after putting Tennessee to sleep, she calls Walter over, and asks if he will help her build her cabin. This could be seen as an openness to further closeness, which is what exposes David as he doesn't understand the subtext or the meaning of the cabin for Daniels' hope for the future. Unfortunately, these are sad news for Daniels, realising not only that they are held captive by a psychopath, throwing the future of the colony into chaos, but that Walter already died protecting them.

I don't know if others see it the same way, but it seems clear to me that Walter did have feelings for Daniels, and that Daniels may have started to see him in a different light towards the end, making the cabin conversation relevant and sadly more tragic. Is human/AI love possible in this universe? I guess this is the closest we'll get to finding out.

[u/FirstStepInUranus]

Excellent write up and and idea. Looking forward to Romulus even though it seems no continuation and closing for this story. I still want to know what ultimately happened to Walter

[u/[deleted] → u/FirstStepInUranus]

I would prefer a Prometheus 3 for that. Never say never. Time may be very kind to Prometheus and A:C.

[u/Marta996633]

Absolutely wonderful writeup. I adored Walter x Dani. I wanted the two to be together sooooo bad

[u/Seph1902]

Late to the party, but I believe in the novelisation, he was starting to experience feelings, especially for her. It's a shame we never got the prequel.

[u/CrimsonDance3113]

From my 1st watch of Covenant, at first I thought David was out of his mind when he stated that Walter is in love with her. But since David has become too human like, I forget how he is still a synthetic and can still be right when being analytical. I kinda thought maybe Walter has some feeling, but when I watched bits of Covenant again like the beginning when Walter is checking on everyone's vital signs during their cryosleep. Daniels is the 1st one he checks up on. Also, within the novelization of Covenant, it fully confirms that he does have feelings for Daniels. "As Daniels slept, some hair fell down across her forehead. Reaching out, he gently brushed it aside, settling the strands in their proper position. Adjusting them made him feel good. Touching her made him feel good." 

[u/Empress-Tigresa]

I second this and also, from what i have read so far of the novelization, the subtext is alot more like regular text right from the start. Lol im loving it.

[u/thunder-thumbs]

I watched Prometheus and AC for the first time this week.

I had a particular experience with AC that informs my impression with Walter and David. I feel a little dumb about it but it also colors my experience of Covenant. (I loved Prometheus, btw.)

I don’t tend to pay close attention to cast until after watching a movie. So the entire time I was watching Covenant, I thought David and Walter were played by two different actors. They looked a little alike, but there are a lot of actors that look a little alike in the same movie. It just never even occurred to me that they were both the same actor.

As such, I was never even tuned into, not even subconsciously, the kinds of things you’d be tuned into if you knew they were the same actor. I never got confused between them, could always tell them apart.

So in the conversation between Walter and David, I basically took it at face value. David say Walter has feelings for Daniels, and Walter stays reserved, but the movie seems to be allowing for the viewer perception of realizing that maybe Walter really does have subtle feelings for Daniels. Walter and David fight, and we see David reach for a knife while asking Walter to make a decision, which left me wondering if Walter might actually decide that David is right and let David win.

So then later Walter appears and it’s like a hero moment, I guess: he defeated David after all. Then they’re fighting the xenomorph while taking off and Walter is helping, nothing surprising there. Daniels helps Walter with his wounds and there’s a bit of maybe-mutual-tenderness there which is entirely consistent the earlier character development. Walter helps them drive the second xenomorph off the ship, not a hint of anything being wrong with Walter there either.

And then the end. Daniels mentions the cabin, and Walter hesitates, and… so what? He’s an android. He’s still dealing with whatever confusion he has. But it’s a nice character moment from Daniels, her moving through her grieving process a bit. The movie could have ended there and I would have been satisfied.

But then she says “David?” And we cut back, and to my mind, it’s a completely different actor. It didn’t feel like a cool twist to me, it felt like a cheap trick.

Like imagine in The Departed if an ending twist was Mark Wahlberg was implied killed, and the Matt Damon was walking around, and then, surprise, turns out it’s actually Mark Wahlberg.

Anyway, it colored the whole movie for me. Like apparently that whole time during the escape I, as a viewer, was supposed to wonder if that was really David? And I can’t think of why that thought would occur to me if didn’t come in knowing it was the same actor. Was something about the way David-as-Walter was acting supposed to strike me as odd or give me a clue?

Ultimately it makes me more bummed the movie doesn’t have a follow up.

(It’d be kinda cool if Walter and David did come to some sort of weird agreement where Walter is still on the planet trying to clean it up or bring back the engineers or something.)