''In here, we were gods. And you… were merely our guests.''
Warning: Full spoilers for the episode below.
Hey, did you know Anthony Hopkins can be really, really scary?
Well, of course you do, but I love how Westworld took a few episodes to show Ford going to that scary place and for Hopkins to turn up his inner-Lecter. Oh, he wasn’t killing or eating anyone, but man was he scary and intimidating in that scene with Theresa.
While I’d noted Ford was obviously not seeing the Hosts in the more humane way Bernard (and others) were, he still felt like a fairly benevolent, albeit eccentric, figure up until now. But here he was in full threat mode, as he flat out told Theresa, “Don’t get in my way,” while revealing he had way more knowledge about what was going on at Westworld that it appeared – including Theresa’s current affair with Bernard and even her childhood experiences at the park, as he had purposely sat them at the same table she’d eaten at with her parents. Creepy.
So now we have to wonder if Ford knows about Bernard’s time with Dolores – and if he doesn’t, why not? And is he personally charting what the Man in Black is up to? Endorsing it?
I think it’s too soon to say Ford has now been revealed as a villain, but he certainly is more sinister than he first appeared. And we’ll see just how dangerous that can be for other characters.
If Ford really knows everything then we'll learn what he thinks about Bernard telling Dolores that she should find the Maze as well. In the meantime, Dolores' new mission is an exciting turn of events that also has a seemingly inevitable end result – Dolores and the Man in Black confronting each other, as both are now seeking to accomplish the same goal.
Bernard telling Dolores if she can find the center of the maze “maybe you can be free” is very intriguing. Does he mean she’ll have full knowledge of who she is? Or does he mean she literally, physically, will be free of Westworld?
This episode leaned heavily into the video game aspect of Westworld in a big, fun way. Logan, as an experienced player, is much more aware of what’s happening than William, pointing out a lot of the game-like aspects - and realizing they’d stumbled upon an “Easter egg” when their prisoner named his boss, sending them on a new path (though this diversion seems detailed enough to be better identified as a side mission or hidden level, no?) .
This is a good time to note that yes, I’ve seen the “William is the Man in Black as a young man!” fan theory going around in the past couple of weeks – which suggests we’re not seeing events happening at the same time, even though it appears they are. I’m sure those who like that theory will say Logan telling William to go “black hat” with him here is all the set up to William’s transformation, though I don’t really buy into this idea – especially since it means 30 years ago Dolores was set on a path that could have helped her and it utterly failed, pretty much removing any feeling of hope for her.
Once more, we saw Lawrence’s little girl “break character” to someone looking for the maze, this time with Dolores. I love the idea that this girl is a specific part of the maze “mission” in the game that is Westworld and hope we get more exploration of that down the line. Though the girl then vanishing leant it a surreal tinge, while also suggesting Dolores could be flickering in-between memories of various “lives” herself again.
Another question the show hopefully addresses is how much a guest can be harmed in Westworld. The Man in Black notes that you can’t really die in the park – something I wouldn’t take literally (accidents happen!), but rather that the missions you go on are never truly made to be lethal. But in the very same episode, he threatens to slit another guest’s throat when approached about their real lives. Sure, the guns in Westworld can’t kill humans, but what about other weapons, knives included? How could they prevent guest on guest violence?
That encounter was also notable because it gave us a peek into the Man in Black’s true identity, as he was thanked for having a foundation that helped save the other guest’s sister. I love the idea of the Man in Black as the ultimate Weekend Warrior, who is a wealthy, benevolent presence until he gets to Westworld. Oh, I’ve also seen the “the Man in Black is Arnold!” theories and don’t buy it either – especially after MIB’s discussion about Arnold in this episode and trying to beat Arnold’s “story with real stakes.”
After only seeing them causing chaos in the premiere, it was great to get to know Hector and Armistice much better here – complete with MIB’s crack about Hector feeling too “Market-tested.” And Armistice’s backstory now being tied into Wyatt is a cool curveball, especially now that MIB found poor Teddy strung up.
Besides Ford's big scene, what was really thrilling here though was that final encounter between Hector and Maeve, as she continued to unravel what is happening in notable ways. Hector telling her about the religious belief in “The man who walks between worlds” was notable as far as learning that a number of the Hosts perhaps do have an unconscious awareness of their creators – but Maeve and Hector pulling that slug out of her right before they "died" (this time) was a huge moment. Maeve is collecting evidence in a much more notable way and seems to in fact be onto more specifics than Dolores is right now. Now wouldn’t it be interesting if they compared notes?
The Verdict
A ton was going on in “Dissonance Theory" -- written by Jonathan Nolan and the wonderful comic book writer, Ed Brubaker -- as Ford displayed a different side, Hector and Armistice (and that tattoo of hers) were put in the spotlight, Dolores set on her own path towards the Maze and Maeve began to literally dig deep for answers.
These changes hint at storylines that are either likely on a direct collision course -- the Maze sure sounds like it could be a busy place soon! -- or at the least giving us information on the same topic from different perspectives, all of which continues to build upon this fascinating world.
Editors' Choice
→
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire