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Previously on Westworld, shots fired, shh, shaking, shattering, suicide, sadness.
First, a point of anger about the season finale: I can’t believe they killed Elsie! She was my favorite human. Sizemore got his moment of heroic sacrifice, meta-fictionally inserting himself into the narrative to save others, the first time he was truly selfless. But Elsie was simply killed by the real monster, Hale, who thankfully got got by the Dolores-Hale-bot soon after. That was indeed a satisfying kill.
The finale was entitled ‘The Passenger’, and the thematic point became explicit later when Bernard talks to ‘Ford’ (really himself) about passengers in the context of free will and consciousness. He argued, as many philosophers have in the deterministic vibe, that humans are the passengers in the mind we have, that we can pretend we steer the ship, but the ship steers us.
A very depressing, very Westworld sort of perspective.
The episode played around with time, as per usual, but we saw primarily three timelines. The wrap-around trick of Bernard with Dolores, which turned out to be in the future the whole time, the past version of everyone racing towards the Forge/Valley Beyond/Etc, and the present version of Strand and company trying to find the encryption key.
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We lost quite a few people, including Maeve and her delightful gang. Although that may change in season three if Fitz and Sylvester decide to try and bring her back in some way. I feel it likely they will. Maeve’s purpose was fulfilled, getting people to the promised land, yet much seemed pointless, which I suppose, is the point.
Akecheta seemed happy, reunited with his loved ones, but is his digital host copy also lost? As yet, unclear. One of a few questions left to be answered. Clementine too ‘died’ again, and Dolores died in a fake-out. Strand and his group were killed, as was the evil engineer with no name who was about to kill Maeve. Teddy though, is still there, in his own private Eden.
He can’t win even in the afterlife, can he?
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There were also several moments of sheer delight, like the bull stampede, teased since the teaser, and the beauty and scope of the secret library of metaphors. But it all led up to a final confrontation and a final way to kick off the next season: Bernard versus Dolores.
Life versus death, freedom versus revenge. It’s a good way to set things up, and although I’m glad Hale is dead, her robot isn’t, so we won’t be deprived of Tessa Thompson next season. Looking back, what a tremendous season of acting, of direction, of music and soundtrack. Despite a few hiccups in story and plotting, it was a truly great season of television.
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The final moments after the post-credits are an even more nasty tease, a way to keep us on our toes. In a time unknown and unclear, William is being tested for fidelity. And it ended on a magnificent shot of Ed Harris, his face a cipher of complexity. Glad he’s sticking around, always good to have a few monsters around.
The better to have heroes fight against.
What did you think of the season finale? Tell us in the comments below!
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