Westworld Recap: Season 2, Episode 2

Spoiler Alert Notice: Freeze all motor functions. If you haven’t watched season 2, episode 2 of Westworld and you don’t want to be spoiled by details, then this post isn’t meant for you. If you want to be spoiled anyway or have seen the episode already, then carry on.

Westworld season 2, episode 2 opens with Arnold and Dolores. Arnold asks Dolores, “Do you know where you are?”

Dolores answers, “I’m in a dream.”

Arnold says, “You’re in our world.”

The location doesn’t look like anything inside the Westworld park. It looks like Arnold and Dolores are inside a tall building.

As Dolores watches the city lights, she says, “Looks like the stars have been scattered across the ground. Have you ever seen anything so full of splendor?”

Young Robert Ford then enters the room, asking Arnold if Dolores is ready. Arnold answers that Dolores isn’t and that they’ll have to use another girl.

The next scene shows Arnold and Dolores entering a property that’s under construction. Arnold says this is going to be the new house for his son and wife.

Arnold and Dolores again had their usual philosophical discussions. At one point Dolores says something very wise, the next sentence, she repeats lines she said earlier, “Looks like the stars have been scattered across the ground. Have you ever seen anything so full of splendor?”

Arnold shows sadness when Dolores repeats these lines, an indication that Dolores still hasn’t reached consciousness.

Westworld, the Business Side
What Arnold referred to as the activity where Dolores wasn’t ready was the meeting with Logan, Mr. Delos himself.

In a bar, Logan meets the representatives of Argos Initiative – the organization which Ford and Arnold founded. One of the organization’s representatives is Angela, the first host who welcomed William in season 1, episode 1 to Westworld park.

The meeting turns out to be a business meeting in an effort to convince Logan to give his recommendation to his father to invest in Westworld.

Angela says, “Everyone is rushing to build the virtual world. We’re offering a little more tangible.”

In a room full of people, Angela challenges Logan to identify who are humans and who aren’t. Turns out, everybody isn’t human, including Angela herself and the lady who plays the piano – dear Clementine.

William, for his part, brings his father-in-law to the actual Westworld park, no train this time but in helicopter style, freezing the actions below, including Dolores and Teddy’s first meeting.

Williams tells his father-in-law, “This is the only place in the world where you get to see people for who they really are. If you don’t see the business in that, then you’re not the businessman that I thought you were.” Somehow, this convinces his father-in-law.

Evolution of William
Inside the Westworld park, William saves Lawrence, whose storyline wages a war against the Confederate. William convinces Lawrence to wage a real revolution, one that’s for his kind (the hosts at Westworld park).

William tells Lawrence that Westworld exists for people to sin in peace – a place hidden from God. William says that the sins and choices of Westworld’s guests are, however, being watched and their sins and choices are being tallied.

William says, “Judgement isn’t the point. We’ve something else entirely.”

He tells Lawrence that he already received his judgment but he’ll appeal this judgment and after this, he’ll “burn this whole f -- king thing to the ground.”

Another scene shows the younger version of William in a room with Dolores, the place where Dolores and Arnorld/Bernard often hold philosophical discussions.

William commands Dolores to bring herself back online. He says, “You’re really are just a thing. I can’t believe I fell in love with you.” In the end, he says, what he realized was that he wasn’t really interested in her but in himself.

“You’re a reflection,” Williams tells Dolores. Everybody, he says, loves their own reflection.

He adds, “Everybody wants a little bit of what I found here. And I can’t wait to use you and every one of your kind to give it to them.”

William brings Dolores to a valley where there’s not much to see but empty spaces, some machines and some dug holes.

How Dolores Starts a Revolution
Dolores starts a revolution by enabling Teddy to achieve consciousness by showing him a footage of what the humans have done to him – killing him and reviving him.

Dolores, with the help of Angela, extracts (with force) information from one of the Delos staff about the company’s attack plan against the hosts. Six hundred or 800 Delos staff are believed to be involved in defeating the hosts.

As Dolores has only 50 hosts behind her, she ventures with one of Delos staff (one that can reprogram hosts), Angela and Teddy to recruit other hosts to ally with them.

Along the way, the most awaited encounter happens, the meeting of two powerhouses on Westworld, Dolores and Maeve. Dolores convinces Maeve to join her cause.

Maeve tells Dolores, “You feel free to command everybody else (looking at Teddy).

Maeve addresses Teddy, “I know you. Do you feel free? (Teddy didn’t answer and just stands there looking as blank as ever).

Maeve tells Dolores, “Since it’s liberty you’re defending. I supposed you’ve no choice but to let us pass freely.”

Dolores didn’t further attempt to convince Maeve and let her pass along with her 2 sidekicks, Hector and Delos’ storyline writer.

This episode ends with Dolores, traveling with Teddy, her old supporter Angela and new allies – hosts reprogrammed to support her.

Dolores tells Teddy that they’ll find the “valley beyond” as an old friend – referring to William – was stupid enough to show her. She says that the valley beyond isn’t a place but a weapon.

Photo by HBO