It’s been a long nine weeks since we returned to Westworld (with detours in The Raj and Shogun World). We go into tonight’s finalé with more questions than answers from when the season began. The supersized, 90 minute show may finally have all characters and timelines converge. Or it won’t. Here are some of our most pressing questions and predicted answers going into the big show.
The Flood
Early in the season we hoped we wouldn’t have to wait until the end to find out how the flood happened and who is responsible. Of course in the back of our minds we knew it wouldn’t happen. Now we’re just hoping they do the reveal tonight!
Bernard has said he’s responsible, but somehow that seems like too simple of a solution. And this show is not known for letting the viewers off easy. Dolores could manipulate him. Maeve could use her blue-tooth mind control. And Dr. Ford’s spirit code is just hopping from host to host.
No matter what Bernard does, we doubt it will be his choice.
Dolores/Wyatt & Teddy Flood
And speaking of floods, maybe Teddy Flood will be responsible! Of course at the moment he’s laying with a bullet in his head processor on the floor of an abandoned barn in a remote part of the park. But we already know this isn’t the end of his story. We’ve seen him in the lab and floating in the flood.
This leads to a ton of questions. Is he reanimated only to be killed again? With the Cradle destroyed how is he restored? Or is someone else’s story implanted? Maybe a character from The Raj.
As for Dolores, will Teddy’s (most recent) death shake her to her core processors? Even though Teddy pulled the trigger she musk know that she is responsible. Sure Teddy was altered to be aggressive, he remembered his days of a compassionate host, and knew that anything else was unnatural.
So will she become even more of a high-riding bitch? You know an epic confrontation is coming with her as one of the principals. Will Wyatt be triggered by violent delights and violent ends? She may need that personality to override her grief.
And that epic confrontation could come with..
Maeve
Our fave character is in a bad way. She’s spent the last couple episodes on the verge of death and strapped to a gurney. While important, it’s left us seriously jonesing for the alternately rampaging and compassionate Maeve of old.
Her code has been lifted and placed in Clementine to have hosts turn on each other, so she’ll have that burden to carry. She needs to get repaired soon, because we suspect all storylines and timelines will converge tonight. And a Maeve versus Dolores confrontation seems inevitable. They’ve shared so very little screen time over both seasons, most recently when Dolores almost shot her to eliminate a future threat!
Bernard/Arthur
Where to begin with Bernard. Will there just be one Bernard at the climax? We saw several Bernard clones in storage, are there more running around the park? Could Bernard be on the beach and in the flood. As if Bernard didn’t deal with enough identity crises.!
Ford told him the game is now his, and even though Ford complied when he told him to get out of his head, he could always return!
And speaking of the good doctor..
Dr. Ford
His post-mortem malevolence knows no bounds. Most recently he’s toyed with Maeve’s emotions by discussing her daughter and saying she’s his fave. You know he’s responsible for Dolores’ programming.
The real question here is how much manipulating will he do, and how much will be free will that was merely set in motion by his machinations?
And, oh yeah, he even drove William/Man In Black to murder his own daughter and question his humanity!
William
He drove his wife to suicide, murdered his own daughter, and was last seen digging into his own arm to see if he was a host. His mind is fried. While the Maze was never meant for him, Ford said the game was for him (though he seemingly given it to Bernard..?) this game has been all about William and it’s taken away any last grasp he may have had on reality either inside or outside the park.
Our money is on him to pull the trigger on the flood. Wash it all away with the cleansing power of water and start clean.
Ghost Nation
There is no way Ghost Nation doesn’t play a major role in tonight’s finalé. The show dedicated an entire episode to their back story and we still only have a tentative grasp on their role. Yes, the maze was for them and they spent years quietly fomenting the uprising. But given that they know about The Valley Beyond, they also know they are not likely meant to get there.
Will the great flood wash away The Forge and all the work to clone human psyche? Or will the Peter Abernathy backup somehow save the day?
We just believe the spiritual heart of the Westworld park lies in the quiet strength of the Ghost Nation. How they use that power will be compelling to watch.
The Other Parks
This season we saw Emily chillin’ in The Raj and Maeve and friends got caught up in Shogun World. Both places were also starting to come off the rails. Will the Shoguns find a way to cross parks? It just seems too out of character for the series to take us to these places without advancing the overall plot.
The Critic’s Cocktail Recommendation
Whisky and water. But not too much water. You don’t want your drink to get flooded!
Cheers!
Critic's Cocktail 