Westworld, “Trace Decay”, Review!
Jondee here at Westworld,
The eighth episode has hit and it is off to Westworld, stitched together in white threads, into a theme park. The voice of Dr. Robert Ford (Anthony Hopkins), the creator of the park, activates Bernard (Jeffrey Wright) who up until recently we thought was a human in charge of the Programming Division. He is worried about Theresa (Sidse Babett Knudsen), the head of Westworld, whom he killed under the direction of Ford. Bernard is the perfect creation of Dr. Ford. Bernard defies him and is about to strike him, but is frozen. Ford has him to cover up Theresa’s death and then clears his memory of her. Westworld, Maeve Millay (Thandie Newton), the host madam of the town, gets a drink. She’s not impressed at her girl, Clementine (Angela Sarafyan), the piano music of The Animals “House of the Rising Sun” plays, she flashes back to memories of her daughter Clementine. Maeve wakes to find the two technicians, Felix (Leonardo Nam) and Sylvester (Ptolemy Slocum) who have upgraded her. She notes the explosive charge in her as a fail safe. Riding a horse, Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood) and William (Jimmi Simpson) she goes to see bodies. Dolores hears a cough and goes to help the dying man with a drink of water. William knows that man was part of the ambush. She still wants to help the boy and goes to get river from the river. Dolores sees her body in the river, turns and sees no one, then William with the boy. We are getting Matrix-y. Ford checks on the body of a host, reported on by the head of security, Ashley Stubbs (Luke Hemsworth) along with Charlotte Hale (Tessa Thompson), executive director. He notes that Charlotte has helped uncover Theresa’s dealings. Maeve has learned what to do, but still needs help to get to Behavior Control and reprogram herself. On the trails, Teddy (James Marsden), host gunslinger along with The Man in Black (Ed Harris), a host gunslinger are still looking for Wyatt and see bodies. They find a crying woman who says it was Wyatt’s men. Teddy cuts her bonds free while The Man in Black walks to and faces a horned axeman. Teddy shoots it and The Man in Black has a rope around it’s neck, Teddy takes off it’s head with an axe. A memory of the rope gets Teddy to slug The Man in Black.
Maeve is taken on a gurney and has Felix reprogram her, first shutting her down. He pauses on reformatting Maeve. A man is about to eat a leg while Lee (Simon Quarterman) is working on his story, Charlotte enters and apologizes, he tries to boast about his new villain, but Charlotte tells him about Wyatt. Maeve suddenly wakes and she cuts Sylvester’s throat with a knife. Maeve wants her army. Maeve reprograms the bartender to wipe out her tab. She flashes back to her daughter and shooting the Man in Black, but he stabs her. A man in black, Hector (Rodrigo Santoro) rides up and starts shooting with other hosts. Maeve programs the sheriff and deputies to die in gunfights. Ford talks with Bernard who is confused about the reality of his memories, he explains that the back story is needed to make him “life-like.” Ford is about to wipe out Bernard’s memory, he flashes to killing a woman, he knows Ford is lying. Dolores is walking with William to a rocky outcrop to her home, the town is empty, and then suddenly comes to life. A technicians is directing a dance. She hears church bells and a girl talks to her, then Dolores sees the townsfolk gunned down by herself, before she holds the gun to her head, William takes it away. Dolores questions the reality and William takes her away. Night, they see horsemen ride up. Charlotte and Lee enter the room of deactivated hosts. Charlotte is loading data into a host and wants Lee’s help to make a story to get him out of the park. Bernard is met by Ashley, who mentions the affair, but of course he doesn’t have a memory. Campfire with the girl, Teddy, and the Man in Black (tied up) and Teddy wants to know where is Dolores. The Man in Black says he’s the good guy, until his wife died, his daughter blamed him, he made his own story killing Maeve. Flashback, Maeve takes out the knife and slashes the Man in Black, current, Maeve has sliced Clementine’s throat. Maeve takes her daughter out and collapses on a maze symbol. Maeve is about to be arrested, but gets gunfighters to cover her retreat. Maeve screams about her baby while Ford and Bernard checks on her. Dolores begs for the memory of her daughter, Ford erases her memory, Dolores stabs her neck. The technicians arrive. The woman wants Teddy to kill the Man in Black, but he can’t, she stabs him with an arrow. The Ghost Tribe appears as the woman says, “Wyatt needs you.” Four Control Pads out of Five!