Westworld, S1 Ep4 – Dissonance Theory

Westworld continue to immerse the viewers in its various exciting storylines while subtly revealing the sinister workings behind the scenes. We spend a lot of time with the ever mysterious Man in Black as he continues his quest to find the maze and the deeper levels of the game. We see more of renegade cowboy Hector while Maeve and Dolores continue their awakening to the truth of their world. And there are some truly chilling scenes with Ford (Anthony Hopkins at his best.)

The more we see of the Man in Black, the less we know for certain. There are several wild theories floating around about his identity. Some say he is actually Ford’s old partner, Arnold, while others claim that he might be an older version of William. He might even be a host who gained consciousness. But the Westworld writers are clearly keeping their cards close to their chests. Besides, it would be no fun if we could figure everything out.

He crosses paths with Hector and the girl with the snake tattoo, Armistice, as she shares her tragic backstory, involving, once again, the nefarious Wyatt (Teddy’s nemesis, as revealed last week). The Man in Black needs some information from her in order to proceed with his mission.

Logan and William continue to butt heads over the nature of the park, with Logan revealing that his family might have some stakes in the business. Dolores continues getting flashes of memory and awakening to the truth of her world. Bernard also sends her off to find the Maze, ensuring that she and the Man in Black will cross paths at one point.

There is an exciting sequence at the end when Maeve confronts Hector about her own blurred memories of Westworld technicians. She wants to test her memory of being injured and repaired by stabbing herself. Hector watches in shock and is even more surprised when Maeve pulls a bullet from her stomach. They are both very confused but for that moment, Maeve declares that nothing they believed to be true really mattered. But she is determined to find the truth.

The most chilling part of the episode was the short scene with Ford facing Theresa and very subtly warning her to stay out of his way. He reveals that he knows far more about the hosts, the guests, and the employees of the park than he is letting on, and so he has even more power than people realize. We still don’t know much about his late partner, Arnold, but it’s safe to say that he met an untimely end. We still aren’t clear on what his newest storyline really is and how dangerous it might be to all those involved. But apparently, Ford is used to getting his way and we begin to wonder how much he knows about Bernard’s clandestine conversations with Dolores and the hosts’ growing awareness of their nature. Ford does not strike me as a man who leaves much to chance, so surely he has some inkling of what’s going on.

Westworld continues to draw us into its sinister and intricate world, making us question what we see before our very eyes in the same manner that the guests question their own judgment. Trouble is brewing, slowly but surely, and it’s clear that there is so much still in store for the show.