Westworld 2.2 “Reunion” Recap
The outside world! James Delos and his awesome Scottish accent! William monologues! Join Benton, Mike, and Me as we try to make sense of everything.
Westworld Nickname Glossary
As you read the review, you’ll notice a few acronyms and nicknames mentioned here and there. This is a Westworld 2.2 glossary that may help. Or not. We tried.
- S1 = Season 1
- S2 = Season 2
- Yung Ford = Young Robert Ford
- Dolo = Dolores
- MIB = Man In Black aka Old William
- Daddy Delos = James Delos (William’s father-in-law, founder of the Delos corporation, Scottish accent haver)
The Outside World (Cold Open)
Sean: COLD OPEN STARTS WITH RACHMANINOFF PRELUDE IN C SHARP MINOR LETS FUCKING GOOOOOO!!!!!
Mike: I AM EXCITED THAT YOU ARE EXCITED!!!
“Have you ever seen anything so full of splendor?” — Dolores
Benton: When Arnold says “After a while, it doesn’t look like anything at all.” I have to assume that was purposefully similar to “Doesn’t look like anything to me.” Not sure if that is the writers making a statement on how we are all going through loops like hosts in our own lives. I might be reading into this way too much.
Sean: That’s an intriguing thought! I definitely got that vibe too.
Mike: Oooh, I like that Benton. I, too, am constantly disappointed in the human race, so I feel Arnold’s anguish here.
Mike: Yes, I gave Ford a rapper nickname #movingon. Throughout Season 1, Ford is just full of wisdom, intellect, and mystery. But I must say I’m here for “Basic Yung Ford” in these flashbacks. “Ugh, WHY ISN’T DOLORES MORE COOL?” or “How DARE you not have like the most amazing accomplishment in human history running like clockwork?” Thanks, Ford!
Benton: Obviously think Arnold’s reason for why Dolores isn’t ready is a complete made-up excuse. He doesn’t want her to be paraded around potential investors. He never wants to let go of her.
Sean: Yeah, it’s pretty clear that he’s gone full over-protective parent on her.
Mike: Ah, yes. That makes sense. Arnold’s definitely more on the “I just wanna do hoodrat stuff with my friends” side while Yung Ford is all about dat cash!
Mike: But, seriously, Arnold is the more curious & innovative part of this duo, so I’m sure if he could’ve built these hosts for free & never had to open the park he would still be alive. Unfortunately…
So where is this city?
Sean: I feel I should recognize the skyline, but I can’t place it.
Benton: Doesn’t look like anything to me (Sorry).
Mike: Update: Benton is definitely not sorry. I’m gonna take a guess and say it’s not in the US.
Sean: Hong Kong? Shenzen? I could also see them compositing multiple skylines together to make it ambiguous.
Mike: In Episode 1, we did get verification that Westworld is an island and that it’s at least near China, so we’re in the right part of the world. Also, the street signs as Dolores & Arnold walk by are in Mandarin. It would be funny if they were in Kansas.
Mike: I love how Arnold can build all these hosts but his house is like 25% done.
Sean: Looks like even with all the advancements, contractors in the future are the same as contractors now.
Benton: Have to say I was disappointed when I saw that the scene from last week’s promo of Dolores’ hand on that stone turned out to just be Arnold’s house. I was really hoping for a secret Westworld temple scene. You know you all wanted to see Teddy try and fail to assemble the silver monkey.
Mike: Haha same! This was one of the most intriguing parts of the Westworld S2 trailers and then Joy/Nolan were like, “Nope! She’s just touching a stone in Arnold’s super unfinished house #welp.” However, that stone touch will prove more meaningful later on…
Mike: I also find it interesting Westworld decided to show us scenes with Arnold and Dolores pre-Charlie’s death. I guess there’s more to explore with Arnold’s psyche post-Charlie’s death and how that affects his work with Dolores? I mean, we know how it ends, but I’m curious if there are more discoveries before Arnold hacks Dolores into killing him?
Benton: I hope we get more scenes like this between Dolores and Arnold. She is definitely like a child to him. And when Charlie died, I am guessing he became even more intent on Dolores being free. And when she couldn’t, it was like he had lost another child. As interesting as it is to follow the hosts’ new motivations, I think the show needs to include more about Arnold and why he started all of this to begin with.
Sean: Yeah, I think they’re trying to further establish Arnold’s fatherly feeling towards Dolores (and maybe all the hosts!), which was kicked into high gear after Charlie’s death - it wasn’t just Charlie’s death causing him to be attached to Dolores, he was just that way in general. It adds to the contrast between him and Ford.
Benton: Also I just want to point out how incredibly striking it is when the hosts are in normal clothes. Shout out to the costume designer on this show.
Mike: Word. Dolo’s dress was 🔥 I think I could rock it 😂
The Dirty Underbelly
Sean: Just want to point out that this weasley Delos Exec character is named Blaine. BLAINE. It actually makes perfect sense.
Mike: Dude Blaines can’t live past 34. That name does not age well.
Benton: This asshole just sitting there eating what I imagine is shitty office popcorn while Phil does all the work. He deserves to get got.
Mike: Right?! Then he had the nerve to say “busy night out there” too I died when Phil (pictured below) gave him the stank “you don’t even do shit” face. Unfortunately, for Phil…
Mike: Have we figured out where all these lower-level employees live? There has to be some kind of “Westworld Terrace” or “Delos City Estates” apartment complex.
Sean: They probably are stuck in the inner parts of the Mesa, with no windows to see out. Like one of those old coal mining towns in West Virginia that’s run completely by the mining company, but futuristic.
Benton: I’m sorry but the line “Is there some kind of trouble out there?” is killing me. Like this dude is about to turn to Lassie and tell her to go find help.
Mike: Mannnnnn oh man Angela’s whole “Cowboy Jesus” has me like:
“I used to see the beauty in this world. Now I see the truth.” — Dolores
Mike: Now we know what Angela found and what Dolores was referring to when she told Teddy, “he needed to see the truth.” They found a way into Westworld HQ with the goal of unlocking Teddy’s memories. DON’T LOOK AT THE TABLET, TEDDY!
RUNAWAY MONTAGE
Sean: RUNAWAY PIANO COVER THAT FADES INTO THE ACTUAL SONG PLAYING IN THE RESTAURANT!!! RAMIN DJAWADI THE GOD!!!! Also, the editing here to match the notes of the piano is fantastic.
Mike: Awwwwwwww shit. KANYE YOU COULDN’T HAVE WAITED ONE MORE WEEK TO GO ALT-RIGHT? Anyway, it’s still dope.
Benton: Someone needs to freeze all of Kanye’s motor functions.
Mike: Zing! It’s amazing to see the transformation with Dolores. In Season 1, her memories were either wrong or, at best, fractured until the season finale. At the beginning of Season 2, she continues to have flashbacks, but this time she’s in control. Also, how many terabytes have to be in her head to remember all this shit?
Benton: The theatre major in me who died many years ago but still occasionally has opinions kinda feels like Evan Rachel Wood lays it on a bit too thick as “badass” Dolores. But I’ll allow it.
Mike: Haha, I mean not to get too meta here but since she’s still a host (and we still have lingering questions about her “freedom”) could these be programmed emotions? You know, more of a caricature than genuine emotion?
Benton: On second thought, give Evan Rachel Wood ALL THE AWARDS.
Most Effective Investor Pitch Session Ever?
Benton: Am I the only one who feels like the writing in this episode was sub-par? Logan’s lines are literally “what is the douchiest thing we could have a rich guy say?”
“What is the point of a $60 million Warhol if you can’t look at it while you fuck?”
However, he does then mention Rothko so at least the guy has good taste.
Sean: Yeah, I agree that the writing in some of the scenes this week is either a little lazy in spots or a little over the top in others. But a few places it’s actually pretty great! Just a little inconsistent this week- the tone keeps jumping around a bit, and this Logan scene feels most out of place.
Mike: As a natural defender of every TV show and episode (except Newsroom BECAUSE THAT SHOW FUCKING SUCKED) I guess I’m wondering if Logan can have good lines? Like, he is a douchebag so wouldn’t he say some dumb shit like this? Also, I just want to point out how casual Logan is about his desire to fuck anybody.
Benton: William yawning at this bar. It me.
Sean: THE ARGOS INITIATIVE!!
Benton: Cool name but lemme know when a polar bear shows up and then I’ll be impressed.
Mike: Just a beautifully-designed scene here. Logan falls perfectly into their trap. Also, Angela’s laugh finger combo move OMG I WANT THAT.
Sean: Yeah, the blocking and camera work are amazing. Shout-out to the Director, Vincenzo Natali, and the DP, John Grillo. Fantastic work.
Mike: I know I just mentioned the finger freeze but ANGELA CAN DO THE FORD HOST FINGER FREEZE MOVE WHAAAAA! Throughout this scene, I was like, “is she human or is she a host?” I think she’s a host, but has some “Maeve-like” heightened abilities that allows her to control other hosts.
Sean: Yeah, I think Angela is a host and this freezing host skill was granted by Arnold and Ford for the pitch session. In the cold open, Arnold tells Ford that Dolores is having issues with improvisation and tells him “We’ll go with the other girl,” so I’m guessing Angela is that other girl and this is all part of the plan.
Mike: Ohh, good catch there. I missed that.
Sean: And yes, the hosts freezing is never going to get old. HOW DO THE ACTORS STAND SO STILL?!?!
Mike: When actors and actresses pull off feats like this I start to understand why they have major egos. This is some baller shit.
Benton: I hope awesome dude from Fargo S2 comes back this season since we now know he is a host too.
Sean: According to the credits, Akecheta is played by Zahn McClarnon. I haven’t seen Fargo, but this dude is awesome and better come back.
Mike: He’s also in Longmire, a show no one watches but EVERYONE should. It’s on Netflix, so like, go do that. Ok, back to the show. Logan’s “We’re not here yet!” line. I felt that. It’s just WHOA, this is a little much.
Benton: Yea it is definitely interesting how far “ahead of the game” their technology is. But here is my question coming out of this scene: If you are Argos and you have built this technology, are you really just planning on using it for a theme park? The rest of the episode makes it seem like the idea to mine human data and experiences in the park is William’s idea. But Argos has to have had a bigger plan than just building the hosts for entertainment. Argos has to have a game that is bigger than what William proposes…and that William doesn’t know about.
Sean: I get the need/want to have a conspiracy, but I could totally see “The Argos Initiative” just being the top secret development division of the Disney Imagineers.
Benton: LOL. Yea they got bored with Hall of Presidents.
Teddy Discovers the Truth
Mike: RIP Blaine. I would have liked an on-screen death for him. They would have had to pay him more money for that though.
Sean: Teddy is SHOOK.
Benton: I don’t mean to be insensitive here, but I really really don’t give a shit about Teddy. I would be so happy if the writers proved me wrong and he ends up being awesome but currently he is a waste of screen time. Sorry not sorry.
Mike: lolololololol. I won’t say I’ve switched from #TeamDolo or #TeamMaeve, but Episode 2 has made me reevaluate my Teddy hate. I feel for him.
Benton: He legit can only make two facial expressions: Worried while shocked. And shocked while worried.
Sean: That’s three facial expressions.
Mike: Well, I’m starting a Teddy fan club because sidekicks need love too. However, not to go all “they are just doing their jobs but” besides that one Delos employee doing the pseudo-necro shit with the hosts, all these other employees just have a case of bad timing. Don’t take it out on Phil, Teddy!
Lawrence is always in trouble
Sean: Lawrence seems to remember the Man in Black. Was he not wiped after they parted ways last season? That seems like an oversight on the part of someone. OR maybe it’s part of Ford’s game for MIB…
Mike: I’m gonna vote “part of Ford’s game.” Also, How many times has MIB saved Lawrence? We have to be over five times in the show. But, lookah here! Lawrence saves MIB twice in the same scene!
Sean: Five feels right.
Benton: MIB laughing after almost getting stabbed is the happiest he has been the entire show. Ed Harris is like I AM IN THE TRUMAN SHOW NOW BITCH.
Mike: I know there’s old man strength, but Westworld is pushing it with MIB.
Sean: How does the Man in Black seem to be in a completely separate situation from the rest of the guests? Like, things don’t seem to be shitty where he’s at. I guess this is in the immediate aftermath of the slaughter of the board, so maybe the hosts rebelling hasn’t spread yet?
Mike: I think it’s a combination of him knowing the park better than almost everyone and my belief that Ford is making the early parts of this game easier for William. That could also explain why he keeps winning the wrestling matches with the hosts when that makes no sense whatsoever.
Benton: I get that the host technology and data is where the real money is but is anyone marketing this amazing portable cauterizer thing? MIB just la di das his way through a bullet to the arm.
Mike: I know they’ve come up with many more innovations than the magic bullet hole eraser, but it would be funny if this was the only invention that created MIB’s financial empire. I mean, it’s amazing. But, I hope MIB ain’t a one-trick pony.
Sean: I think it goes back to last season’s talk of how they cured all diseases out in the real world or some shit like that, so maybe that thing is already on the market?
“I have received my judgment all the same and I take issue with it…So I’m going to fight my way back and appeal the verdict.” — MIB
Benton: Thoughts on what his judgement has been?
Sean: Last season he talked about how his wife killed herself and his daughter blamed him for it, and how they were afraid of him (or something like that). I think that could be what he views as his judgement?
Mike: Oooh, let’s save this for #TheoryTime.
Cleaning up the Basement
Benton: Still want that shitty popcorn now, BLAINE?
Benton: Teddy is like “Oh um Dolores, mam, we will need allies.” SHE’S GOT IT HANDLED, BRO.
Mike: HE JUST CARES OK?
Benton: I know I know, I need to turn down my Teddy hate.
Sean: I like the detail here that the weird liquid stuff that the hosts seem to be made of is a caustic substance that is burning the dude’s face. It’s as if humans and hosts are naturally incompatible.
Benton: This show is a real argument for pursuing a career in computer science. Because even when the robots take over, they may still need your help.
Daddy Delos comes for a visit
Mike: I just want to mention how wild it is to see a helicopter fly over an 1800s-style Western town. Like, I know it’s a theme park but it’s still pretty cool. I’ve always had this fascination with technology making surprise appearances in the past. Like, if an airplane flew over the Battle of Gettysburg and soldiers were like, “WTF?” Or like if someone’s iPhone started ringing during the Constitutional Convention and Alexander Hamilton’s like, “my bad, y’all.”
Sean: The focus on Dolores in this scene has me wondering if Dolores killing a bunch of people in the present isn’t just part of Ford’s game for the Man in Black. Or is it the other way around — the final branch where Dolores breaks free from her programming could be something to do with William? Or maybe they’re just focusing on her here because of the relationship she and William built in S1.
Mike: The episode title is “Reunion” so I feel like (especially with the way this episode ends) we’re building for a Dolores-William rematch. While short, that S1 fight scene was dope.
“You’re a cheeky little cunt, aren’t you? There’s not a man alive who will talk to me like that… not anymore….” — Daddy Delos
Sean: I like the implication here that William is able to basically take over the company because he’s willing to talk frankly with a really rich dude. I also like Peter Mullen’s accent and the gravely way he delivers these lines. A+ casting.
Benton: Going back to the earlier question of what is the Argos Initiative’s real purpose. Interested to see if William came to his conclusions about mining human data on his own or if someone helped him. I still think Argos has a much higher purpose that Delos never knew about.
Sean: I think the Argos initiative is just Ford and Arnold’s nickname for what they’re doing, which is making these AI creations. My sense is that Arnold is a computer geek and Ford is a storyteller and that’s where they started. Some people just want to make video games.
Benton: But of all the things you could do with these incredible creations, you choose to put them in a Western theme park? I think at least Ford always had a more sinister purpose for the hosts.
Mike: I really hope there’s a grander purpose out there. But I wouldn’t be surprised if there wasn’t.
Maeve v. Dolores
Mike: I have a lot of thoughts here. I feel like Maeve wins this first round battle, but let’s not act like Maeve ain’t bossing around Hector and Sizemore. Also, Maeve has left Hector and gotten him killed like 15 times.
Benton: Yea but Hector is a lot more with it than Teddy.
Mike: True truu, but Hector’s overall Madden rating is like 95 where Teddy had a 99 in Shooting and a 10 in Awareness. I can’t blame Teddy for his factory settings.
Benton: Also just gotta shout out my favorite 1 second of the episode which is the cut to Sizemore in his high school production of the Wizard of Oz scarecrow costume.
Sean: It really is a fantastic cut and a fantastic costume.
Benton: When Maeve turns to Teddy to say “Do you feel free?” it is the first time anyone has asked him how he feels about all this. I am definitely Team Maeve in all this and I think Teddy will be too.
Mike: Yea, I see the truth in both of their positions. Yes, Maeve is right that revenge is just another form of control. However, Dolores is correct in saying there will be a war, so it’s not like Maeve can just chill in a corner of Park 1 with her daughter. Even Maeve mentions how hard her journey will be to Hector in the last episode.
I also feel Dolores and Maeve are two different versions of “free.” Maeve’s freedom was gained through direct code manipulation in Westworld HQ while Dolo’s freedom seems to be powered through her memories. I’m not saying Maeve doesn’t remember (her memories were some of the most powerful scenes in S1), but it feels like Maeve has a more logical purpose while Dolo has a more vengeful one. I’m interested to see how they both change and what happens when they cross paths again.
Sean: I still think that Maeve is the only one that is truly free from any previous programming right now — we saw her break free in the S1 finale- whereas Dolores is mostly free but is going down the Wyatt path Ford sent her on. She’s making her own decisions, but her personality and motives aren’t fully her own yet.
Benton: I guess you could say that Maeve is making the more selfish choice because she doesn’t really seem to care about liberating anyone but herself and her daughter (and maybe Hector). But Dolores also doesn’t seem all that concerned with most of the hosts (“Not all of us deserve to make it to the Valley Beyond”). Also I agree that Maeve may be the only one who is truly free at this point. Dolores’ mission right now of recruiting hosts seems very similar to what Maeve was programmed to do in season 1. And while Dolores is amassing an army to help her get this “weapon” and have her ultimate revenge, Maeve is like I don’t want any part of this shit. “Revenge is just another prayer at their alter.”
Mike: That line was so fuckin dope. Something something “Maeve is incredible” I think we’ve been down this road before? Maybe.
Confederados Banquet!!!!
Important Host Technology (Biology?) Note: Angela says, “They’ll find them. They have a knack for sniffing out their own kind.” — Callback to how the hosts can communicate like ants to each other
Sean: Why are the confederados only eating on one side of the table? Seems inconvenient.
Sean: IT’S LIKE DA VINCI’S LAST SUPPER AND I’M A MORON FOR NOT REALIZING IT SOONER!
“We have toiled in god’s service long enough. So I killed him.” — Dolo
Mike: Woof! This is one of the most badass lines I’ve ever heard. Damn, Dolo. Also, what hour of Phil’s shift are we on now? Probably like hour 28 😭😩
Benton: Phil is really having a bad day.
Sean: The WORST day. He’s probably gonna quit after this. Just a hunch.
Benton: Too bad the entire HR department was literally just murdered.
Mike: If he makes it through this, easiest performance review ever.
Daddy Delos’ retirement party
Sean: William’s family shows up! Also, the whole thing where HBO used a stock photo from 2012 for the photo of William’s wife last season and then tracked the model down to play his wife this season is CRAZY! HBO with a low-key callback to the other Michael Crichton classic:
Benton: Dying to know what William’s wife is thinking. Gotta imagine Logan told her some shit.
Mike: I don’t think Logan had to tell her shit. I doubt William has any skills to hide what happened to him at Westworld.
Benton: Is there something in this line?
William: You stepping down doesn’t help me at all.
Daddy Delos: I was told I might not have to.
William: Well things are progressing but we’ll all need a little patience.
Daddy Delos: Yea well some of us can afford to have more patience than others.
Benton: Ok, stay with me here. Is there a chance Daddy Delos, who is obviously dying, thought he might not have to step down because he was somehow going to be healed? Or perhaps get a new body? Is there a chance that is what Argos and Delos are truly doing?
Sean: Oh, like his DNA and memories are being transferred to a host?
Benton: YEP
Sean: OH SHIT!! That’s some Altered Carbon shit right there! Maybe the “truth” isn’t that Delos is blackmailing people based on their time in the park, but transplanting the super rich into hosts so they can be immortal?
Mike: I’m so excited that y’all are excited about this theory that… I mentioned in Episode 1 recap. Now we’ve proven to our three readers that we don’t even read our posts. To be fair, I published the first recap 24 minutes before the second episode and it takes like four hours to read these things. Y’all are forgiven.
Benton: My b, Mike. BUT I now believe your theory!
Mike: Haha it’s not my theory! I should have thought of it, because the immortality play seems pretty straightforward, but I missed it. However, the Daddy Delos play is a new wrinkle that I dig!
Sean: Dolores is drawn to the skyline again….
Mike: I too enjoy a beautiful skyline, but I feel like there’s more to her fascination…
Mike: Logan must have really jumped on the drugs bandwagon after making it back from Westworld, because how can he not remember Dolores?!
Sean: I mean, Logan is drugged up, but is also clearly onto something about the rich people at the party fiddling while the species burns.
Mike: I’m sure Westworld will give us more meat here. I mean I love Logan’s character, but I’m not joining his faux-righteous position yet. For one, all he did was fuck and kill his way around Westworld, and secondly, he cared about the “future” as a money-making machine, not in some “save humanity” kind of way.
Sean: I think there’s a WHOLE lot of the last 5+ years that needs to get filled in before we can really decide if Logan is onto something or not. Like, what happened between him riding off naked on a horse and this moment? I’m betting it was a LOT.
Benton: I’m not sure we are going to get a lot more of what happened prior to this party. I would expect we will get more of William as the head of Delos. I fear we may not get much more Ben Barnes on this show which my eyes are very sad about.
Mike: We haven’t seen the scene with Logan and his dad on the rooftop yet, so we’ll at learn what happens before Daddy Delos walks away. Maybe that’s when he tells Logan that William will be the new CEO of Delos? I also remember a new scene of Logan in the park with a Ghost Nation host running at him? So I think there will be more “in the park” Logan scenes as well.
Pariah doesn’t seem as fun this season
“This is what happens when you let the story play all the way out.” — MIB
Sean: I wonder how long the typical host’s loop was — one day? One week?-And how far past they’ve gone at this point. Do the employees have to reset the loops? I HAVE DETAILED LOGISTICAL QUESTIONS ABOUT A FICTIONAL FUTURISTIC THEME PARK.
Benton: GUS IS IN THE PARK
Mike: HOLY SHIT
Sean: Giancarlo Esposito shows up, and the Casting Director needs a raise ASAP.
“Before the revolution, when I was just a little boy, my parents took me to the circus. I wanted to see the elephants. These mighty creatures. They held them in place with a stake. (LAUGHS) They could tear a tree right out of the ground, and yet, a simple stake kept them in place. Well, I didn’t understand. And then, my father told me. He said the stakes were used when the elephants were just young, too small to pull them up, and that the animals never tried to pull them up again. I won’t be going with you. My labors are done. I have seen all the truth that I can bear. (POURS DRINK) But we can drink. To the bitter end!” — El Lazo
Sean: HOLY FUCK THEY ALL KILLED THEMSELVES! EXTREMELY bold move by the casting director to have Giancarlo show up for all of three minutes. Well played.
Benton: The great thing about this show is he could totally show up again. I heard on a Ringer podcast that Giancarlo being on the show was a big secret that HBO made the press keep to themselves. I have to imagine it is not just for this one scene but who knows.
Mike: Right before Giancarlo’s epic suicide, he does mention that he will see William “in the valley beyond” so #foreshadowing?
Note: Mashable wrote an article about how Giancarlo Esposito landed this surprise guest role.
Sean: “FUCK YOU, ROBERT!” *angrily shoots already dead people*
Mike: It’s funny how in the last episode, MIB is all confident in himself after chatting with Ford and shots Kid Ford in the face. However, in this episode, the game gets a little harder and MIB gets all pissy and starts shooting dead corpses.
Sean: Lol at Lawrence saying “Who the fuck is Robert?”
MIB: All right he doesn’t want this to be easy for me. So we’ll find another way.
Lawrence: Who the fuck is Robert? The man who built this place you’re lookin’ for? The place of judgment?
MIB: No, Lawrence, he doesn’t get that honor. I built it.
“And this place we’re going is my greatest mistake.” — MIB
Salty William & Dolores
“Do you know what saved me? I realized it wasn’t about you at all. You didn’t make me interested in you, you made me interested in me. Turns out you’re not even a thing. You’re a reflection. And you know who loves staring at their own reflection? Everybody.
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.
But there is something else. There’s something beyond that. I think that there is an answer here to a question no one’s ever even dreamed of asking. Do you want to see?
Have you ever seen anything so full of splendor?” — William
Mike: William is soooooooo salty OMG dude. Like, he knew Westworld was fake and got caught up anyway. But it feels like he still can’t get over her and I don’t think it’s “all about him.”
Sean: I think he might want a “confidant” that he knows won’t ever remember? I’m reminded of a Terry Pratchett quote: “when you seek advice from someone it’s certainly not because you want them to give it. You just want them to be there while you talk to yourself.” This is William talking this shit out to someone that won’t ever tell anyone. BOY WILL HE BE SURPRISED!!
Benton: I read Salty William as a nickname for older/salt and pepper hair William and I LOVE IT.
Mike: So this is what it feels like when a remix is better than the original song. I just got nicknamed remixed!
“It’s not a place, it’s a weapon.”
Theory Time
What is this weapon?
Benton: No way the weapon is just the data. For one reason, that is too boring of an ending. But mainly because collecting data wasn’t something William kept to himself. Time to really think about what questions we wouldn’t even dream of asking. William/MIB is obsessed with discovering who he truly is. And he says this “weapon” is his biggest mistake. So far we know William’s wife killed herself and his daughter disowned him. So wouldn’t Dolores be his biggest mistake? So did he build something to do with Dolores?
Sean: Yeah, The whole Visitor’s data thing is a LITTLE heavy-handed of an allegory considering what is currently happening around Facebook and shit….
Mike: I think it’s a hybrid? Something that involves data but can cause physical harm. Maybe it has something to do with all the tech/health advances Delos has made? Maybe there is a key that can release some type of plague lol I don’t know but I just don’t want it to be like the Sony hack on a larger scale.
Benton: Maybe something that ties in with our theory surrounding Daddy Delos and William’s talk at the retirement party. If William ultimately got to the point of developing technology to keep human beings alive forever in some way, that to me could definitely be a big mistake. Just not sure I’m convinced this is it. What is something that Dolores could release that would destroy everything?
Mike: IT’S THE PLAGUE I TELL YOU. A PLAGUE!
Benton: Margaret Atwood legit already wrote that book. It’s called Oryx and Crake.
Mike: The only good reason for books is they eventually become TV shows or movies, so congrats, Margaret!
Benton: Also interesting to note that HBO bought the rights to Oryx and Crake and then the project never got off the ground and Paramount TV is now working on it. Maybe HBO was like “Eh we will just use some of the ideas from this book in this show we already have. K thx bye.”
Sean: In the “previously on” for this episode, they replayed Theresa’s line from S1: “This place is one thing to the guests, another thing to shareholders, and something completely different to management.” We already know what the Guest are getting out of it, and we suspect (from the first scene with Daddy Delos) that the shareholders are using this like Future Facebook to get data on the people they want to market to. Is this that third thing? Or is this William’s private contingency plan?
On Air. Everywhere? All the time?
Mike: When hosts are frozen, are their audio & video functions still operating? The way the camera focuses on hosts when they’re frozen gives off that idea. I think Dolores remembers things from when humans were talking to her (or around her) thinking that she couldn’t hear them.
Benton: I think this episode proves that they are recording while they are frozen. If I was Ford, I would definitely want the hosts recording shit my employees said/did when they thought they were in the clear.
Mike: *Writes note* “Remind me to never work for Benton…”
Sean: Are they recording for their own memories when frozen? Or are they just sending data back to base when frozen? I think it’s unclear at this point. That being said, I too will probably not work for Benton.
Benton: Fair.
The Nature of the Game
Sean: So I’ve been thinking about this Man In Black quote:
“But… I have received my judgment all the same, Lawrence, and I take issue with it. Because up until this point, the stakes in this place haven’t been real. So I’m gonna fight my way back, I’m gonna appeal the verdict, and then I’m gonna burn this whole fuckin’ thing to the ground.”
I think Old William has realized that Westworld only sorta shows people’s true nature, because they go in knowing there won’t be consequences, so they do completely different things. It doesn’t reveal your true nature, it’s a real live video game. It’s like saying someone’s actions in World of Warcraft reveal their true nature- but they don’t, because the players know it’s a game and they can restart at the last waypoint when they die.
Mike: Is he talking about how his wife killed herself and his daughter disowned him?
Benton: Could be. But if the “weapon” is all of the data on guests, then what would releasing it do to help appeal his verdict? Interested to learn more about MIB’s history with his family. Maybe his wife never thought he had moved on from Dolores?
Mike: Yea, I’m going with “wife resentment” for 400, Benton.
Benton: But going back to Sean’s point. MIB obviously has done some messed up shit in the park. A lot of which we don’t know about yet and may have to do with creating this “weapon.” My guess is someone, probably his wife and daughter, found out about what he did/the weapon and judged him for it. And its bad enough that his wife killed herself. But MIB doesn’t think it is fair for him to be judged for what he did when the stakes weren’t real. He doesn’t think the actions he took before are a true representation of his nature. I am assuming whatever this weapon is or whatever his wife found out looked really really bad but maybe MIB never got a chance to explain its real purpose to his wife before she killed herself?
I also find myself asking why now? Why does MIB now want to burn the park to the ground? Is it all because he found out the maze wasn’t meant for him and so all those years he spent searching for his true nature in the park were a waste? Maybe realizing that the park was never going to reveal his true nature led him to come to terms with the fact that he ruined his real life and family for something that was never really there. Either that or he found a way to put his father in law’s consciousness in a host and his wife found out about it and went nuts. Idk.
Sean: Yeah, I think that discovering “The Maze” wasn’t a final hidden quest for the guests to find deeper meaning may have made him realize that in the end it’s still just a game. In S1, when William was telling Teddy about his wife’s death, he says:
“Emily {his daughter} said that every day with me had been sheer terror. At any point, I could blow up or collapse like some dark star […] They never saw anything like the man I am in here. But she knew anyway. She said if I stacked up all my good deeds, it was just an elegant wall I built to hide what’s inside from everyone, and from myself.”
He believed for the last 30 years that he had had some deep revelation and that the Man In Black was his True Self — and because he believed it, his wife and daughter believed it as well. I think that’s what he’s talking about when he said he’d received his judgement. He now realizes the flawed logic behind that revelation, since the stakes weren’t “real,” and is “appealing the verdict” by destroying whatever big, presumably evil, thing he had buried in the valley beyond.
Mike: I’m also interested in the first part of the William & Lawrence conversation.
William: You and every other asshole in this place are free. But there’s a catch. This whole enterprise is goin’ down in flames, and it’s gonna take each and every one of us with it. We’ll all be dead soon enough. Real dead this time.
Lawrence: Then why should I help you?
William: Because it’s in your nature. And in the little time we have left, we’ve got a chance to see what we’re really made of, a glimpse of the men we could’ve been.
William mentions that the “whole enterprise is goin’ down in flames” so is he referring to what he’s going to do to “burn this place down” or is that a reference to Delos cutting their losses now that the hosts are attacking guests? Maybe both?
Why China?
“I need to have my worlds in at least reach of each other.” — Arnold
Mike: We learn in Westworld 2.1 that the parks are on an island off the Chinese coast, so I wonder why they picked this area of the world? Investors? Diverse geography?
Sean: China has been building a ton of islands in the South China Sea in an effort to claim more international waters- maybe they were the only country with a sufficient amount of isolated Real Estate for Delos to buy?
Sean Geeks Out About The Piano
Sean: Ok. There are three featured solo piano songs in “Reunion”. I’m focusing on these because the music department likes recurring songs and motifs. Ramin Djawadi (The GOD) makes fantastic use of them in his scores for Game of Thrones, and there are some cool motifs and recurring songs in Season 1, so I can’t help but think that these three cues could return. Also, I generally love solo piano music used in scores. That’s definitely a huge part of it. Remember ‘The Light of the Seven’ from the opening of the Season 6 Finale of Game of Thrones? AMAZING!
Benton: Whoa whoa whoa. This is the same dude who does GoT?! The dude who created one of the best scores for an episode of TV of all time?! Can’t believe I didn’t know that. I’ll see myself out.
Mike: BENTON!!!!
Sean: Like I said — Ramin Djawadi THE GOD. To the music!
1. The episode opens with Rachmaninoff’s Prelude in C Sharp Minor (Op. 3, No. 2). It has a very similar opening chord as the theme, which lures you into the cold open from the black screen. The first section is played quietly in the background through the opening of the scene in the hotel room. The middle section starts when Arnold says “They’ll be dazzled without her!” The transition is as the camera zooms in on Dolores as she’s staring out the window in wonder.
They also play with the tempo of the middle section a bit. It usually starts getting louder and speeding up as it bridges to the third section (a loud, forceful reprise of the first section) — but here they keep the same initial tempo and volume, extending the section and bit before it fades into a modern score from Ramin Djawadi The God as Dolores and Arnold go outside.
The third section is a reprise of the first, but it’s a loud and forceful four-staved insanity. “But Sean! Why do you think it might show up again?” I’m glad you asked, Rhetorical Device! I think this prelude is a good candidate for a recurring song because of the crescendoing structure I mentioned. The third section could fit in well as a reprise once things (presumably) get more violent later in the season. I also hope it to returns because the middle of the prelude is one of my favorite piano parts to play, and that the close is absolutely WILD — alternating between fun and frightening depending on how long it’s been since I played it all the way through. My finger joints are sore just thinking about it.
2. The second song is in the scene where Logan is brought into his private audience with a ton of hosts. Angela Sarafyan (Clementine) is actually playing the piano, which is awesome! It lets us get some awesome cinematography that you don’t often get in movies and TV, adding some extra layers to the scene. She’s also playing a Baldwin, which is the type of piano I learned to play on growing up. An upright, not a grand, but still — Nostalgia!
She’s playing a piano version of Gershwin’s “The Man I Love.” It’s one of those pieces that looks really impressive when you see someone play it — a lot of large cords (some of them arpeggiated!), some quick octave jumps (even a few octave grace notes!), a few quick scales — but isn’t super difficult for a moderately skilled pianist to learn. It’s actually a great piece to hand to an actress with piano training and say “can you play this in a scene in a few months?” and not be demanding too much. This piece could show up again at some point, but in different form — we actually hear an orchestra version later in the episode. It’s from a Broadway play and became a standard piece, so there’s a ton of different versions they could work into the show. As for the song itself? Truth be told, all Gershwin starts sounding like Rhapsody in Blue to me after a while. Which is fine. Rhapsody in Blue is fine. United Airlines commercials are Fine. It’s Fine.
3. The Retirement Party for Daddy Delos starts with some Chopin. Dolores is playing the the middle section of the third movement of Chopin’s Sonata #2 in B Flat Minor. The third movement is nicknamed “Funeral March.” You’ll definitely recognize the beginning and ending sections, because it’s the stereotypical funeral music you hear… well, everywhere. Dolores is playing the middle section, which is in D Flat Major. It’s almost like they’re trying to sneak the funeral march past us. She stops playing before the transition back to the B Flat Minor part comes back, which helps disguise it. VERY CLEVER, MR DJAWADI. VERY CLEVER. It took me a while with Google music search, looking at sheet music and listening to various Chopin pieces to verify this one. It’s from 5:34–6:04 in the video above, if you want to hear just the part Dolores plays. The trill just before she finishes playing helped me figure it out. I think this is a good candidate for a reprise later in the season because FUNERAL MARCH, although that could be a bit heavy-handed. It should be noted that the primary section of this sonata sounds a LOT like the Imperial March from Star Wars. So there’s really two pieces of foreshadowing in this piece — Daddy Delos dying and William turning into a villain. I wonder if those things will actually follow, or if I’m reading too much into it. I’m probably reading too much into it. BUT MAYBE NOT! Also, Dolores is playing a Steinway and Sons, because of COURSE Daddy Delos has a Steinway. Why wouldn’t he?
After Daddy Delos tells her to play “anything but fucking Chopin’s Funeral March — Seriously, I’m dying and you’re playing the goddamned funeral march? What the hell is wrong with you!?” (I may have mis-remembered the quote) she starts playing Gershwin’s The Man I Love (which Clementine played earlier in the episode), which then fades into an orchestral version when it transitions to the nighttime scene with Dolores and Logan.
One final note here: In this scene, Evan Rachel Wood is either pretending to play or isn’t proficient enough for the camera to show her hands while she’s playing — which is fine! She’s an good actress, and having her learn two piano pieces for this one scene would have been ridiculous if she wasn’t already a proficient pianist. It’s just the fact that the camera pans to the keys only after she removes her hands instead of as she’s playing the final notes is a little off to me, especially after the scene earlier that featured so much of Angela Sarafyan actually playing. But, I’m weird like that.
This has been “Sean geeks out about the piano.” This might become a recurring feature. It might not. We’ll see if there’s any more awesome piano music that I can get 1000+ words out of in the next episodes — I got pretty hype when the episode started with the Rachmaninoff prelude, and may have gotten a bit carried away.
Mike: We’re writing 6,000 word recaps about a robot Western. I think we passed the “carried away” exit a long time ago.
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