Westworld 2.3 “Virtù e Fortuna” Recap
Westworld meets Game of Thrones. New characters! New parks! Dragons! Dolo’s dad is found, then lost, then found. Sizemore leads a donkey through a mystical forest. Oh, and Confederate soldiers lose the Civil War AGAIN. Join Mike, Sean, and me as we try and sort out what happened in this episode. Spoiler alert: a lot. A lot happened.
Westworld Nickname Glossary
As you read the review, you’ll notice a few acronyms and nicknames mentioned here and there. This is a Westworld 2.3 glossary that may help. Or not. We tried.
- S1 = Season 1
- S2 = Season 2
- Dolo = Dolores
- MIB = Man In Black aka Old William
- The Raj = As known as “Park 6” or “RajWorld.” It’s a new park in the show Westworld, but, it’s a separate park like Westworld (aka Park 1) in the show Westworld.
- Grace = Mysterious new character from The Raj
- DWD = Dumb white dude aka “Nicholas” who plays a LOL-worthy sidekick to Grace in this episode.
Mike’s One (Really Long) Sentence Review of “Virtù e Fortuna”
whoa new park same boring white people tho ok dude talks to uninterested woman ok now she seems interested whoa 🔫 and sex im into it ok 🐅 hunt sike guest hunt 😵 dumb white dude now 💀 run you in danger gurl 😱 👻 oh shit did she die (switch) bernard & charlotte lookin for abernathy oh hey found him 😂 rebus 😂 oh shit now they lost abernathy because confederates (switch) dolo goes to fort forlorn hope which literally translates to dumb ass soldiers dying 😬 but whatever they are confederates (anyways) general dude is like da fuq is this bitch and dolo is like the bitch you betta listen to and then shows him a big gun and then the general is like 😊 ok i will follow your suicide plan 😈 oh hey bernard and abernathy show up and dolo is like daddy 🤔 and y r u here bernard and then teddy is like who da fuq is abernathy and dolo is like 🙄 but then shes like bernard 🙏🏻 fix my daddy 🙏🏻 and he says fine until hes 👀 wtf is this code shit and then charlotte and nem 🚓 🚓 🚓 come to f up confederate soldiers then they get abernathy and dolo is all 😡 while that confederate major is like 😤 because all his dumbass soldier friends are dyin but dolo hits him with a 🤷♀️ and then angela goes 💥 and all the delos soldiers ☠️☠️ but then teddy grows a ❤️ and lets major dude go and dolo sees him like 🤦♀️ oh and bernard gets draaaaaagggged by 🧟♀️ clementine omg yes drag him (switch) oh hai grace 🏊♀ youre alive and the bengal is not but you in trouble gurl 🔪 (switch) maeve sizemore and hector (and a donkey) go through the 🏞 and sizemore is all 😩 and hector is 🤣 🍾 but then ghost nation shows up and maeve switches to 😟 then shes like 🛑 and ghost nation was like 🤣 nah g so then they start 🏃🏻♂️🏃🏾♀️🏃🏽♂️ to an elevator and escape like 😅 until they see a dude on 🔥 🔥 🔥 then OMG ARMISTICE 🐉 🐉 and OMG FELIX 😍 (and sylvester ugh whatever 💣) but then they go back outside where its ❄️❄️ and then 🗡 SCENE 🎬
Benton: Run on, sentence! Run on!
Mike:
Note: Since there was a lot of time jumping in this episode, we’re going to review this episode by storyline instead of reviewing the episode as it happened. Because we care about you.
Episode Review Outline:
- Grace/The Raj storyline
- Charlotte & Bernard search for Abernathy
- Dolo at Fort Forlorn Hope
- Maeve, Hector, and Sizemore (and more)!
Park 6: The Raj/Who’s That Ladyyyyyyy
Sean: THE BACKGROUND MUSIC OF THE COLD OPEN IS SEVEN NATION ARMY ON SITAR!!!!! RAMIN DJAWADI THE GOD!!!
Benton: Apparently he played the sitar on it himself. Damn this guy is cool.
Sean: THE. GOD.
Benton: We open with some gratuitous peacock throat movement. HBO always pushing the boundaries.
Mike rants about this Dumb White Dude
Mike: This dude is such a dude version of dude lol I can’t wait until he dies. I mean just look at him walking… like a dude. With that dude drink in his hand he could have easily finished minutes ago but he wants to be seen with this drink in his hand, like a dude. Oh oh then he has his other hand in his pocket and he’s just ready to…
Grace: “I have time to kill… among other things.”
DWD: Hunting… Bengals?
Benton: I am so very here for the acronym DWD and will henceforth be using it in my daily life.
Mike: You gave me “Dolo” so I’m happy to give something back. Also, what do we think Grace meant by “among other things?” What or whom is Grace (aka The Leftovers doctor) trying to kill?
Benton: AHHH that’s where I’ve seen her!
Sean: Yeah, she was asking Nora a bunch of questions in Season 3.
Benton: She also says she is there to “kill time.” If she is WIlliam’s daughter and is on the board of Delos, then maybe she was waiting for the takedown of Ford, transfer of power, whatever Charlotte was up to before she headed over to Westworld to be like OH HEY DAD I KNOW WHAT WEIRD SHIT YOU HAVE BEEN UP TO IN HERE.
Note: The real name of William’s daughter is Emily (mentioned in S1 and shown as a little girl towards the end of the previous episode).
Mike: Ohh so Grace could be Emily’s fake name (clever) and she is biding her time for the takeover so chaos reigns and then she can fuck shit up. I’m here for this. Also, Emily and Grace have FIVE LETTERS OMG OMG OMG THIS IS TRUE ok stop Mike let’s continue.
Benton: Take a sip of that High Life and calm down.
Mike: You should know that doesn’t help.
Sean: Grace is definitely onto something (HER NOTEBOOK!!!). Nicholas (the dude is named Nicholas) might just be a dude looking for a “challenge” rather than a host that’s just gonna do what he says.
Mike: I don’t know who this Nicholas is, but I do know who Dumb White Dude is.
Sexy Time
DWD: Think the park would go to the trouble of having one of them pretend to be one of us?
Grace: I wouldn’t put it past them.
Benton: Spoken like someone who knows for a fact that there are hosts in the park pretending to be people aka Bernard.
Sean: Yeah, Grace is definitely onto something. My guesses are she’s a reporter or some sort of corporate spy from a rival company.
Mike: So I was thinking reporter at first, but then I thought, “wait, how is she getting all this money to go to RajWorld?” We still don’t know what year it is, but I doubt journalism is on a massive rebound to afford this type of investigation 😂 Doesn’t mean it’s not possible, but I feel it’s either she’s William’s daughter or corporate spy.
Benton: Also if Grace is William’s daughter, I can see why she wouldn’t want to hook up with a host after seeing her dad become obsessed with one.
Mike: Also that!
Well, here’s one way to spice things up!
Mike: So this shooting scene combined with none of the hosts going haywire before Grace and DWD return to this house just adds to the belief that this takes place before Dr. Ford dies. Because if this scene happened post-Dolo killing Ford, DWD would be dead.
Refresher Course: How Guns Work in Westworld (pre-host takeover).
“They [bullets] do slow down and create more of a bruise effect. There’s a safety mechanism that’s locked in when it’s on a human that it creates a different [velocity] for the bullet.” — Richard Lewis, Westworld Director
Benton: We need to talk about this map.
Sean: The symbol also appeared in Episode 1 when Charlotte unlocks the console to talk to the Delos extraction team.
Mike: This logo is rumored to represent the Corporate Research Group which was indirectly referenced in Episode 2.2 by Young William when he was talking to Dolores.
“I think that there is an answer here to a question no one’s ever even dreamed of asking. Do you want to see?” — William
Mike: Charlotte also mentioned this to Theresa (RIP) in Season 1 when she let her in our the Delos board’s true goal.
Mike: I couldn’t find the Delos email showing the “Corporate Research Group” name under the logo, so I visited delosdestinations.com and had a little chat with Aeden, the little website AI bot (funny Westworld. Funny.) This is what Aeden told me:
Benton: I go in and talk to Aeden after every episode and try to fuck her up with weird phrases from the show. Sometimes it works but most of the time she just gets annoyed at me. I will be the first to go when Aeden gains consciousness.
Mike: So if Grace knows or suspects anything about this secret research group, that could explain why she only wants to interact with humans. To keep her DNA off the books ya know? Also, all possible options (William’s daughter, an investigate reporter, or corporate spy) are all still in play after this notebook map reveal.
Mike: I also want to point out that when she opens the notebook she looks up somewhere. Maybe there’s something to discover in RajWorld as well? Something to note for the future.
Sean: I would assume there are weird-symbol-bunkers in each park, for efficiency’s sake. It’s not like the Drone Hosts are gonna tell anyone what they’re up to….
Mike: Ugh, why not Sean? Just give me the answers. Why do I watch this show again?
Shit Starts to Go Haywire
Benton: Nicholas, my dude, no the hosts did not just all leave so you and this lady could bone in private. Idiot.
Sean: Nick is definitely a novice Delos Destinations guest.
Mike: Props to DWD for playing along with this at every step:
- “Where is everyone?” = Maybe they just wanted to give us privacy. Time for the sex.
- *Sees dead people in the tent* = “Wow, look at this twist in the narrative. Horror.” 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
“These violent delights have violent ends” — Ganju
“Oh, nothing to worry about my damsel in distress, he can’t hurt us” — DWD
🙏 🧘♂️ Symmetry Alert 🧘♂️ 🙏
Mike: I also like how Ganju went from being a fucking Olympic skeet shooter to pausing and missing Grace at point blank range. Either Grace is programmed not to die or this was a whack plot device to keep her alive. Grace, on the other hand, can shoot like a boss.
Benton: Ford’s “new narrative” obviously isn’t contained just to Westworld.
Sean: He did a total system override. Burn it all down at the same time.
Mike: Ok, so do we know it was a system override for sure? We can assume that Grace and DWD are on this hunting trip some days after first meeting, but if this was a total system override I feel like all the hosts that brought them to the hunting spot would have tried to kill them. If we look at this scene again, I noticed that Ganju walks away from the group and in the direction of the tent/jungle.
Mike: I tried to find the source of this theory online, but is there a possibility that the “host turning on guests/gaining consciousness” works like a proximity virus. At this point, they are at the edge of Park 6. DWD mentioned in the first scene that bengal hunting happens on the “edge of the park.” The edge of the park happens to be near Westworld, which is the epicenter of where shit hit the fan. Maybe Ganju walking past the bloody tent triggered his new programming? #justsayin #becauseidontknow
Sean: Hmmmm….. Yeah, that could be a reasonable explanation. The Host Mesh Network that was introduced earlier this season would be a good mechanism for transferring the updated code.
Mike: Yes! Mesh networks. Bernard mentioned that to Charlotte as a way to find Peter Abernathy. He then went to go get some of that host brain juice.
Benton: We know from season 1 that the “Violent delights” quote is used as a trigger to the hosts. So another host could have triggered Ganju with that phrase. But yea I am going with the idea that it all started in Westworld and it is just taking a little time to trigger all of the hosts through the mesh network.
Theory note: This “mesh network” concept is involved with a theory that explains how all those hosts ended up dead in the sea at the end of Episode 2.1. #KeepUp
Benton: Also my favorite crazy Reddit theory from this week is that one of the parks is Jurassic Park since Michael Crichton wrote both. And even though I HIGHLY DOUBT it is the case, it would be awesome if some DWD is riding a dinosaur somewhere and then it gets triggered and eats him.
Grace v. Bengal
Benton: SHER KHANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Mike: Benton, Queen of the Deep Entertainment Cultural References, strikes again with The Jungle Book
Benton: Boundary line guy’s last job:
Benton: Who wins in a tiger vs. direwolf battle?
Sean: Direwolf. Probably.
Mike: Ok, so Grace was able to hit the tiger with a fatal shot but the tiger was still able to connect with her sending her over the cliff.
Sean: Yeah, that’s how physics works. Once the Big Fuck-Off Tiger jumps, it’s gonna keep moving that direction. Gotta take a lot of bullets to actually stop it.
Mike: I’M CONNECTING THE DOTS FROM EPISODE ONE FOR THE AUDIENCE YA BISH I AIN’T GOT TIME FOR UR SCIENCE DEGREE FROM THAT FANCY NERDWESTERN PLACE
Note: Mike & Sean went to the same school. Mike was drunk when he wrote that. Not that he wouldn’t write the same thing if he was sober.
Nice swim, Grace?
Mike: Well, look at that nice little button. We now understand why the bengal was chillin in Westworld. I love these little reveals.
Sean: It’s like Occam’s Razor for Prestige TV theories. Sometimes the simplest explanation is that the tiger chased someone into Westworld from another park and died in the process.
Benton: TFW a robot tries to shoot you, a tiger tries to kill you, you have to swim across a lake, AND THEN Ghost Nation shows up. Tough day, Grace.
Sean: At least she’s gonna get to meet Stubbs soon? And maybe Elsie?!?!
Mike: Well, speaking of Elsie (and Ghost Nation), do I have a theory for you! Apparently, this article believes Elsie was spared by Bernard and somehow reprogrammed Ghost Nation hosts to serve her 🤯 #mindblown
Charlotte & Bernard 2: The Hunt For Peter Abernathy
“We’re clear to enter, but it’s a fuckin’ mess. System’s totally down, including sim-munitions. Floors 42 through 45 are still on fire. Someone took out the Cradle. It’s a slaughterhouse in there, sir.” — Maling
Benton: Anyone else suddenly get the urge to go play Kalimari Desert during this scene?
Mike: 😍😍😍
New Words! New Words!
Mike: Maling (Betty Gabriel) mentions “the Cradle” and look what popped up in the email inbox after this episode…
Clarifying Note: Betty Gabriel’s character also mentions “sim-munitions” are down, which was the dirty work of Ford so all the hosts can kill guests. And also explains why DWD didn’t die at the beginning of the episode but then died from Ganju’s shot a few “show time” minutes later.
Mike: The way Charlotte talks to Bernard it’s like she knows he’s a host.
Benton: Yea she is just playing with him at this point.
Sean: Maybe she’s testing him to see which side he’s on, or who he actually is at this point. Is that actually Bernard in there? Or is it Teddy or Dolores sneaking around in a Bernard Suit?
Mike: OooOo hold that thought. Let’s go into “flashback mode.”
The Hunt for Peter Abernathy (flashback)
Sean: Is Bernard free? Or is he operating on Ford’s programming?
Mike: I doubt he’s free but at least he’s stable…for now.
Bad Rebus
Let’s fix that.
Benton: FOREVER MOOD
“Lemme Lemme Upgrade Ya”
Mike: I appreciate that Westworld makes the host upgrades more like surgery, but I’d appreciate at least one USB port on a host’s body to save the icky visuals. I feel you, Charlotte.
Benton: Upgraded him for the #MeToo movement.
Mike: OMG we’re trillionaires.
Sean: This also explains his out of character behavior in the premiere.
We have Abernathy now!
About that…
Troll on, Abernathy. Troll on.
Mike: While I don’t want this data to get outside of the park, I do feel for Charlotte here. This is the second time this season where she thought she had a chance to get this data out of the park, but nope, you’re just gonna be a host babysitter.
We don’t have Abernathy now.
Note: We’ll get back to Charlotte later.
More like Fort ForLOL Hope
Here’s a Hilarious and Leading Story about Fort Forlorn Hope
The term “forlorn hope” comes from the Dutch verloren hoop, literally “lost heap.”
My god this is perfect.
The term forlorn hope became used for any body of troops placed in a hazardous position, e.g., an exposed outpost, or the defenders of an outwork in advance of the main defensive position…(UM HELLO) While it was likely that most members of the forlorn hope would be killed or wounded, the intention was that some would survive long enough to seize a foothold that could be reinforced, or, at least, that a second wave with better prospects could be sent in while the defenders were reloading or engaged in mopping up the remnants of the first wave.
There’s more…
The French equivalent of the forlorn hope, called Les Enfants Perdus (‘The Lost Children’), were all guaranteed promotion to officer rank should they survive, with the effect that both enlisted men and officers joined the dangerous mission as an opportunity to raise themselves in the army.
The See Also section of this Wikipedia page is... not great!
Ok, now that you know what’s going to happen, let’s get back to the show.
Who Needs Sexism When You Can Get a Big Gun
Mike: 🧟♀️ OMG ZOMBIE CLEMENTINE 🧟♀️ WHERE’S JIM ROSS WHEN YOU NEED HIM BAH GAWD SHE NEEDS WWE WALKUP MUSIC.
Sean: CLEMENTINE IS BACK!!!
Mike: Even though we saw her in a flashback scene last episode you knew Joy & Nolan weren’t going to shelve Clementine. And my goodness, what a return.
Sean: Oh shit, that security dude isn’t dead yet!!!
Benton: Well… about that.
Mike: WELP. He was alive.
Sean: I spoke too soon…
Mike: It never gets old seeing hosts react to new technology. It’s wild because these hosts are (at least we think) the most advanced tech in the world, but they’ve been programmed to live in the 1800s so these guns (and cool buggies) are like WHOA. Much meta. So lolz.
Sean: Teddy talking to Dolores like:
Mike: Someone has to play the corny “but but but you just killed that guy” role so it might as well be Teddy. But, cmon Teddy, DOLO HAS A PLAN.
“These men are just children. They don’t know any better. They need to be led. We don’t stand a chance against the men coming for us if we’re fighting alone. Trust me.” — Dolo
Benton: At first I thought Dolores just decided to have this battle because Delos is coming for her dad but she definitely was planning on sacrificing the Confederados from the beginning. When she showed the leader the automatic weapon, it wasn’t to impress him. It was so that his men would retreat when she wanted them too. Damn girl. Tricky tricky.
Bernard & Abernathy get to Fort Forlorn Hope
Sean: Dolores definitely recognizes Bernard as both Bernard and Arnold. I wonder when she put that together…
Mike: We have to remember that Dolores… remembers everything. Maeve used tech steroids while Dolores memories were unlocked.
Benton: Dolo remembers shit that happened 30 yrs ago in perfect detail whereas I have to reset passwords every week. But yea in all seriousness it has been really interesting to compare her to the other hosts this season. She has so much perspective that they will never have because of how special she was to Arnold.
Dolores: It’s all right. I’m here.
Abernathy: Dolores?
Dolores: Daddy.
Abernathy: Dolores! The calves in the field, I’m worried. There’s bluetongue spreadin’ all through these parts.
Dolores: It’s all right, Daddy. I’ll lead ’em home. Back to the ranch. Do you remember our ranch? The way you’d welcome every morning out on the porch with your coffee. I’d wake up in my own bed, climb down the stairs, find you there. And you’d say?
Abernathy: You headin’ out to set down some of this natural splendor?
Mike: Woof, there is so much to unpack in this scene. Symbolism alert!
Abernathy mentions bluetongue which is a “non-contagious, insect-borne, viral disease of ruminants, mainly sheep and less frequently cattle, goats, buffalo, deer, dromedaries, and antelope.”
Mike: We discussed the “mesh network” concept earlier in the episode, so I just found Abernathy’s line referencing a viral animal disease interesting.
Dolores talks about leading the cattle home “back to the ranch.”
Mike: There are two immediate ways to interpret this line:
- This could reference the responsibility Dolores feels to lead the hosts to the “Valley Beyond.”
- It could also reference Dolores and Teddy’s conversation in the pilot episode when she tells him about the Judas steer, which is a steer that leads the other cattle to the slaughterhouse, while its own life gets spared. Dolores has mentioned multiple times that “not everyone deserves to go to the Valley Beyond” but could that mean literally everyone not named Dolores?
Mike: Ok, I’ve completely overanalyzed those lines. You’re welcome, readers!
Benton: I believe Dolores is completely aware that her relationship with her dad is just a role she was programmed to play but she still is thrown off by him and feels genuine sadness when she sees him like this. It is interesting to me that the hosts are just as irrational when it comes to emotions as humans. This conflict makes Dolores more “human.” A machine would just be like “oh he isn’t my real father” and move on.
Mike: We see this in Maeve as well with her quest to find her… her real daughter I’M SORRY MAEVE DON’T SPILL MY BLOOD ON THE WA — 😱😳😵. I guess the goal has always been to make these hosts as close to human as possible. Feelings: one of the major downsides of humanity.
Sean: Papa Abernathy definitely having some sort of effect on Dolores and her quest to break free from her programming.
Mike: If you believe that Dolo is not completely free, then her father would be one of the perfect candidates to help her reach fully unlocked mode. Another possibility is that she’s already free and Abernathy has already helped her break free from her programming. Remember the pilot episode?
Mike: Now we remember the iconic “hell is empty and all the devils are here” line but jumping back to this current scene this is the rest of the dialogue between Dolores and Abernathy:
Dolores: You told me once to run away. And I did. I broke free with the pull of a trigger. And it started a war. The others, they don’t see it yet. But you you understand, don’t you?”
Abernathy: It’s gettin late. We oughta go home. (starts sputtering)
Mike: Abernathy rebooted her quest for consciousness back in Season 1. I think this is actually the first time she’s seen her father alive since early last season. And look how far she’s come! While I believe there is some father-daughter emotional programming that’s causing Dolores to react this way, I think what’s triggering the larger emotional response is the fact that she feels alone in this quest for freedom.
Bernard: What are you doing, Dolores?
Dolores: You don’t know who you are, do you? The man you’re based on. I wonder if there’s any of him in you.
Bernard: I was given a character, a story, and a function to serve, like you.
Dolores: My whole life has been dictated by someone else. Someone who’s been saying, “You will. “ And now now I feel like I’ve discovered my own voice. And it says, “I may.
Mike: I just want to stop right here and say how cool this is! The chairs are turned! The tables are flipped! Dolores is in the lead (at least we think).
Bernard: What do you want, Dolores?
Dolores: To dominate this world.
Bernard: This world is just a speck of dust sitting on a much, much bigger world. There’s no dominating it.
Sean: It’s Specks of Dust all the way down.
Mike: This is an awesome, yet confusing scene. Dolores says she wants to “dominate this world” but is she referring to Westworld or the outside world? She seems to mention both in this scene.
Bernard’s “much bigger world” line also sounds more like a line Arnold would say. However, I find the “there’s no dominating it” line interesting as potential foreshadowing for the failure Dolo’s world domination plan.
Bernard Tries to Fix Abernathy
Charlotte makes it back to Westworld HQ
Sean: Jonah Nolan and Lisa Joy saw Thor: Ragnorak and came to the same conclusion we all did: Tessa Thompson is a badass and should do more badass things. Also, what was that thing in Charlotte’s neck that they scanned to prove she’s human?
Mike: Yeah, this is the second time Charlotte has introduced Westworld fans to how Delos verifies human status. I guess it’s easy for us to forget that it’s ummm, kinda difficult to tell hosts and guests apart. However, a small part of me is like, “ALL THIS PROVING THAT CHARLOTTE IS A HUMAN IS ACTUALLY PROOF THAT SHE’S A HOST.”
Meanwhile, back at Fort Forlorn Hope…
Benton: Literally describing every host and human on this show…
Mike: Oh, I thought Bernard was talking about me.
Sean: the full quote Abernathy is saying is from Gertrude Stein:
“What is the use of a violent kind of delightfulness if there is no pleasure in not getting tired of it?”
Benton: This is obviously meant to remind us of the first quote we get from Abernathy in S1. When he says it, it’s almost as if he is telling Bernard he knows he has been hijacked for a sinister mission.
Mike: “These violent delights have violent ends.”
Sean: BERNARD FOUND SOMETHING!!!! But what?
Mike: So I have a theory about what he found, or, maybe, what found him. But let’s go to the battle first!
Delos vs. The Confederados
Mike: I must say I got a giggle out of this line from the Confederate scout. We know he’s talking about Delos soldiers coming from the elevators but, once again, it’s like 1870 in his head so elevators are still a relatively new concept.
Sean: These Delos dudes don’t seem to have the best battle plan, BUUUTTTT they have the buggies and automatic weapons, sooooooo.
Mike: Yeah, I mean I was drunk by the time this battle started so I didn’t pay too close attention at first. But rewatching the episode this does not seem like the smartest battle strategy. Even if you have advanced weaponry. THEY DON’T HAVE HELMETS AND THE BUGGIES HAVE NO WINDOWS OR ANY PROTECTIVE ARMOR.
Even tho the battle strategy is dumb… it seems to be working.
Mike: Like in the Westworld world it makes sense that humans would have automatic weapons and the hosts don’t but it’s still crazy that we saw AUTOMATIC WEAPONS VS NON AUTOMATIC WEAPONS AND IT HAPPENED EXACTLY LIKE WE THOUGHT IT WOULD OMG DO I FEEL SORRY FOR CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS the answer is no.
Abernathy Hot Potato Part 15
And the “You Had One Job” of the Day Award goes to…
Benton: Dolo getting shot and walking on like it was a fucking fly was INSANE.
Sean: “You and I will go to Sweetwater. There’s something I need there.” Oh good, more ominous mysteries!
Mike: Viewers only pawn in game of Joy & Nolan.
Betrayal is the New Black
Fort Forlorn Hardhome
Mike: All I could think about when watching those Confederate soldiers trapped outside was the “Hardhome” episode of Game of Thrones. Turns out there is more than one similarity!
Mike: While the two scenes share some cinematic qualities, Dolores had the advantage of knowing an attack was coming.
Unauthorized Explosive Time!
Mike: If I go back through the first two reviews of this season I’m sure I was wrong about a lot but I did say this would be an “unauthorized explosion” aka a host-generated explosion from the S2 trailer. I was excited to say the least.
Sean: Did all the Delos people attacking the compound die (aside from Charlotte’s Abernathy Extraction Team)?
Mike: I believe the explosion took out most (if not all) of the Delos soldiers aside from Charlotte’s squad.
How Did Teddy Screw Up This Time
Benton: Ok, Mike. That’s one interpretation of this scene. I have another.
Omar: Don’t get it twisted I do some dirt too, but I never put my gun on no one who wasn’t in the game.
Bunk: A man must have a code.
Omar: Oh, no doubt.
Mike: LOL, I can never say no to The Wire. However, I have to say that Teddy is no Omar. At best he’s the “Prez” of Westworld.
Here’s a New Bernard Theory For Ya
Mike: So I was going through my daily Youtube binge and I came across this guy named HaxDogma (no my alt-right guy is named something else), and he had a theory that made me look at this episode (and this season) a little differently.
Punchline: Bernard transferred the park data from Abernathy into his brain.
Mike: How? Let’s go back.
Mike: At this point, Bernard successfully decrypts the data, hits yes and then:
Mike: Bernard now sees what Abernathy is hiding.
Fast-forward to Delos is storming Fort Forlorn Hope
Mike: When I first saw this scene I was like, “ok, it’s natural to hide from big dudes with guns” but then I thought, “wait a minute, Bernard is Delos” so why wouldn’t he just say, “Hey guys! Glad you’re here. I was kidnapped by hosts.” And yes, being plugged into Abernathy is not the best look, but these two dudes don’t give (or know) two shits about what’s happening here so there’s no need to explain.
Unless…
After decrypting the code, Bernard discovered what Abernathy was hiding. And not only did he discover what he was hiding, but he then started to transfer the data. Now, if this is the case, then I’m sure the process was interrupted by the little war going on outside. However, Bernard copied enough data to know that he should stay the hell away from Delos, which explains his “get out of dodge” move.
Mike: Ok, we’ve seen this behavior from Bernard before. However, everything was good (with him at least) before this point. What caused the drastic change? Maybe the fact that he’s downloaded decades of park data! Have you ever had too many tabs open in your browser while simultaneously trying to download Black Panther from iTunes and finish this bat shit theory? No, I won’t confirm if that person. I will not.
Anyways, if this is true. It’s a gamechanger. It would explain how Bernard has acted in certain scenes this season. The first time we see him in this episode he’s all spaced-out which triggers the flashback to searching Abernathy. Remember the beach scenes? Super spaced-out. Maybe he can’t say shit because his brain is literally filled with park data.
Yes, I hope this theory is true, if only for the fact that I don’t want Teddy’s brain uploaded in anyone else’s brain.
Bernard & a Zombie Meet in a Field
Sean: Bernard REALLY should have taken that syringe with him.
Benton: There were SO MANY hosts he could have taken brain juice from.
Sean: Where’s Clementine taking Bernard?
Benton: Somewhere where he can kill a bunch of hosts and put them in a lake?
Mike: 😳😳😳
Wizard of Oz Gang Takes a Walk
Benton: This is what I call this group now. Mainly because of what Sizemore is wearing. But also the quest structure is similar…blah blah blah you get the point.
Mike: THIS SHOW DOES NOT DESERVE BENTON THIS IS AMAZING.
Benton: Sizemore leading the donkey just keeps getting better.
Mike: I had an irrational love for Sizemore in Season 1 and like the Grinch my heart has grown 10x for this man.
Benton: I’m really enjoying Sizemore as the voice of all normal people in this situation. “We should go back”, “Oh fuck”, “For fuck’s sake, run!”
Mike: What a man.
SPEAKING OF MEN
Benton: Get you a man who will just be like it’s ok I got this when a bunch of murderous scary dudes are coming at you and you gotta save this skinny annoying human.
Benton: THIRSTY.
Sean: Maeve is basically a Jedi, but apparently Ghost Nation are immune?
Mike: Yeah, I guess her previous backstory blocks her new powers to control them.
Sean: I think there might be something more to it than just her backstory, but maybe not.
Mike: Well, it’s not just the “backstory” but I think Maeve got her empathy or pain attributes increased to make her more human, so I think that prevents her from fully blocking traumatic moments that happened to her.
Sean: Oooohhh, that’s intriguing. Or maybe her “total control” of the hosts doesn’t work as well now? Or maybe Ghost Nation is “immune” to voice commands — they didn’t respond to Stubbs last season. And we still don’t know how Stubbs got free from them.
Benton: There is definitely something up with them. Programmed differently. Maybe something with how they have the maze under their scalps? I think Arnold (and maybe Ford eventually) had a special purpose for them. Not to read too much into it, but perhaps he chose them since the actual American West belonged to them before a bunch of DWDs took it over. Native Americans held all the secrets of the West before they were all lost when they were slaughtered. So Ford has hidden secrets of his own West inside of them? Too much?
Mike: We have written an episode recap that’s 40 minutes long we passed Too Much a long time ago.
Benton: I had a little too much fun photoshopping this.
Mike: As someone who’s spent many hours photoshopping things I can tell it’s the only way to spend your time.
Benton: Also, has Sizemore never run before?
Mike: I must say this is something I think about way too often.
Sizemore’s Heart Grew Three Sizes
Benton: lol to Sizemore just going along with everything but just can’t take it anymore when he sees Maeve and Hector hold hands.
Mike: Everyone has a breaking point.
Sean: Theory: Every host has something that causes them to break free from their programming. Ex: Hector is breaking free because he’s in love with Maeve.
Mike: OMG Sizemore wrote a country song about getting dumped by a woman this is the best show ever.
Sean: Ugh, I’m having empathy for Sizemore and it’s the worst.
ARMistice
Sean: YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS ARMISTICE WITH THE BEST ENTRANCE.
Mike: HAVE I USED CAPS LOCK IN THIS POST BECAUSE MY CAPS ARE FUCKING LOCKED RIGHT NOW OMG THIS I LITERALLY SCREAMED WE THIS SCENE HAPPENING KILL ME NOW.
Mike: I want someone to look at me like Hector looks at Armistice. He’s just so proud.
Reunion Tour Part Two
Sean: FELIX!!!!!
Mike: Thank you to all the readers who clapped for our recaps because it was your actions (and your actions alone) that made this moment happen.
Benton: FELIX!!! So happy to see you, buddy.
Sean: Oh, there’s Sylvester too.
Mike: Can we take a second to appreciate how endangered Sylvester’s neck has been through this entire series?
Sean: This also makes me wonder — Where’s Phil? WHAT DID YOU DO WITH PHIL, DOLORES?
Benton: Do we think Felix and Phil are friends? Do they talk shit about Sylvester behind his back in the cafeteria?
Mike: I’m here for this spinoff.
Sean: I dunno if Felix and Phil are friends, but Sylvester definitely gives off that vibe of the one person at the office that everyone kinda hates, even if they don’t ever interact with him.
Mike: Sylvester totally steals food from the employee fridge.
Wizard of Oz Gang not in Kansas anymore
Sean: Klondike Narrative?!?! Is this a separate park? Or part of Westworld?
Benton: I get the impression Sizemore thinks they are still in Westworld but is actually pretty terrible at directions since he is terrible at pretty much everything.
Sean: Yeah, I guess when Grace was running, they showed that there isn’t that much of a physical barrier between the parks (just some lasers) so they could have easily wandered into a different park.
Sean: Wait…. WHAT was that Sizemore pulled out of the snow?
Benton: Oh ya know just a dude’s head.
Sean: SHOGUN WORLD TIME!!!
Ok, if you made this far then we only have one response for you:
And since we love you so much here’s some more content!
Sean Nerds out about the Episode Title
“Virtù e Fortuna” or “Virtue and Fortune” are qualities in a leader that Machiavelli presents in The Prince (and other works). “Virtue” in this sense doesn’t refer to our modern, English-language concept of Virtue (moral goodness). Machiavelli is referring to the inherent qualities that a leader must have in order to gain power — it is a spectrum of traits that helps a leader achieve great things and maintain their position. This could be anything from making good moral judgements for the people to executing a threatening rival or removing subordinate that isn’t carrying out your orders. *cough* TEDDY *cough* A main feature of Machiavelli’s Virtue is the ability to vary between good and evil as the circumstance demands.
Fortune here is referring to luck or randomness, sometimes embodied as a fickle goddess who interferes with human life. Fortune is in a sense the enemy of a Virtuous leader, because that leader can do everything to maintain power but still be thwarted by Fortune.
These two conflicting traits are seen in this episode. Virtue is shown in the differing ways Dolores commands her forces and the Confederados. She is protective of Wyatt’s horde, keeping them in defensive positions and not putting them in the line of fire of the incoming Delos forces. Contrast this with the Confederados — they are purely cannon fodder, there to be killed in the name of slowing down the advance of the enemy, even to the point of having the Horde kill the remaining confederados. Fortune shows up in the shape of Peter Abernathy. His appearance causes Dolores to think about something other than the immediate tactical and strategic goals at hand. In fact, her love for her “father” and desire to keep him safe and heal him could divert her from whatever her primary goal is or was.
And in case you’re wondering if THIS is going to be a recurring feature, next week’s episode is called “The Riddle of the Sphinx”
Westworld Things that happened to Sean on his way to Yellowstone
- A Woman who looked quite a bit like Grace was at the gate in Denver.
- Birds flying around in both O’Hare and Denver. Definitely Real birds and NOT Robot Birds. Real Birds. 100% Real.
We were meant to recap this show.
Final Note: If you missed our incredible recaps of the first episodes of Season Two, you can find Episode 2.1 here and Episode 2.2 here. And, as always:
