S02.E07: Les Ecorches

[formerlyfreedom]

Strike the match.

 

[LittleIggy]

So does Delores have the “key”? Hale didn’t ask “where is she taking it?”

[WatchrTina]

Okaaaay I'm gonna have to watch that again to figure out the timeline.  So I'll just offer up this one immediate reaction:  Evil Teddy is HAWT.

Edited June 4, 2018 by WatchrTina

[Primetimer]

We've made ten copies of this EPIC OLD-SCHOOL RECAP, covered them all in plastic, then left them in a basement. (Confused? Read on.)

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[AimingforYoko]

Thank you Delores, for wiping that perma-smirk off Hale's face, just for a little while.

[Xantar]

So when does Teddy end up dead and floating along a bunch of other hosts? Was that a false memory? I'm so confused about the timeline. 

 

Also, why are Delos soldiers so incompetent?

Edited June 4, 2018 by Xantar

[SeanC]

3 minutes ago, AimingforYoko said:

Thank you Delores, for wiping that perma-smirk off Hale's face, just for a little while.

I don't know why she was ever so arrogant when interacting with a zealot killbot to begin with.

This episode makes a good case for the series being much more interesting whenever Anthony Hopkins is in it.

[LoveLeigh]

This show could have been great with a focus on guests experiences in the Westworld, Shogun, or Ghost Nation theme parks but instead it morphed into hosts gone wild within constant blood baths, which was the plot of the film. 

 Tonight's episode was the usual confusing slaughter and carnage mixed with moments of allegory and philosophical enlightenment. And add to that, the jumbled timelines and just where is all this going? 

I would say it is headed to a final episode that is a huge cliffhanger and we will have to wait until the fall of 2019 to hope for answers and get more questions than answers in season 3. This is LOST 2.0. 

Edited June 4, 2018 by DakotaLavender

[TobinAlbers]

Loved this episode so hard! 

Dolores making Charlotte crap her pants was great until she escaped. 

Maeve knew at a glance that Dolores screwed with Teddy and called her out on it. Nice. 

The optics of an old white guy puppeteering a male black character (Get Out) isn't the greatest, but damn if I don't love Ford sharing a brain with Bernard and taking over when he needs to kick ass. The shot of Hopkins in his suit leaning against that red wall was visually gorgeous and then during the firefight with Ford blinking in and out as Bernard shot the security peeps.

Lee my boy, you done fucked up. Unless you can get Maeve patched up and reunited with her daughter I hope that look she gave you as she was bleeding out on that gurney haunts you for the rest of your short life. And I like you!

Wow, hate that I don't remember her name but the host that took out the Cradle went out like a boss. Using her base programming to distract the guy to get the job done? Bravo.

Unless William is also revealed to be a host....he's gotta be dead/dying before all this is over right? 

Cant believe they got Hopkins back, but they did and I'm glad because it cranked things up remarkably. 

Edited June 4, 2018 by TobinAlbers

[Michichick]

Dolores.

That was a confusing one in terms of timelines. Might need to watch again.

[mac123x]

When Dolores was threatening Charlotte with the cranial saw, I was yelling "do it!" at the TV.  Then I remembered that Hale is alive in the forward-most timeline.  Dammit.

 

Letterbox Dolores / Bernard are flashbacks to when Ford was assembling the initial Bernard?  As far as shocking reveals go, that's slightly underwhelming.  I'm glad Ford is along for the ride with Bernard now, and that he confirmed Delos's drive for immortality was a failure.

 

How on earth is MIB going to survive that?  He took at least 3 bullets.  I guess the modern health kit he got back in ep 1 will miraculously heal him.  I did enjoy his reunion with Maeve and once again mistaking someone for a Ford avatar.

 

I don't understand the Peter Abernathy thing at all any more.  Last season, Charlotte had Sizemore copy 30 years of code into Abernathy's brain.  He was supposed to take the train out of the park, basically acting like a mule to get the data out.  Now they're saying he has a decryption key that will allow them to download the information via Delos's satellite.  What?  That really doesn't make a lot of sense.

[RandomWatcher]

11 minutes ago, Xantar said:

Also, why are Delos soldiers so incompetent?

I don't know, I would be distracted by the sexy too.

[Macbeth]

The man in black is a host. After getting shot in the heart there is no way he should still be alive. 

I am very relieved. I don't want to loose Ed Harris.  

[Brooklynista]

What confuses me most is Charlotte's constant state of smugness.

[SevenCostanza]

This show could have been great with a focus on guests experiences in the Westworld, Shogun, or Ghost Nation theme parks but instead it morphed into hosts gone wild within constant blood baths, which was the plot of the film. 

 Tonight's episode was the usual confusing slaughter and carnage mixed with moments of allegory and philosophical enlightenment. And add to that, the jumbled timelines and just where is all this going? 

I would say it is headed to a final episode that is a huge cliffhanger and we will have to wait until the fall of 2019 to hope for answers and get more questions than answers in season 3. This is LOST 2.0. 

That's the direction I fear this show is going, and I don't think I want to be around for it. I thought this season started off great but I'm finding myself a little bored and more than a little confused with everything that's going on.

[Paws]

55 minutes ago, Brooklynista said:

What confuses me most is Charlotte's constant state of smugness.

Yes. Also, why this show makes a beautiful woman like Tessa Thompson look so awful. I mean, I get that they’re on the run and dirty right now, but even the gown she wore for the big event was the least flattering thing for her.

[Joimiaroxeu]

Whew, Maeve's not dead yet. Big mistake, Delores. Huge.

[aemom]

I think I'm confused. Was there a Bernard down in the Cradle with Elsie and another one upstairs with Charlotte and Stubbs? Or is that 2 different timelines?

[Cthulhudrew]

15 minutes ago, AEMom said:

I think I'm confused. Was there a Bernard down in the Cradle with Elsie and another one upstairs with Charlotte and Stubbs? Or is that 2 different timelines?

Two different timelines.

I did find it a bit odd that Bernard's convo with Ford in the Cradle appeared to be playing out in real time. Considering it was a virtual world, and two computers "talking" to one another, couldn't it realistically have played out in a very short period? Nanoseconds, even?

[bunnyblue]

Seriously, Anthony Hopkins makes this show so much better. He's this serene yet frightening presence amidst all the carnage. But I did LOL when we got the brief glimpse of Sir Anthony gunning down mofos.

You know who else keeps me riveted to the screen? Jeffrey Wright. He makes me feel so sorry for poor Bernard. The water boarding was awful, as were his pleas to Ford to not make him kill again. The poor man is in physical, psychological, and emotional agony, but I still need him to survive. He's just such a sympathetic character.

Seeing Maeve finally get her revenge on William was incredibly satisfying. I love that she turned his own men on him and "awakened" Lawrence to the truth of what William has done to him and his family. I guess with no one fixing the hosts anymore, that must be the last we'll see of Lawrence? I hate to lose him. I love having Ed Harris on the show but, come on!, just how much plot armor does William have? And, no, I don't believe he's a host.

Ironic how Sizemore's phone call got Maeve shot but then he also made sure she got back to headquarters so she could be repaired. But with almost everyone dead, who's going to patch her up now? And where are Hector, Felix, and the rest of them?

I appreciate that with the Cradle destroyed the hosts have only one life to live now. It evens the playing field, which I think was greatly needed because it's getting ridiculous how Dolores and her posse are taking down well armored and trained soldiers at every encounter.

This is where my nitpicking starts. It is beyond ridiculous how the QA guys are basically no match for these newly awakened hosts who can suddenly handle advanced technology, sense when humans are near, dodge bullets like they're water balloons, seduce a man in the middle of a firefight (seriously, WTH was that?), and so on and so forth. The hosts breaking into the Mesa were greatly outnumbered & outgunned yet somehow they managed to take out every human in the place, except for Hale, Stubbs, and Elsie. Given how overpowered the hosts are now, I was honestly surprised Dolores went for the horses and didn't drive away in the vehicles to make her escape.

Speaking of Dolores, I know her farmer's daughter outfit is supposed to be iconic, but I rolled my eyes when everyone in her gang changed into QA gear and she was still strutting around in her dress and bandolier. And where did she learn to use a bone saw and learn how extract a host's control unit? I am sad to see Abernathy go, but that poor tortured soul deserved to be put out of his misery. Looks like Bernard will be the torture dummy from now on. 

Yay!, Elsie lived through the massacre at the Mesa, but seeing as how she is nowhere to be seen in the "slightly future" timeline, where did she go? I hope we get an answer this season and she doesn't just disappear like she did last season. 

[DarkRaichu]

20 minutes ago, AEMom said:

I think I'm confused. Was there a Bernard down in the Cradle with Elsie and another one upstairs with Charlotte and Stubbs? Or is that 2 different timelines?

Two timelines. 

The confused Bernard with Charlotte and Stubbs are the latest timeline (2 weeks after the robot revolution)

The Bernard in Cradle was from 1 week ago when Dolores and team broke to the Mesa (1 week after robot revolution)

Edited June 4, 2018 by DarkRaichu

[bunnyblue]

1 hour ago, DakotaLavender said:

This show could have been great with a focus on guests experiences in the Westworld, Shogun, or Ghost Nation theme parks but instead it morphed into hosts gone wild within constant blood baths, which was the plot of the film. 

Yeah, it is dangerously close to becoming nothing but gun fights, a la The Walking Dead. And you never want to go full Walking Dead.

1 hour ago, DakotaLavender said:

we will have to wait until the fall of 2019 to hope for answers and get more questions than answers in season 3. This is LOST 2.0. 

It is also starting to become a little too Lost for my taste with all the timelines. I'm not completely confused yet, but they need to start giving us answers soon. And as soon as the show runners start talking about "myth arcs" I. AM. OUT.

[formerlyfreedom]

The music in my head when Dolores was escorted in - Darth Vader's theme.

Now that the Cradle is gone, should we be worried about future story lines? Okay, I'll stop worrying, I'm sure there's a plan. ;)

Always awesome to see Anthony Hopkins on my screen. Honestly, he, Thandie Newton, and Jeffrey Wright have made this series for me. And James Marsden is starting to impress me - his lovesick Teddy was dull. He's made a big turnaround with this change, and I'm kind of enjoy asshole-Teddy.

ETA: @Eve Batey, I swear I didn't read your Darth Vader reference before I typed this comment!

Edited June 4, 2018 by saoirse

[WatchrTina]

Here are my reactions to tonight’s episode:

 

THE GOOD

The look that Dolores gave Charlotte Hale after Hale called her by name . . . that was AWESOME.  So. Much. Menace.

I also LOVED Hale's slow realization that the ‘bots weren’t there to raid the cradle but to destroy it. 

For a lobotomized ‘bot, Clementine has some mad special forces skills.  She went out like a boss.

Speaking of going out like a boss, can we talk about Angela? “Welcome to Westworld” BOOM!  

And in other bad-assery – Ford taking out the lights and then taking over Bernard’s mind was amazing – in a terrible, horrible, evil, mind-raping kind of way.

Maeve telling William/MIB “I’m nothing like the rest of them” and then shooting his sorry, raping, child-killing ass was excellent.  (Wow, I’m really into the violence in this episode, aren’t I?)

Oh good, William/MIB is finally dead.  That's surprising given that Ed Harris is the second biggest star on the show but I’m okay with that because his character was an asshole.

 

THE BAD

Wait a minute, the MIB was sitting up again at the end.  He took all those bullets and survived?  WTF?

Maeve had a great line – “I don’t give a fuck how you die as long as I get to watch” – but then she DIDN’T watch.  She was doing this weird gaze off into the distance when her arch-nemesis was RIGHT THERE. That was some weird stage-direction.

How did the bad guys in the dune buggies get to Maeve so quickly?  We’ve seen what a big honking park it is and Sizemore didn’t make the call until the Indian attack was underway.  That made no sense.

 

THE UGLY

Can we all just put the bone saws down please?  Or if not could someone PLEASE put poor Peter Abernathy in a “deep and dreamless sleep”?

Teddy’s beat-down of the Irish security wanker gives Jon Snow’s beat-down of Ramsey Bolton a run for its money in the category of best-example-of-making-mince-meat-out-of-a-guy’s-face-with-your-fists. 

 

UNANSWERED QUESTIONS

If the full-resurrection 'bots “degrade in a matter of days or go mad like poor old James Delos” then is that what is going to happen to Ford’s consciousness now that it’s housed in a 'bot?  If he degrades or goes mad, how is that going to affect Bernard?  Really, Bernard has to be in the running for the most abused of all the host characters.

Where the hell are Armistice, her Japanese dopple-bot, and my favorite – Hector?  They were coming to Maeve’s rescue at the end of the last episode (along with Felix).  They better not have killed my boyfriend Hector off-screen.  That will NOT do.

Why did everyone fighting in the control room ignore Bernard?  The only thing I can think of is that he wasn’t attacking anyone (and there were plenty of other attackers to deal with) plus both sides thought he was on “their” team. I think the ‘bots somehow knew he was a ‘bot and that scene took place before he was outed to the humans.  I think.  The time-line is REALLY confusing in this show.

Where did Elsie go? Is she okay?  She needs to be okay so that she can pursue her dream of becoming a dental hygienist.

Seriously, how is William/MIB not dead?  My only theory is that somehow Ford has put a virus in the Matrix that makes ‘bots aim poorly when the MIB is the target.  Otherwise, his miraculously NOT being dead at the end of this episode stretches credulity.  (I don’t think it is possible that he is a ‘bot.)

Edited June 4, 2018 by WatchrTina

[The Companion]

2 hours ago, WatchrTina said:

Okaaaay I'm gonna have to watch that again to figure out the timeline.  So I'll just offer up this one immediate reaction:  Evil Teddy is HAWT.

I was a little embarrassed by how hot I found BadTeddy.

2 hours ago, AimingforYoko said:

Thank you Delores, for wiping that perma-smirk off Hale's face, just for a little while.

I loved when she informed Hale begging never worked, as she had learned from her many timelines. 

47 minutes ago, Joimiaroxeu said:

Whew, Maeve's not dead yet. Big mistake, Delores. Huge.

I am not sure. She offered to put her out of her misery, and then left her to the fate she chose. I loved the second meeting. They seemed to have a mutual respect and understanding, even if they had totally different viewpoints.

 

So many amazing things about this episode. I don't even know where to begin. Loved the big reveal at the beginning. I should have seen it coming, but I didn't. Bernard seems so vulnerable. I am assuming there was more to his directions,  but you still want to protect him.

Speaking of vulnerability: RIP Clem? I want her to hop back up, head out to a nice safe area and get some rest. I really enjoyed the scenes in that timeline. Delores saying goodbye to her father and showing vulnerability, the gang fighting it out, the great use of Welcome to Westworld by Angela. 

Also really enjoyed Laurence turning on the MiB. Being semi-decent to a few hosts this time around doesn't square up your past plays where you raped and murdered them. 

And what a menacing performance by Anthony Hopkins. He really is a master. 

[DarkRaichu]

This series starts to lose me as an audience.  It is style over substance.  The storyline was so thin it could have been told in 3 episodes without the pointless back and forward time jumps or the repeated massacres.  Seriously, how incompetence are the Delos security teams???  If these are the best army money could buy, the humans deserve to be taken over by the bots

- I am glad Dolores sees the point that she is not human and trying to be like human is pointless for her.  She needs to be whatever species she is, which is definitely NOT human
- Maeve and MiB did not die ??? As much as I like the actors, but seriously??  We saw more bots and Delos security went down after being shot ONCE and they were all wearing BODY ARMORS :P
- I thought Felix, Hector, + 2x Armistices were helping Maeve and daughter?  How the heck did both get separated from friends???  Anyone would have run towards their friends who SHOT at the attackers (ie. Maeve knew where Hector etc were), not away
- The core that Bernard took was Ford's ?? Why they heck did Ford leave his core in a lab under Delos' control?? I am still hoping that core is someone else's.  Otherwise I am done with the show :P

- I am glad Angela found the time to clean up and change to tight tank top just before seducing the soldier guy.  Who would want to f--- a dirty bot with messy hair and a crown of thorn on her head? :P
 

Edited June 4, 2018 by DarkRaichu

[WatchrTina]

34 minutes ago, DarkRaichu said:

The core that Bernard took was Ford's ?? Why they heck did Ford leave his core in a lab under Delos' control?? I am still hoping that core is someone else's.  Otherwise I am done with the show :P

He uploaded his consciousness into the "Cradle" so that he would live on after his suicide-by-robot.  He didn't have a choice to store himself anywhere else since the full-ressurection 'bots don't work yet.

 

34 minutes ago, DarkRaichu said:

I am glad Angela found the time to clean up and change to tight tank top just before seducing the soldier guy.  Who would want to f--- a dirty bot with messy hair and a crown of thorn on her head :P

Damn.  That's right.  Oops.  I guess we'll just have to assume she has mad skills with a hair brush like Clementine has mad skills with an assault rifle.

ETA:  Well I just watched a 3rd time and I'm changing my mind on this one.  They stripped the human guards they killed (remember of the pile of corpses) and several of them (Teddy and Angela included) put on their gear (while Dolores and Clementine continue to wear prairie garb -- presumably because there was not enough commando gear to go around.)  So is it does make a LITTLE sense that Angela had removed that weird crown of thorns or whatever-that-was and tidied her hair to more plausibly pass as human.  It also makes the tight tank top slightly more plausible.

Edited June 4, 2018 by WatchrTina

[DarkRaichu]

12 minutes ago, WatchrTina said:

If the full-resurrection bots “degrade in a matter of days or go mad like poor old James Delos” then is that what is going to happen to Ford’s consciousness now that it’s housed in a bot?  If he degrades or goes mad, how is that going to affect Bernard?  Really, Bernard has to be in the running for the most abused of all the host characters.

Looks like Ford degraded which is why Confused!Bernard was reassessing itself.  Ford was in Bernard (1 week ago) but now Ford is gone.

14 minutes ago, WatchrTina said:

Seriously, How is William/MIB not dead?  My only theory is that somehow Ford has put a virus in the Matrix that makes ‘bots aim poorly when the MIB is the target.  Otherwise, his miraculously NOT being dead at the end of this episode stretches credulity.  (I don’t think it is possible that he is a ‘bot.)

 IKR? The dude moved 10 feet AFTER being shot on the CHEST!

[bunnyblue]

8 minutes ago, WatchrTina said:

 I think the ‘bots somehow knew he was a ‘bot and that scene took place before he was outed to the humans.  I think.  The time-line is REALLY confusing in this show.

It did take place before Hale, Stubbs, and Strand learn Bernard's a host. And it also takes place after Dolores learned the truth about Bernard when they were together at Fort Forlorn Hope. So maybe she shared that information with her posse and that's why they didn't hurt Bernard at the Mesa? At least that's what I'm telling myself so I don't get annoyed as to why no one tried to kill Bernard.

7 minutes ago, The Companion said:

Also really enjoyed Laurence turning on the MiB. Being semi-decent to a few hosts this time around doesn't square up your past plays where you raped and murdered them. 

I completely agree. Lawrence absolutely deserved to turn on William. The things William did to Lawrence and his family over the years can not be forgotten just because this time around he was kind to them. I like William (mostly because of Ed Harris & Jimmi Simpson) and I don't really want him to die yet, but I cheered when Lawrence shot him.

[kittykat]

MIB is NOT in good shape but I reckon he'll ast long enough to face the Bernard/Ford hybrid. I'm glad Maeve sort of got her revenge.

Agree that the hosts taking out the whole Delos team was far fetched, then again they now have the Teddynator.  I did like Maeve and Delores' interaction and Maeve clearly knowing what she did.

Jeffrey Wright better get an Emmy.  That is all.

[Quilt Fairy]

What makes the multiple timelines especially confusing is that there are three different sets of "rescue squads" (I use the term loosely): Stubbs' team (the QA team) at Day 1 (the gala), Coughlin's team at Day 7 (approximately), and Strand's team at Day 14 (finding Bernard on the beach).  It would be nice if they were color coded but unfortunately they all wear black.

Tessa Thompson as Charlotte Hale continues to be major casting misstep in the show.  I find her totally unbelievable and every scene she's in I focus on how much I hate her.  The woman who played Theresa Cullen in Season 1 would have been a much better choice as Hale.  When Dolores was coming at her with the bone saw saying "An eye for an eye..... but the other parts first" I was SO hopeful.  Then I realized that it's only Day 7 and we know Hale makes it to Day 14.

I hope they find some way around the "final death" scenario for the hosts because they killed off a lot of people I liked in this episode and there are still 3 episodes to go in the season.  This seemed almost like a season finale.

Edited June 4, 2018 by Quilt Fairy

[numbnut]

Ugh.  I can't wait for Charlotte to get killed off. Tessa Thompson's line readings are like nails on a chalkboard.  Totally agree with the comments on the ridiculousness of Angela's seduction.  Nice to have Hopkins back but, even with the exposition dump, I have no clue how the Matrix world works and why only unplugged Bernard can see Ford.

[DarkRaichu]

21 minutes ago, WatchrTina said:

He uploaded his consciousness into the "Cradle" so that he would live on after his suicide-by-robot.  He didn't have a choice to store himself anywhere else since the full-ressurection 'bots don't work yet.

I understood that part.  What I do not understand is why that core was in a lab where they experimented with James Delos?  Ford controlled the whole park, he could have created the core anywhere else.  

9 minutes ago, numbnut said:

Nice to have Hopkins back but, even with the exposition dump, I have no clue how the Matrix world works and why only unplugged Bernard can see Ford.

Because Ford was literally inside of Bernard's head.  Ford's memory jumped to Bernard's core as it was connected to the Cradle 

[thuganomics85]

While the majority of the cast here is truly great, it really does feel like Anthony Hopkins' return has brought it back to a whole new level.  Certainly helps that it is all Ford/Bernard scenes, because he and Jeffery Wright really do have some of the best interactions on television right now.  Of course, it's all because poor Bernard now has Ford somehow stuck in his head, but I'll enjoy the interactions while I can!

So, in the battle between psycho killer robot and smug corporate goon, I guess I prefer the former since I enjoyed watching Dolores terrorize Hale.  Of course, I knew Hale was going to survive thanks to the present timeline, but I hope her time comes soon.

The humans really do suck at this whole battle thing, although while the hosts did win by bodycount, they actually seemed to lose more on the character front with Clementine, Angela, and likely Abernathy all done for now.  The last two was especially a bit surprising since they went out of their way to make Talulah Riley and Louis Herthum regulars this season.  Of course, on this show, it is hard to know if someone is gone for good.

As great as Ed Harris is, it was so satisfying watching Maeve and Lawrence get some revenge on William, even if they were stopped before they could finish the job.  But William is still alive?  How?!

James Marsden is making a surprisingly compelling case towards playing a future Terminator.

[TrininisaScorp]

Hopkins being a presence in this episode really made it for me.  I hope we continue to see him, as he is such a brightening agent in this series.  That house that Arnold built that was used to trained Bernard was beautiful. 

Maeve and Lawrence getting at least a little revenge was tasty.  William turned into a terrible, awful man, and MiB deserved that shit.  But.  I'm happy he is alive, no matter how unbelievable, b/c I LOVE Ed Harris.

The Companion, so much word on your post!  My favorite line of the episode was Delores to Hale re: begging not helping her, as she's learned painfully in her many, many timelines.  Powerful core statement on what her entire drive is about.

I've been waiting for the Ladies in Power to meet again.  I like the Maeve in this state still got her dig in about Delores being like what she hates, esp with regard to sweet Teddy.  Delores also felt less 1 note to me this episode.  It was a simple interaction, but so, so good.  I'm certain Sizemore will heal Maeve up. 

BadAss Teddy, man.  I'm conflicted.  I feel so terrible for what Delores has done to him.  But. BUT.  Good lawd, he sexy like this.  James Marsden has been a dime since the 90s, and this is a great look on him.  I'm a terrible person. 

The Delos special ops guys are terrible.  Honestly.  Useless and their strategy sucks.  

[bunnyblue]

1 hour ago, Quilt Fairy said:

Stubbs' team (the QA team) at Day 1 (the gala), Coughlin's team at Day 7 (approximately), and Strand's team at Day 14 (finding Bernard on the beach). 

OMG, you just made me realize we've seen 3 entirely separate yet equally incompetent teams of security guards this season. If these are best soldiers Delos money can buy, I'd hate to see what the rejects look like. Westworld security really are the Stormtroopers of this universe. It would be funny if it wasn't so infuriating. 

Speaking of these incompetent fools, when Angela blew up the Cradle she pulled the pin from the grenade on the stupid QA guy's utility belt. Did she go into the Cradle already in possession of explosives or was it just a happy coincidence that QA guy followed her in there with a grenade? Because it did not look to me like half-dressed Angela had anything on her that could make the Cradle go boom. And how did she know how a grenade works?

When the showrunners say they want Westworld to make its audience think, I don't think they had nitpicking in mind - but here I am. ??‍♀️

Edited June 4, 2018 by bunnyblue

[tennisgurl]

Anthony Hopkins really is a master. The man is just brings such gravitas to any scene he appears in, instantly. He can raise even an info dump of exposition seem intense and full of importance. No wonder they gave him so much talking this week. And, if nothing else, this show will have always given us Anthony Hopkins in a full dress outfit firing a machine gun.

God dang, but evil Teddy is super hot. I am so conflicted! I hate what was done to him, and want him to get get to make his own choices, but evil Teddy is so badass and hot. Damn it! Still, it was great seeing Maeve call Delores out for becoming exactly what she hates so much when she committed her mass acts of killing, and reprogramming Teddy. 

Delores does get points for finally wiping that constant smug smirk off of Charlotte's face. Yeah, lady, please antagonize the pissed off death bot holding power tools. Great call. And the "if you thought begging for mercy worked, you haven't lived my lives" was awesome and chilling. And her look at Charlotte when she called out her name was so filled with menace. And also a bit of "bitch are you for real?"

Speaking of awesome chilling lines "Welcome to Westworld" BOOM. As much of an idiot as the agent guy was, that was a pretty hard core end for her. Is this really the end for her, Abernathy, and Clementine? Well if it was, they all got memorable endings at least. 

Glad that Lawrence and Maeve got revenge on William, and seeing them interact was cool in general. Even if William is totally going to weasel his way out of this. If he turns out to be a host, it would be pretty hilarious. 

[dr pepper]

Glad to see the D grade Sean Connery disposed of. Arrogance is no substitute for competence.

I am still of the opinion that MIB is human. It is, however, possible that he has some bionics in him. If so he'd still need a medic, just not quite as urgently as it looks.

Otoh, why didn't Maeve and Dolores turn off the death response for all of their troops?

[ElectricBoogaloo]

My main takeaway is that I'm really disappointed that no one killed Charlotte. And I'm not picky. Dolores with the bone saw or Teddy with a gun would have been fine with me!

7 hours ago, WatchrTina said:

I'll just offer up this one immediate reaction:  Evil Teddy is HAWT.

You might want to check out Bella Mafia if you can find it. His character was evil and hot!

[Dame sans merci]

Just now, ElectricBoogaloo said:

My main takeaway is that I'm really disappointed that no one killed Charlotte. And I'm not picky. Dolores with the bone saw or Teddy with a gun would have been fine with me!

You might want to check out Bella Mafia if you can find it. His character was evil and hot!

Charlotte is just the absolute worst. The perma-smirk. The casual cruelty. The snide, mean girl comments to other humans. Urgh. I will consider this season a failure unless I get to watch her die at some point.

[Chris24601]

5 hours ago, bunnyblue said:

OMG, you just made me realize we've seen 3 entirely separate yet equally incompetent teams of security guards this season. If these are best soldiers Delos money can buy, I'd hate to see what the rejects look like. Westworld security really are the Stormtroopers of this universe. It would be funny if it wasn't so infuriating. 

To be fair to the security guards, Season One (the scene with Ford and William with Teddy present) showed that the hosts are much faster, stronger and more coordinated than any human could hope to be in order to be able to perform their "protect the guests" from accidents function. They just have those skills dialed way back in order to perform their normal loops including dying on cue. We further see evidence of this when Bernard hacks the one host and cranks the one host up to maximum accuracy and reflexes and he proceeds to quickshot his way through a horde of his fellow hosts.

Delores clearly has her safeties off as she took a shoulder and a gut shot with barely a flinch (the latter of which would start a normal host into its "bleed out and die" routine). My hunch is that Delores entire group is running well above normal human strength, reflexes and accuracy which is why they can mow through ordinary human security so easily (even though they did take some losses in the process).

Edited June 4, 2018 by Chris24601

[Haleth]

I really need someone to spell out the Bernard timeline.  I know Bernard and Elsie happened days ago, but the scenes with Charlotte and Strand?  That's all still pretty linear, right?  They picked Bernard up off the beach in the first episode, found the floaters (including poor dead Ted), and went back to the mesa for?  It's not until now that they discover all the duplicate Bernards, yes?  But they're still trying to find Abernathy's brain bulb that was taken away by Dolores days ago.  So the decision to go to sector whatever is the most current thing in the show.  We haven't seen anything that happens after this?

With the Cradle gone, please tell me Lawrence isn't dead dead.  Or Angela.  Or Clemmie.  Surely they didn't kill off William so easily.  (I don't believe he's a bot.)  And Maeve certainly isn't going to die with 3 episodes left.  I guess we won't see Peter Abernathy again.

I never thought I'd like either Lee or Stubbs, but both have really grown as characters.  

Dolores isn't my favorite (although her scenes with Peter were so well done) but I was shouting at her to shoot Charlotte.  

Still loving the show but all the battle scenes are getting repetitive.

7 hours ago, WatchrTina said:

She needs to be okay so that she can pursue her dream of becoming a dental hygienist.

Best line of the night.  So Elsie.

There is nothing, nothing better on tv right now than Hopkins and Wright together.

[The Companion]

2 hours ago, dr pepper said:

I am still of the opinion that MIB is human. It is, however, possible that he has some bionics in him. If so he'd still need a medic, just not quite as urgently as it looks.

I think this is a possibility (as is some sort of enhanced healing ability). We know health research has advanced considerably and there was a reference to cutting particular research by Delos, which indicates the company has medical holdings, so he could even have access to something not on the market. 

1 hour ago, Dame sans merci said:

Charlotte is just the absolute worst. The perma-smirk. The casual cruelty. The snide, mean girl comments to other humans. Urgh. I will consider this season a failure unless I get to watch her die at some point.

She really does evoke a strong reaction, doesn't she. Her smirk and arrogance make her so hateable. She is unrepentant. I can't decide if we are leading to a satisfying death scene or a redemption. 

[Uncle JUICE]

10 hours ago, DakotaLavender said:

This show could have been great with a focus on guests experiences in the Westworld, Shogun, or Ghost Nation theme parks but instead it morphed into hosts gone wild within constant blood baths, which was the plot of the film. 

 Tonight's episode was the usual confusing slaughter and carnage mixed with moments of allegory and philosophical enlightenment. And add to that, the jumbled timelines and just where is all this going? 

I would say it is headed to a final episode that is a huge cliffhanger and we will have to wait until the fall of 2019 to hope for answers and get more questions than answers in season 3. This is LOST 2.0. 

Am I reading you wrong, or are you like me, where this show is getting more than a little side eye? I feel like I'm about to break up with this show. I loved it when there was some actual WestWorld action in it. To co-opt a phrase, this show now looks less like a horse and more like a camel. I'm so tired of these interactions where people ALMOST say stuff and then gunfire breaks out. This show had a LOT of potential and now it's painted itself right into this corner that I really can't see a way out of, namely, WTF is season 3 going to be? I think this show should have built a little more to this crap this season and given us a lot more insight into what the parks were really like. 

[Dame sans merci]

8 minutes ago, The Companion said:

I think this is a possibility (as is some sort of enhanced healing ability). We know health research has advanced considerably and there was a reference to cutting particular research by Delos, which indicates the company has medical holdings, so he could even have access to something not on the market. 

She really does evoke a strong reaction, doesn't she. Her smirk and arrogance make her so hateable. She is unrepentant. I can't decide if we are leading to a satisfying death scene or a redemption. 

I feel like Lee is the one on the redemption train. They've made Charlotte so overtly awful  - at the same that people like Lee and Stubbs are getting more sympathetic nuance - that I can't see any route forward for her other than a big dramatic, fist-pump finale death.

[Uncle JUICE]

9 hours ago, Brooklynista said:

What confuses me most is Charlotte's constant state of smugness.

Right??? Dolores is basically a super villain and stuck in the same room with Hale, and Hale's tactic is to start out with "You aren't so special!"? Ugh.

[SevenCostanza]

Quick question when we saw Teddy floating in the water in the first episode wasn't he still dressed in his western outfit? 

[Uncle JUICE]

5 hours ago, bunnyblue said:

 

Speaking of these incompetent fools, when Angela blew up the Cradle she pulled the pin from the grenade on the stupid QA guy's utility belt. Did she go into the Cradle already in possession of explosives or was it just a happy coincidence that QA guy followed her in there with a grenade? Because it did not look to me like half-dressed Angela had anything on her that could make the Cradle go boom. And how did she know how a grenade works?

All of the hosts have C4 in their spines (they established it last year with Maeve), but it's extremely unlikely that it's enough to blow up a whole room, since what it was implanted for was to simply destroy a host that might have escaped or gone rogue. It wouldn't make sense to blow up a rogue host on a train full of people, let's say, if all you'd do is blow up the rail car and all the people in it. I imagined it was more like a teaspoon's worth just to sever the host in half. BUt this is DElos we're talking about, I'm really confused as to how they developed such intensely genius AI tech with an apparently totally stupid safety, quality, containment, failsafe systems departments. Also their soldiers blow. 

[The Companion]

42 minutes ago, Dame sans merci said:

I feel like Lee is the one on the redemption train. They've made Charlotte so overtly awful  - at the same that people like Lee and Stubbs are getting more sympathetic nuance - that I can't see any route forward for her other than a big dramatic, fist-pump finale death.

I agree generally, but the MiB was pretty firmly bad guy last year and Dolores was pretty firmly good, so I won't rule it out. Nonetheless, it feels like we are heading towards a satisfying villain death on her.

[Paws]

Are we done seeing Jimmy Simpson? If so, yay, because I’ve never bought into him as a younger Ed Harris.