What I’m Watching: Westworld

Westworld: Season 1, Episode 7 “Trompe L’Oeil” (B+)

I watch a lot of TV, and therefore I experience a lot of plot twists. Some are good, some are predictable, and some are both. I can’t remember a time recently that I was as fantastically floored by a revelation as the one that came in this episode when, after Bernard showed Theresa that her formidable sacrifice show with Clementine and the tech was flawed and pointed out that it was Dr. Ford who might be manipulating things, the architect showed up and, with just a few words, demonstrated his omniscience by commanding Bernard to freeze and then ordering him to kill Theresa. The notion that he programmed hosts to become techs is simply incredible, and it makes you wonder whether there’s any way to really tell what’s real. It’s also unclear where Elsie is and whether Bernard will continue looking for her or if Dr. Ford really is aware of his every thought. Charlotte represents an interesting new power player in the game, but it’s hard to believe that she’ll be able to outsmart the evidently evil Dr. Ford. Maeve is certainly operating quite freely, cognizant of what lines she’s been programmed to say and fully aware that she can barter her way out of this place by terrifying the techs into submission with a threat of murder. The happenings within Westworld in this hour weren’t driven by sadism but rather by an intense recreation of history, with warring enemies chasing after Hector, William, and Dolores and then stopping to start killing each other. It does seem more and more like Dr. Ford wants to recreate reality, and he’s determined to do it no matter who gets in his way.