What I’m Watching: Westworld

Westworld: Season 3, Episode 3 “The Absence of Field” (B+)

This season continues to be fascinating, and not spending any time within Westworld (or at least assuming that’s the case) hasn’t been a detriment at all. The one frustrating element has always been true on this show, which is that a focus on specific characters means that we don’t see everyone in each episode. But at least the overarching plotlines are aligning, with Charlotte being shown that Maeve’s code has been stolen and later meeting with an unhappy Serac, who really doesn’t know nearly as much as he thinks he does. It’s so interesting to see the power dynamic between Dolores and Charlotte, and to understand more about who Charlotte is, since apparently the real Charlotte is still buried in there somewhere and trying to claw her way out of a body that no longer belongs to her. Tessa Thompson is delivering a layered performance this season, and her best work was when she went to pick up her son and nearly strangled the pedophile who she said reminded her of what it meant to be a parent. I like the casting of Michael Ealy from “Sleeper Cell” and “The Good Wife” as Jake, Charlotte’s ex, though I’m not sure we’ll see him again anytime soon. Aaron Paul is proving to be a superb addition to the cast, with Caleb fearlessly standing up to the fake police who showed up to take Dolores and then withstanding torture so that he wouldn’t put her in danger. He wasn’t pleased with how much Dolores knew about his entire life, but her full honesty suggests she’s recruiting a true partner rather than just someone else she can control.