3 Major Takeaways from Westworld Season 2, Episode 3

Westworld Episode 3 of the second season was everything audiences hoped it would be and more. A completely new park was unveiled, though not in the way expected.

The mystery of the dead Bengal tiger was finally revealed. Fascinating new characters burst onto the scene while several familiar faces also returned. Dolores engineered her boldest scheme yet and a major Westworld character’s inner conflict may have damning repercussions for all.

Let’s take a look at 3 major takeaways from Westworld Season 2, Episode 3.

The Raj

Fans have known for quite a while now that Westworld wasn’t the only park out there. The tease in the season 1 finale and marketing for season 2 made it seem like Shogun World would be the first new park to debut this season. While Shogun World is definitely on the way, the park known as The Raj dazzled first.

The opening scenes in The Raj confirms that the host uprising wasn’t just confined to Westworld, but that it occurred in all the parks. It’s fascinating to see the uprising from a completely different point of view in a drastically different setting.

It’s through the eyes of the guest Grace–played by Katja Herbers–that audiences first experience The Raj and her consequent fight for survival. Initially, she seems like any other guest basking in the abundant pleasures of the park. The lengths she’s willing to go to make sure she’s sleeping with a human instead of a host was the first sign that she’s no ordinary guest.

Later, she was sharp enough to realize something was off even before encountering any violent hosts. She managed to shoot and kill the host that attacked her and then proceeded to slay a Bengal tiger and all the while stay alive.

Now we know how that tiger ended up on those shores at the end of the season 2 premiere, and that the “Park Six” Stubbs referred to is The Raj. Grace may be out of the frying pan and into the fire, though, having escaped the Raj only to end up with Ghost Nation hosts in Westworld. But like the Man in Black, she looks to have what it takes to survive in this new world.

Lost And Found

Heading into this episode, there was quite a few season 1 characters still unaccounted for. That is no longer the case, and it all began with Peter Abernathy.

It turns out Bernard and Charlotte actually found him pretty quickly. Reprogramming Steven Ogg’s character Rebus into a heroic cowboy was a genius move on behalf of Bernard and Charlotte, and it explains why the normally sleazy host will sacrifice himself to save other hosts when the Delos team arrives on the beach two weeks later.

Despite their plan, Charlotte is unable to snag Peter Abernathy at that moment. Dolores later experiences an emotional reunion with her father, but Charlotte does manage to get her hands on her precious “package.” It’s unclear how she ends up losing him when she encounters Bernard and the Delos team two weeks later, but Abernathy is still out there.

Other characters not seen in season 2 until this episode included Armistice, Felix, and Sylvester. Armistice is loving her new flamethrower and doesn’t seem to have been slowed down at all by her arm getting stuck in that door. Felix is thankfully alive, and the massive power shift doesn’t seem to have changed Sylvester one bit.

They all join Maeve’s quest to find her daughter. The team that came together to break out of the park is back together–plus Lee–and the bizarre mishmash is arguably the best grouping of characters so far this season.

At this point, Elsie is about the only character unaccounted for in season 2.

Teddy’s Inner Conflict

In previous episodes this season, Teddy was seen dutifully following and helping out Dolores. He’s questioned if she’s doing what she really wants, but otherwise, he’s been there every step of the way for her, even if he doesn’t look comfortable or happy about it.

That remains the case for most of the episode until Dolores orders Teddy to execute the handful of Confederate survivors still breathing after Dolores’ brilliant, yet brutal scheme. Jonathan Tucker’s character Major Craddock gets inside Teddy’s head, pegging him for a loyal soldier who doesn’t know what he wants. With Dolores watching, Teddy ends up sparing the life of Major Craddock and the other survivors and frees them.

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Major Craddock gets Teddy to act on the conflict that’s been brewing inside him. It’s not just relating to Teddy and calling him pathetic that allows Major Craddock to get through to him. It’s the idea that Teddy doesn’t know what he wants. Next to the likes of Dolores and her grand, focused purpose, Teddy’s lack of purpose scares him.

While Dolores remembers everything, Teddy can’t remember significant pieces of his past like the identity of Dolores’ father. Teddy has to figure out who he is, but killing Major Craddock and the other Confederate survivors isn’t the way to those coveted answers. Unfortunately, that decision isn’t going to sit well with Dolores.

Teddy has been there every step of the way for Dolores because he loves her, but her current ways still don’t sit right with that sense of honor that drives his very being. This is a devastating blow to Dolores as earlier in the episode she admitted to Teddy being all that she had left.

Angela, Clementine, and Wyatt’s masked horde may follow her commands, but they don’t love or care for her the way Teddy does. Now she sees the one person she thought understood and loved her and was unceasingly loyal couldn’t go through with her wishes.

Next: Westworld season 2, episode 3. Recap of Virtù e Fortuna – Part 1

Dolores and Teddy are each other’s anchors. Already so cunning and ruthless with Teddy at her side, a Dolores without an anchor and absolutely nothing to lose will be terrifying. A Teddy without Dolores is someone we haven’t seen before.

The two lovers and partners in crime are sliding towards a dangerous place. That breaking point may be what causes Teddy’s corpse to end up floating in the water two weeks later. The loss of Teddy and no one to ground her may also be what causes Dolores to end up massacring all those hosts on the beach.

What were your major takeaways from the episode? Let us know in the comments!

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Westworld airs every Sunday on HBO at 9 P.M. EST!