Westworld delivered arguably the best episode of its second so far with “The Riddle of the Sphinx.”
The episode focused on Bernard and the Man in Black with what seem like completely separate storylines until they collided in a fascinating way. William, in particular, received tremendous character development in both the past and present. The fates of two beloved secondary characters were revealed, as was the identity of one of the show’s newcomers.
Without further ado let’s dive into 5 major takeaways from the latest and greatest Westworld has to offer.
Warning: Spoilers from “The Riddle of the Sphinx” will follow.
Elsie is Alive
That Elsie is alive will come as no shock to most Westworld fans, but they may be surprised by where’s she’s been and the circumstances that followed her return to the story.
It turns out that after Bernard choked Elsie out–under Ford’s control because she knew too much and posed a risk to his plan–Bernard took her to a cave in the park where she was left captive, alone except for the protein bars he provided for her sustenance. Since Bernard only choked her out in the first place under Ford’s control, it seems like Ford recognized Elsie’s skills and may even have respected her.
He couldn’t risk her interfering with his plan, but he didn’t want her dead either, so he had Bernard take her off the chessboard until the time was right again. Whether Ford or Bernard arranged it so Clementine would bring Bernard to the cave is unknown, but the plan was never to let her rot, but probably for her to always end up helping Bernard.
Some fans may feel a bit disappointed that the theory of Elsie controlling Ghost Nation and collecting humans didn’t pan out, but regardless it’s good to have her back. Her return to the story does feature a few surprises, the first being her discovery that Bernard is a host. At this point, she is one of the only human characters aware of this secret.
Elsie even ends up saving Bernard’s life and forms an alliance with him, though Bernard’s memories about what happened with the drone hosts and Delos scientists make audiences wonder if she’ll regret that decision.
Immortalizing James Delos
Audiences already got a glimpse of Delos using guests’ experiences in the parks and their DNA to copy them and create hosts of their own. Flashbacks hinted heavily that this plan was set in motion by William and James Delos many years ago.
“The Riddle of the Sphinx” confirms this as it’s revealed that James Delos tried to immortalize himself beyond death. From the days of young William, to what appears set shortly before the present day events of season 1, James Delos existed as a host replica under strict protocol and scrutiny.
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He wasn’t a host in the sense of Dolores or Maeve, though, as he still contained the experiences and DNA of the real James Delos before he died. He functioned well, but at a certain point always began to degrade. 149 versions of himself and decades later, he still wasn’t functioning properly.
There was reason to believe this was taking place in a private Delos facility in the outside world until Bernard and Elsie discovered the 149th version of James Delos had gone rogue in a hidden facility within the park. Bernard and Elsie might have terminated him, but there will certainly be more of his kind.
The potential for immortality is too tantalizing for the bigwigs at Delos, and for the profit they’d make from buyers willing to spend outrageous amounts in order to live on forever.
It seems like what Charlotte Hale was trying to smuggle out via Peter Abernathy is the secret to successfully copying humans who can remain completely functional rather than degrade like every version of James Delos. This is the secret and invaluable resource Delos needs, the gift they need to receive before sending any aid to the survivors.
Logan’s Fate
Fans were left wondering about Logan’s fate at the end of season 1. William became the Man in Black, but what of Logan? William the elder bluntly tells the 149th version of James Delos that Logan died of a drug overdose, with William adding that Logan could no longer handle reality.
As contemptible as Logan could be, this moment is heartbreaking. Only seconds earlier after finding out that his daughter Juliet killed herself, James Delos shouts for his son. In a moment of grief, fury, and helplessness, it is Logan that James Delos calls for, Logan who he’s finally counting on to save him and to fix things.
It took his whole life and 149 artificial versions of James Delos to show that he cared about and valued his son. To follow that up with the revelation that Logan overdosed years ago is heartbreaking.
In the second episode of this season, “Reunion”, Logan was already shown on the drug-addicted path to his eventual demise, but audiences also discovered that it was Logan who invested and became enthralled with Westworld and the hosts in the first place, not his father.
Ben Barnes excels as Logan and despite his character’s death, we hope to see more of his character appearing in flashbacks.
The Man in Black puts on the white hat
Teddy’s mercy won’t only cause himself suffering. His decision to let the Confederado survivors go led Major Craddock and his men to torment the people in Lawrence’s hometown.
The Man in Black cuts himself a deal, divulging the location of the town’s weapons and stating that only he knows the way to what Craddock calls “Glory.” The deal works out pretty well for the Man in Black as Craddock spares him out of gratitude and for the key information the Man in Black still holds. The often ruthless and pragmatic older William takes no pleasure from the deal, though.
The suffering of the townspeople is hard enough to watch, but what breaks William is the anguish of Lawrence’s wife and daughter. Their pain reminds him too much of the pain he caused his own wife and daughter. The black hat may literally stay on his head, but William truly puts on the white hat as he dispatches Craddock and his men and saves Lawrence, his wife and daughter, and the rest of the townspeople.
Lawrence’s daughter–with Ford speaking through her as he spoke through the young Robert and new El Lazo hosts–tells the Man in Black that one good deed doesn’t make him a hero. He retorts “Who said anything about a good deed? You want me to play your game? I’m gonna play it to the bone.”
Just as the Maze was about the hosts’ self-discovery, it seems like William is playing Ford’s new game with his own self-discovery in mind. He agrees that his actions don’t make him a hero and nullify years of evil. His actions do show he’s capable of being the hero, though, even if the heroics are driven by guilt for suffering he’s already caused.
The Man in Black can never be the hero, but he doesn’t have to be the villain either.
Grace’s Identity
Fan theories abounded after Grace’s introduction into Westworld, the most popular being that she was either William’s daughter Emily or that she was a younger Theresa from a storyline taking place in the past. Others thought–including yours truly–that Grace was just Grace, a fierce and seasoned, tiger-slaying guest. Like Rey not being the child of any significant characters in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, why couldn’t Grace just be Grace?
Now, it’s clear Grace isn’t going the way of Rey, though. The theory that Grace is William’s daughter appears to be correct as she crosses paths with him at the end of the episode and says, “Hi, Dad.”
James Delos asking about his granddaughter and William saying “she’s whip-smart” takes on a greater meaning with this twist. She was already shown to be intuitive and resourceful when the host uprising broke out in the Raj park.
“The Riddle of the Sphinx” builds on her abilities as she’s fluent in the language of Ghost Nation, manages to free herself from their captivity, and gets herself a horse and a new outfit shortly after her escape.
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Considering all the suffering Westworld has caused her family, it’s a bit surprising that she’d go to the parks at all let alone become an experienced, formidable guest. Perhaps it is for that very reason that she went in the first place, to understand the suffering and disease that plagued her family. It’s a mystery why she was in the Raj when the host uprising began, and what her motivations are now, though.
It certainly looks like the Man in Black and Grace team-up is here, just not in the way many fans expected.
What were your major takeaways from the latest episode? Let us know in the comments!
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Westworld airs every Sunday on HBO at 9 P.M. EST!