If you love Maeve and have been eagerly awaiting Shogun World, then “Akane No Mai” will be a dream come true. The next episode of Westworld places the focus back on Maeve as she and her host and human allies enter Shogun World.
The episode synopsis says “Shogun World extends a welcome to all” and the show looks to fulfill that promise by spending most of the episode dedicated to showcasing the mysterious park filled with samurai hosts.
Despite a completely different and overall darker aesthetic, the dialogue in the episode promo shows that Shogun World may have more in common with Westworld than fans originally anticipated. Speaking of which, the episode is also set to follow up on the latest with Dolores and Teddy.
Check out the episode promo and the pre-released pictures below to get a glimpse at what “Akane No Mai” has in store.
Maeve’s New Voice
Maeve appears confident in this photo, but the episode promo shows her going through a wide range of emotions. The dialogue spoken by the Shogun World host at the beginning of the episode–which Maeve finishes–mirrors Maeve’s dialogue when programmed as the madame in season 1.
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This seems to tease the possibility that despite the difference in theme and aesthetics, every park essentially features the same characters. Maeve is meeting the Shogun World version of herself.
With this line of thinking, every park has a host like Maeve who teases the limitless possibilities to the guests, making them feel as though they are on a road to empowerment and self-discovery– with the voice telling them they can be whoever they want to be. There’s likely Shogun World equivalents of a chivalrous hero like Teddy, a damsel like Dolores, and so on.
Beyond meeting the Shogun World equivalent of her previous build, Maeve mentions that “I think I’m finding a new voice” and later declares “Now I use it” as she wields a katana. Interacting with essentially her old self via the Shogun World equivalent may open up many doors for Maeve as she continues on her road to authentic self-discovery. The new parks looks to challenge her in many ways, but also make her stronger than ever before.
The Hosts of Shogun World
Hiroyuki Sanada plays the new character, Musashi. He looks to be a figure of authority and power in Shogun World, perhaps the only one that the samurai hosts obey and respect in the wake of their own uprising.
It’s currently unclear what Musashi and the hosts of Shogun World will want from Maeve and her allies. The episode will certainly provide a deep dive into their respective world, though, with the showrunners even teasing that most of the episode’s dialogue will be spoken in Japanese.
A Captive Armistice
Captivity is a strange look for Armistice. That says something about Shogun World, that they are formidable enough to take even Armistice prisoner. Even she looks bemused by the whole situation. Marched through the streets of Shogun World, however, she can use the opportunity to assess her surroundings and her captors.
There’s a good chance she will win the respect of the samurai hosts later on by showing her prowess in battle. The intelligence she gathered while relegated to the role of a prisoner could turn out quite useful.
The expression on her face will likely change once she’s given a chance to prove herself. Her fellow prisoners may not prove so lucky, especially the human ones who aren’t so battle-hardened.
A Peaceful Hector
A peaceful Hector is almost an even stranger look than a captive Armistice.
The roguish bandit appears serene in this picture. It’s difficult to imagine what could quell Hector’s fiery spirit and take him to a place of serenity, though.
He’s seen wielding his firearms more than once in the episode promo, so the path to peace clearly won’t be an easy one. The hosts of Shogun World World may recognize his talents for battle, but feel he lacks the proper focus to channel it. If they deem him worthy of training, they could teach him how to find his inner peace and use it to become a stronger warrior.
A peaceful moment can still go hand in hand with violence.
Made To Suffer
Most of the episode looks, to take place with Maeve in Shogun World, but don’t forget about Dolores and Teddy in Westworld. Dolores still needs to decide how to handle Teddy’s betrayal at Fort Forlorn Hope while Teddy needs to decide what’s next given the inner conflict within him.
In the episode promo Dolores insists that “To grow, we all need to suffer.”
This strongly echoes Ford’s sentiments in the season 1 finale where he expressed the same ideas to both Dolores and Bernard, and he hinted that more suffering would need to come to allow further growth.
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Dolores looks distraught as she says this line, possibly because she is about to make Teddy suffer for his betrayal, justifying her actions under the guise of Ford’s philosophy. Since this was Ford’s idea, to begin with, it brings into question if Dolores truly has free will at all. Most of her actions in season 2 fit well with the Wyatt narrative, with the adjustment that she can actually harm the guests now.
While Maeve finds her voice in Shogun World, Dolores may just be falling deeper and deeper into the Wyatt narrative, with the conflicted Teddy now having to pay the price.
What do you expect to see in the upcoming episode? Let us know in the comments!
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Westworld airs new episodes every Sunday at 9 P.M. EST!