Westworld: Season 2 episode 7 trailer analysis
By Ashley Davis
The Westworld season 2 episode 7 teaser trailer gives us a preview of what’s to come–plus a few intriguing hints.
Lost in the Dark
The new Westworld trailer opens to Maeve talking about being “lost in the dark” and Dolores saying, “When you’ve been in the darkness long enough, you begin to see.” This is fairly straightforward, but again brings up ‘the who is controlling whom’ question.
We get some hints that Maeve has a run-in with the Man in Black, and I’m interested to see how she interacts with both him and Grace.
Westworld Facility Breach
We also see an AI army behind Dolores, clearly inside the facility, which is on fire. She’s made it to her destination. But what steps will she have to take to find her father? And will we get any insight into why this is so important to her beyond the obvious? It’s a quick flash, but she seems to have amassed a sizable army.
Charlotte & Bernard(s)
From there we move to a facility storage room with Charlotte and Stubbs along with guards. Dolores’s voice cuts in: “You made us in your image.” Who is she talking to? Whoever it is must be human. Then we cut to Charlotte unzipping one of many Bernard bodies, finally confirming for everyone that there are many, many Bernards.
I thought it was interesting that they transposed “You made us to look like you,” with a shot of Charlotte and a Bernard clone side by side, as well.
This brings us to two pretty large questions. One, how do they make them? We know they’re extracting guest DNA and other things, so how close are these pseudo-hybrids? What is in the making of these hosts, Peter Abernathy in particular, that is so important to Delos?
Second, Charlotte clearly is aware of and comfortable with the many Bernards. Given their past interactions, that changes things up a bit. Charlotte is playing a bigger game than she let on.
I’m also interested in that Charlotte/Bernard shot. It implies they’re connected in some meaningful way. I’ve been waiting for her background for a while, expecting some surprises, and I think this is what we were leading up to.
Ford’s Comeback
The next scene flashes to Ford (Anthony Hopkins), saying, “What is about to happen will not be your fault.” Then we see Bernard saying, “No,” seemingly responding to Ford. I’m going to guess this interaction is Ford vs. Arnold.
Next: Westworld speculation and misdirection: questions and inconsistencies in ‘Phase Space’
Did they both kill themselves after turning into multiple hosts? Was one of them always a host? Is one still a living human being? (I think the show wants us to believe the first, but I’d bet on the second, though many people are theorizing the third option. Maybe it’s a combination.)
Does all this have to do with the “revelation” they’ve each had about AI cognition? Very likely. It seems like a reckoning that’s been coming for a while. We’re in for some big hits there.
Battle Royale?
From that point on, we race through flashes of fighting inside the facility, though it’s not clear exactly whom it is. There will be at least 2 epic battles in this episode.
A Big Turn in Maeve’s Story
From there, we see Maeve, still in the park, screaming, most likely in response to something happening to her daughter, but that’s just a supposition. The expression on her face and the volume of her voice makes me think her daughter (or one of her companions) may not survive this episode.
We know she’ll be wrestling with the concurrent realities of her daughter not being her daughter anymore, so any separation from her would be the ultimate fear for Maeve.
A New Teddy
We also see a flash of Teddy, body scarred and bloody, heading into battle. Maybe we’ll get some insight into how the hosts are healed? Will we see more friction between him and Dolores in this episode?
Who is Human?
Interesting that they juxtaposed the phrase “bleed like you” over the Man in Black’s bloodied face. Maybe we’ll get a reveal that he’s a host now, like I suspect, or at least some more insight as he and Grace continue to interact.
Westworld Final Scene Cuts
I see that Clementine is back in action, which I love. Angela Sarafyan does a great job in this role.
The final flash is Dolores standing in front of her father with a gun, so we have confirmation that she will reach her goal, but who/what is she facing?
Arnold Returns?
The last line is Dolores telling Bernard to open his eyes. Maybe revealing the original Arnold host? Not sure. One Bernard is still in the Cradle, so we’ll have to watch the aspect ratios carefully. I wouldn’t put it past Ford to be absolutely everywhere, but I think Arnold will be making a big comeback.
I haven’t read any fan theories based on the trailer yet, so make sure to add yours below in the comment section!
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Westworld Season 2 Episode 7 premieres on HBO this Sunday at 9 PM EST.