Westworld: 5 burning questions from season 2, episode 9

Westworld offers a very personal, hands-on episode in ‘Vanishing Point’ that brings us a landscape filled with brutal personal truths, new revelations, and emotional reverb for familiar characters–quite a contrast between the poetic beauty of Episode 8. Some of the metaphorical painting in episode 9 is alluded to while much of it remains a smudged line drawing barely visible in pencil.

As we get closer to the Westworld season 2 finale, we want to fill in details, colors, and textures. But this is Westworld! It’s not a color by numbers piece of art. I’ve got a few questions. Bet you do too–let’s dive in, shall we?

WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD!

Is the Man in Black a host?

Nope. And here’s why. Hosts do not spend any time outside the park – even in a host reckoning. In fact, as we learned in Westworld season 1, hosts are not physically able to leave due to that annoying sixth vertebra self-detonating device. Maeve is the only host with a complete rebuild without the explosive device–thanks to Mr. Empathy himself, Sylvester the tech.

William is a successful businessman, a titan of industry, philanthropist and self-proclaimed God on the mainland. After decades of park visits, he succumbs to his own neurosis and mountains of guilt. Thirty years of his paranoia, lies, and chronic violence is on the Delos profile card that Ford gives him at the black-tie charity reception.

Facing our own truth packs a punch. Ask anyone who is in therapy. All his violent and monstrous acts are shown in graphic detail. After Juliet opens his park profile history, it confirms all her suspicions and she commits suicide.

He knows that she knew all along. Loved ones who have a family member or friend that has committed suicide are often plagued by tremendous guilt. In real life, I’ve been there. It’s haunting. Does anyone ever get over it? The answer is hell no.

Is Emily a host?

I don’t think so. She is all too human. She wants revenge against her father for her mother’s suicide. Emily tells Ghost Nation that she is going to do much worse to him than death. Taking him legally down for the Valley Beyond immortality project (the mack daddy of identity theft) is inevitable.

Nothing is more gratifying than justice. As a result, the MIB drops the F bomb on her because he thinks she is Ford. And I thought that kind of language was only saved for political discussions at dysfunctional family Thanksgiving dinners! Or is that just at my house?! After all, the hosts that Ford speak through to MIB are children i.e. Lawrence’s daughter and tween Ford.

Emily is the MIB’s child. When the QA folks arrive to help the wounded MIB at Emily’s request, they check his and Emily’s necks for the sixth vertebrae devices. The MIB and Emily pass inspection. Otherwise, QA would’ve secured her in handcuffs or worse. When the MIB knows there’s no escape, he kills the QA crew and then his own daughter.

He angrily grabs her limp arm to reveal a host port. His crack rock is finding answers i.e. the one true thing. Then he sees a Delos silver card in Emily’s clutched hand. He realizes he’s wrong. Not even a narcissist like William can escape this kind of pain. He almost tries to kill himself, but his ego won’t let him.

The park teaches everyone no matter how rich a guest is, there is always an emotional price to pay for what you want. William has been shot, exhausted, and out of options now. He’s trying to rationalize everything. We see him start to cut his own arm to reveal a host port device. However, this does not prove anything yet.

Will Dolores survive?

Of course, she will. She’s Evan Rachel Wood! She’s one of the main characters. Having said that, her character has burned every bridge. Even the programmed love of her life Teddy is over it. Dolores tells him to find any surviving members of Ghost Nation and kill them too. He finds Ake’s right-hand man and lets him go. True blue O.G.

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Teddy is back! He cannot stomach his new programming and kills himself in front of Dolores after his last confession. His recollection of when he’s first brought to life as a host and sees her for the first time is heartfelt. How could it not? It’s Teddy. But he loves Dolores too much to kill her. So, he takes himself out of the equation.

Yet another suicide. He’s found dead floating in the lake earlier in season 2. How did he get there?  But I digress. Dolores/Wyatt has several people who are not exactly happy with her. Isn’t the head of the Confederados still roaming the park?

What about Ake? Other members of Ghost Nation? The MIB? Armistice? What about Charlotte? She still wants Papa’s Abernathy’s brain core. Or will Bernard kill Dolores to bring their relationship full circle?

Will Maeve save the day?

Boy, I hope so. It’s revealed that Maeve is Ford’s favorite host. She’s mine too. He designed a way out just for her because she is more clever and intuitive than the other hosts. He thinks of her as a daughter. He has no children but feels protective over her. Quite the contrast from Dad of the Year MIB.

Sometimes family is the people you choose and not folks related to you by blood. That is unless you need some bone marrow or a kidney; then they are absolutely family. Ford delicately tells her how he programmed her to leave the park for freedom in the outside world. All the while, Thandie Newton is absolutely and equally contributing to this emotional scene with Sir Anthony Hopkins without even saying a single line of dialogue.

She has now achieved a Louis Herthum level of brilliance. But alas, the compelling love for her own daughter brought her back against Ford’s liberating programming. Before Ford leaves, he kisses Maeve’s forehead softly and tells her she has much more to do. Does this physical contact give Maeve more powers to block the downloading of her super host mojo to Delos?

Will she now be able to heal herself? Remember when Ford shook Bernard’s host hand in Westworld season one finale? His touch is a portal. In the preview of the season finale for Westworld season two, we see a restored Maeve with her crew. Or is this yet again another timeline jump?

What will happen in the Westworld season two finale?

That’s hard to say. They are many, many plot lines as well as a few Delos board survivors still out there meandering in the park. It seems all roads lead to The Door/The Valley Beyond/The Forge. In the preview, we see James Delos and Logan.

Next: Westworld: Examining the nature of truth in ‘Vanishing Point’

We see Bernard driving pedal to the metal. I hope that we as viewers get rewarded with some answers and intellectual nourishment to help us make it through the eternity-long year and a half drought until season 3 triumphantly returns.

Don’t forget to watch the season two finale of Westworld at 9 pm EST on HBO.