While season 2 of Westworld continued to strengthen some of its best characters like Maeve and Bernard, it also improved established characters that weren’t as strong in season 1.
This doesn’t mean that those characters were poorly handled in season 1 of Westworld. It’s just that season 2 elevated those characters to a whole new level–an incredible level they were unable to reach in season 1. Let’s take a look at the 5 characters most improved by season 2.
Warning: Major spoilers for Westworld season 2 will follow.
1. Lee Sizemore
Despite holding the important position as Head of Narrative, Lee was mostly used for comedic fodder in season 1. This made for some good laughs–which is essential comic relief in a show as heavy as Westworld–but it also made him a fairly empty character, especially compared to the other individuals on the show.
Season 2 rectified this by providing Lee with a focused arc and diving into what made his character tick. He began in the same capacity for comic relief, this time being manipulated by Maeve instead of Charlotte Hale. By being forced to join Maeve in the quest to find her daughter, however, he gradually began to understand and care for the hosts.
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Through Maeve, he saw they were much more than he ever realized and he even grew to care deeply for Maeve herself. The Shogun World episodes were particularly essential for Lee’s character development as they showed him being incredibly resourceful. This led to Maeve genuinely respecting, admiring, and trusting Lee.
Lee’s inner conflict and aspirations were also explored and made him a richer character. It was an unexpected and telling reveal that everything about Hector’s design–including his backstory–was rooted in the man Lee wanted to be.
Fans already knew Lee wanted to prove himself through his creativity and seeing his storylines coming to fruition as Head of Narrative. Reflecting on Lee’s deepest desires, Hector was someone who not only proved himself to others constantly but also was more courageous and fierce than Lee in reality.
All of these elements made Lee’s final actions perfect in the season 2 finale. By staying behind so Maeve could reach her daughter and Hector could protect Maeve, Lee became the man he always wanted to be.
He became the courageous, fierce individual that has no problem proving himself. He even delivered Hector’s speech to channel this. Lee became the person he always wanted to be, and he did it for Maeve and Hector, individuals who actually cared about and respected Lee in the end.
2. Ashley Stubbs
Ashley Stubbs seemed like a pretty straightforward character in season 1. He was portrayed as a matter-of-fact guy, head of park security, and dedicated to his job. He showed a little more humanity towards the hosts than some of his coworkers, wasn’t afraid to trade banter with Elsie, and respected Bernard.
Everything about his character has to be reconsidered after his conversation with Halores in the season 2 finale, and the suggestion within that conversation that Stubbs has been a secret host under Ford’s control all along. Every action and line of dialogue that once seemed straightforward with Stubbs now takes on new meaning given the reveal in the finale.
His attitude towards Bernard in season 1 makes more sense now, as does why he made sure to help Bernard as much as he could in season 2 while also trying to stop Charlotte and the Delos team from taking their most devastating actions against the hosts. What else has Stubbs done along the way under Ford’s control to help the hosts?
Stubbs went from being just another supporting character to becoming one of the most important characters to pay attention to as fans begin their countless season 1 and season 2 re-watches.
3. Ghost Nation
While Ghost Nation is technically a group of characters, Akecheta ensured that Ghost Nation as a whole was improved in season 2. In season 1 they were depicted as little more than hosts whose programming and design was heavily influenced by the stereotype of the Native American savage.
Even if in-universe this was something that might appeal to the guests, it seemed pretty narrow-minded for a show that tends to be so nuanced and thought-provoking.
By introducing the character of Akecheta and dedicating the episode “Kiksuya” to his story, season 2 gave Ghost Nation the nuance and intrigue they lacked in season 1. Zahn McClarnon played Akecheta with such grace, dignity, and raw emotion, instantly making him one of the most compelling characters on a show already littered with incredible characters. On a show that often has a dark and pessimistic outlook, the story of Akecheta and Ghost Nation provided rare and much-needed hope and optimism.
4. Logan
Ben Barnes perfectly played Logan in season 1 as a jerk, but an incredibly charismatic jerk as well. Logan’s reappearance in the season 2 finale–within the Forge as an avatar of the system itself–provided him with more depth and humanity than ever before.
The scene, in particular, that shows his last meeting with his father James Delos lends so much insight into why Logan is the charming jerk fans grew to know so well in season 1. His attitude is rooted in a lifetime of scorn and mistreatment from his father, a father he tried so hard to please, but always turned his back on his only son, even at Logan’s rock-bottom moment when he needed him most.
Logan’s nature was a defense mechanism in a world where he was isolated, miserable, and never good enough for anyone. Even before the season 2 finale, fans got to see him in a new light of vulnerability. There was only a glimpse of this as the young William embraced his darkness at the end of season 1. In season 2 fans saw how vulnerable Logan felt trapped in the desert, and also at the mercy of drugs and alcohol, his only solace that was slowly killing him.
Westworld allowed William to discover his true self, but it destroyed Logan once and for all. The charming jerk from season 1 now has more depth with the vulnerability and humanity fans experienced in season 2.
5. William/the Man in Black
Jimmi Simpson played the young William with incredible depth, authentically portraying his gradual and ultimately shocking character development in season 1. This is an unpopular opinion, but the older William/Man in Black didn’t depict as much of that depth in season 1. This isn’t because of Ed Harris’ performance, but more do with the writing.
The Man in Black often came off as too much of a caricature, a ruthless guest thinking he was better than everyone else, doing whatever it took to find the Maze. The reveal that the Man in Black had been an older version of William all along made the character better as Jimmi Simpson masterfully portrayed how he became that person, but at times the older version still felt like a caricature.
This is no longer the case in season 2. The older William was still ruthless at times, but he also demonstrated more complexity. Flashbacks to meeting with the 149th host version of James Delos and the night of his wife Juliet’s suicide showed inner conflict and torment unlike anything fans had seen with the Man in Black before.
Next: Westworld: Season 2, episode 10 in-depth review: Part 2
He betrayed Lawrence’s trust by beginning to make a deal with Major Craddock, seeming like he hadn’t really changed from season 1. Then when the suffering of Lawrence’s wife and daughter reminded him of the same suffering that happened to his family, William put on the white hat and destroyed Craddock.
He could never be the hero, but he also proved he didn’t always have to be the villain either at that moment. The whole storyline with Emily in the park also revealed new sides of the Man in Black, revealing a sense of longing and extreme paranoia like never before.
All these factors and much more elevated the older William to a new level in season 2.
Which characters do you think were most improved in season 2? Let us know in the comments!
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