Westworld: Why Thandie Newton deserves the Emmy
By Ashley Davis
With the Emmy nominations a few days away and everyone buzzing about Westworld and Zahn McClarnon, there’s someone else who deserves an Emmy win (and then some) this season!
And we all know who it is! She is the masterful actor Thandie Newton, who plays the brilliant, resourceful, soulful, and all-around badass Maeve Millay. Newton dominated season 2 of Westworld so hard it blew us away. The second season was the season of Maeve, and did she ever own it!
Westworld spoilers ahead!
Let’s talk about some of Newton’s most impactful season 2 moments as Maeve and the skills that make her an unquestionable choice for an Emmy.
A mother’s love
Maeve’s fight for her daughter spoke to me on so many levels. As a former single mom who recently had to protect my child from a predator (and don’t worry, Thandie, I did it Maeve-style, guns blazing). She not only protects and loves her daughter, but she fully embodies the strength that that connection represents.
"“You can’t keep doing this to us, giving us people to love and getting upset when we do.”"
When she tells her daughter she’s keeping her promise, you believe her. Her heartbreaking reunion and reconnection were so unique and yet Thandie Newton brought them to life–made these “robot problems” into human ones. If anyone doubts Maeve’s consciousness, self-awareness, and humanity after that–they weren’t paying attention.
Connections
Thandie Newton has a way of connecting not only to every single character but being the glue that holds them together. She is the dark matter and dark energy of the Westworld universe (if you’ll pardon my astrophysicist analogy). From her haunting performance in Shogun World to her effortless command of the lab techs and her team, she is every inch a warrior and a queen.
"“But what about me? My dreams? My thoughts? My body? Are they not real? And what if I took these unreal fingers and used them to decorate the walls with your outsized personality? Would that be real?”"
She rules every scene she steps into. Her relationship with Ford is beautifully poetic, and her connection to Ghost Nation was the perfect ending to the season. But we’ll talk about that in a minute.
Body language and hard-hitting lines
Thandie Newton has the ability to arch an eyebrow or tilt her head and say a whole episode’s worth of material without a word.
"“We each deserve to choose our own fate. Even if that fate is death.” (Thandie Newton as Maeve Millay)"
And when she does deliver lines, they are delivered with grace, memorable weight, bottomless emotion, and flaming passion. Move over, Sir Hopkins—she’s got it from here.
Meta-narrative
I love that Maeve was the key to illustrating the meta-narrative—that A.I. are more “real” and compassionate than humans–due to a capacity for self-sacrifice we can’t begin to understand, beyond even the bond of human parent and child.
"“All my life I’ve prided myself on being a survivor. But surviving is just another loop.”"
Maeve embodies that in every way, and she demonstrates it time and again in every episode such that the explanation of it at the end is no surprise, but flows seamlessly with the narrative. Not many actors can handle character arc progression in a series like that, and Newton has mastered it. She WAS the meta-narrative.
Beyond code
Maeve has shown herself to be more than her programming in essentially every way, and I haven’t come across another character who has accomplished that so thoroughly. Newton’s acting is believable, it’s memorable, it’s emotional, and it’s consistent.
"“Time to write my own f***ing story.”"
She not only controls others but genuinely convinces them to follow her completely of their own will. Not to mention the great humor she brought to us with her scenes with Lee and the lab techs.
Most memorable Maeve scenes on Westworld season 2
When I started watching the finale, I thought Maeve and her bulls were going to be my favorite aesthetic moment of the season. Raw beauty and power and no one radiates that like Thandie Newton. But I was wrong.
"“Some things are too precious to lose. Even to be free.”"
The shot of Maeve lying on her side, fallen but smile still on her face, after she stops the mob and saves her daughter, her daughter’s other mother, Akecheta, and countless others, is heart-stopping. There is no aspect of that performance that wasn’t absolutely perfect. It brought me to tears. What a flawless wrap-up of the meta-narrative and the execution could not have been more on point.
The Westworld actress herself
Thandie Newton as herself deserves accolades, as well. She is a huge voice for representation of women of color and a driving force for human rights. There are few people I respect more than her.
"“Where there’s greatest progress, there’s greatest resistance. It’s a sign of getting somewhere if people get pissed about it.”"
As a woman of color, a mother, a scientist, a human rights advocate, and someone dedicated to many of the same causes—thank you, Thandie, for being the strong voice you are for those who are unable to speak.
Next: Westworld: Every season 3 update we know so far
Best of luck to Thandie Newton, Westworld’s true powerhouse (we hope!) at the Emmy’s this year. If any performance deserves acclaim, your season-long total domination of this already-unparalleled series absolutely does.
What were your favorite Maeve moments of Westworld season 2? Tell us below and add your favorite photos and gifs!
Be sure to retweet this article and #Emmy4Thandie, and keep watching as we add more material, hints, interviews, and more leading up to the Emmy Awards!