It’s hard to pin down a masterpiece. That’s what Westworld is to me; a masterpiece of storytelling.
Westworld has only ten episodes per season, but they’ve widdled a world for the viewers to be submerged in. As difficult as it is, below you can find my top five episodes from both seasons 1 and 2. Feel free to express your favorites and why!
Caution: Westworld season one and two spoilers ahead!
Chestnut: Season 1, episode 2
How could I not include the episode to introduce everyone’s problematic fav, Logan; in this list? Portrayed by Ben Barnes, Logan is the fun-loving companion to Jimmi Simpson’s stiff William. Acting as essentially the guide to Westworld’s decadent splendors, Logan is simply in the park to have a good time.
Easily bored and insatiably hungry for more than just food, he simply wants to get his brother-in-law to open up. This episode is also the first meeting between William and Dolores and as we now know, the path William would take–this moment can be pinpointed as the beginning of everything.
The Bicameral Mind: Season 1, episode 10
Of course, the season one finale had to end up on this list. It’s the episode that tied everything together. The one where got some answers…sort of. We not only find out that the Man in Black is, in fact, William in the future, but we finally have an answer regarding the Maze.
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The puzzle that the MIB had been trying to solve the whole season was never meant for them, which was honestly great. William, as we find out; has had an overinflated ego believing everything in the park was meant for him and now, he finds out he has nothing to do with the Maze.
Maeve and her kickass team have an epic battle to escape the park, only for Maeve to know there is something bigger she needs to accomplish in Westworld. This is also the episode that kickstarts everything in season two, with the dramatic and poetic ending of Dolores killing Dr. Ford.
The Riddle of the Sphinx: Season 2, episode 4
Personally, I believe this episode to be the best of the season. Peter Mullan was completely robbed of an Emmy, as his performance in this episode was intense, unsettling, and flawless. We find out the reasoning for Delos collecting DNA and logging guests’ memories; in the hopes that immortality is able to be achieved.
As we see the age progression of William, it has taken decades for the host of James Delos to reach over 35 days. In an absolute heart-crushing scene, James attempts to fight against the glitches he is experiencing and learns of his daughter’s suicide.
Calling for his son, Logan, who he had previously dismissed as a “f*ck-up”, he’s informed he too is dead, having overdosed years ago. The episode is tragic and stayed with me long after the credits rolled.
Akane No Mai: Season 2, episode 5
Probably the most anticipated episode of the season, everyone knew before season two began that we were going to explore other parks on the island. Shogun World promised to be bloodier than Westworld, something we didn’t know was possible.
It was a lot of fun seeing the “Paint It Black” scene from the first season play out with the characters in Shogun World. The variation and mirror images of Hector, Maeve, and Armistice was fun to watch. We also saw the motherly instincts Akane had, similar to Maeve. Overall, it was a great episode and I’d love to see the actors return for season three.
Kiksuya: Season 2, episode 8
Let’s talk about another performance snubbed by the Emmy’s. How could Zahn McClarnon not be nominated for his performance as Akecheta? We first saw Zahn in “Reunion”, as a host, along with Angela, convincing Logan Delos to invest in Westworld. Akecheta explains his backstory poetically. We see how his life used to be and what it was turned into for the sake of bad storytelling.
What was so great about this episode was finding out more about Ghost Nation. Previously believed by audiences to be a stereotype of Native Americans, we see how aware Ghost Nation is–how they’ve been working towards freedom from the very beginning. After gaining consciousness, Akecheta helps his people achieve knowledge and they all work on protecting other hosts.
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The flashback that Maeve has that we’ve seen numerous times, where she and her daughter are running from the Ghost Nation, was misinterpreted due to the storyline put in Maeve’s coding. The Ghost Nation was simply trying to warn Maeve, but couldn’t due to her coding and the Man in Black.
It was a great, beautiful episode where at the end we see Akecheta was speaking to Maeve, through her daughter; the whole time. And I believe we all will remember the line “Take my heart with you when you go”.
What are your favorite episodes of the series? Share with us in the comments!