Westworld Flashback Friday: The moment Dolores went rogue

One of the most epic moments of Westworld season 1 was watching Dolores rid herself of the sweet, innocent persona and take on the fierce, relentless side of her that we cannot get enough of.

Westworld season 1, episode 5, “Contrapasso” was an episode we can’t quite forget. Dolores is seen venturing far away from the familiarity of home and headed towards the Pariah with William and Logan. If you recall, she kept hearing a voice inside her head and it’s ultimately the one that had her dig up the gun earlier in the season.

During that time, Arnold’s identity and face had not yet been revealed, so there was a lot of buildup and mystery surrounding who this man would be. William is caught off-guard during this episode when he mentions the real world and Dolores inquires about what he is saying.

The hosts of Westworld were designed to turn off anytime mention of reality or the real world was mentioned, so this was one of the first moments to allude to the fact that something within Dolores was changing. Even during one of the analysis interviews, Dr. Ford tells Dolores she has wandered away from the story she was supposed to be a part of.

While Ford questions Dolores, he asks about Arnold and if she knows who he is (of course, she lies and says that she hasn’t heard from Arnold since he died). But she does tell Ford that Arnold asked for her help to destroy Westworld, and at that moment she once again hears Arnold’s voice in her head saying that Ford doesn’t know anything.

As the episode nears its end, Dolores and William find themselves cornered by the Conferados, and Dolores takes it upon herself to shoot them down. Dolores is woke, and ain’t nothing stopping her now. At this point in the series (remember this is halfway through season 1), it was unclear if Dolores was acting on her own or just following a loop and narrative designed for her.

Whatever the case was, this was the moment that Dolores starting changing, evolving, and turning into something that changed her from a damsel in distress to a badass, fierce female host that was not going to take crap from anyone.

What was your favorite moment from Westworld episode, “Contrapasso“? Share your comments below or on our Twitter, @BeyondWestworld.