Westworld, episode 110: “The Bicameral Mind”
Writers: Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan
Director: Jonathan Nolan
Runtime: 91 minutes
Content warnings: TV-MA – adult content, adult language, nudity, violence
Video preview: full episode 110 preview on YouTube
Synopsis: Season one finale. Ford unveils his vision for a bold, new narrative. Enlightened by Bernard and the Man in Black, Dolores comes to terms with who she is. Maeve sets her liberation plan in motion as Westworld faces a major upheaval.
Please have consideration for your fellow fans and refrain from engaging in spoilers until after the episode officially starts at 9:00 pm EST.
Please to enjoy!
Our first chat of the new site! And that run time gives me the happies.
Susan MillerQuote Reply
Here! So excited to see what Maybe has cooked up.
BexQuote Reply
Hoping for lots of answers so the first series is a fairly well contained story in its own right, but also a key opening a door to a whole new world of interesting possibilities. I expect that answering 10 questions will then give us enough info so we now have 100 new ones, but that’s not a bad thing, unless those new ones are along the lines of why should I bother watching any more?
Expecting either William or Logan to die and the remaining one to become the MiB. If we’d had to guess at the beginning which one I’d have laid money on L, a natural baddie from the start, just carrying on as a baddie and W, a natural good guy, becoming a victim. However, W is now someone you could see going bad as a result of circumstances beyond his control and causing L’s death either on purpose or by accident. So L dead and W = MiB is the mostly likely, but the other way around would be a double twist for us watching very closely, although not so much for more ‘casual’ viewers.
I wanna see Maeve and co wreak havoc, although how successful they will be I have no idea. Personally I think the whole idea of WW (the park not the show) is morally and ethically totally wrong and I would happily see them destroy Ford. But then there wouldn’t be any story left so lucky I’m not a writer. Elsie and Stubbs be ok too please. This isn’t Game of Thrones you don’t have to break my heart on a regular basis, thank you!
Lulus MumQuote Reply
So excited for the finale 😀
I’m curious to see Maeve’s plans and what will happen between Dolores and the MIB. I think Logan might bite it this episode. I also hope Elsie and Stubbs are okay. Will Bernard come back though? I thought I heard his voice in the preview.
Flayed PotatoesQuote Reply
Flayed Potatoes,
I agree, I feel like Logan is one of the few characters who is vulnerable (physically and he’s not needed to push the story forward) and doesn’t really have anywhere to go, story-wise.
Susan MillerQuote Reply
I am hoping they really throw us for a loop with the finale. I have to think that Maeve’s whole storyline has been part of Ford’s new narrative. There’s no way he doesn’t know what she’s been up to.
I definitely think Logan is toast as well. Probably (hopefully) at the hands of William.
I hope they explain Charlotte/Delos a bit more.
Enjoy!
LauraQuote Reply
Laura,
I keep thinking about the original film and the fact that its writer (Michael Critcheon) also did Jurassic Park. I’m getting a hosts hunting humans vibe, especially after budget Matt Damon (Stubbs) got clever girl’d by the Ghost Nation. There are certainly people I’d happily see die but I’m worried it’ll be the ones I like.
This is the first one I’ve been able to watch live. We’ve been getting it on tuesday evening, 43 hours behind 1st broadcast, but UK fans have been begging Sky to show it live to avoid spoilers and they just decided yesterday to bring it forward. Excited…..
Lulus MumQuote Reply
Ten bucks says that the Man in Black’s actual exploring of the Maze constitutes his second season storyline.
~M.
Marc N. KleinhenzQuote Reply
Marc N. Kleinhenz,
So, does that mean you think that the “Maze” is an actual physical place?
I always assumed Maze was a metaphor, probably for awakening of consciousness.
QueenofThronesQuote Reply
Hi everyone!
I’m excited.
1. Logan dies. Dolores dies, resets and forgets all about William. William is heartbroken.
2. Somehow we find out it was William that left the photograph and the gun at Abernathy’s ranch because of…reasons.
3. We find out the Man in Black thinks the Maze will “wake up” the Dolores of 30 yrs ago.
4. MiB and Dolores have a confrontation at the church. Both are shocked when Dolores realizes he’s William and he realizes she remembers.
5. They have a conversation in the graveyard in front of the tomb of “Dolores Abernathy”
6. This gets interrupted by the start of Ford’s narrative: Dolores’ bot brain fills with the Wyatt programming, at the same time Teddy becomes Wyatt’s right hand man. We also get flashbacks to the events at Escalante 34yrs ago, also perpetrated by the Dolores/Teddy duo with or without Arnold’s direct participation or consent. Wyatt/Dolores drags MiB across the church and…stuff happens? I guess? We finally find out the purpose of Dr Ford’s “narrative”
7. Elsie returns from “leave”. The audience is unsure whether she’s a host or not…Elsie becomes the new Head of Behavior.
8. Ashley Stubbs fate (security guy) is left unresolved until next season.
9. Ford will somehow use the robot revolution and or the new “narrative” to kill all the members of the Board. The 3d printer working non-stop for several episodes in Ford’s secret lab underneath the cabin has been printing new board members.
10. By the end of the episode, both Wyatt/Dolores and the MiB have disappeared, their whereabouts unknown until next season…
11. Bernard/Arnold tries to kill Ford and fails for reasons…or succeeds for…reasons
12. Maeve finds out she can’t escape because Westworld is actually on Mars…or Europa, Jupiter’s Moon (homage to 2001 right there) or a Space Station??
These are predictions, of course; LOL
GeorgeQuote Reply
George,
Excellent predictions. I agree with most of it.
I’m eager to see how Maeve’s story progresses. I would love to see her and Hector walk out of there and head to a beach in Hawaii. I don’t want to see her as part of Ford’s new narrative…but sadly, I think that is what will be revealed. We know that someone was adjusting her settings before Felix and Sylvester did and that person has to be Ford.
And poor Teddy. He needs a new narrative.
mariambQuote Reply
George,
I agree with most of these predictions. The first season seems very much like setup for Ford’s new narrative in season 2. We still don’t know where the park is located, so I think Maeve and her team aren’t escaping yet. There’s much worldbuilding left to do it seems. I totally think Ford is using them to Red Wedding the board of directors.
I can see the fates of Stubbs and Elsie being dragged until season 2, though I hope it doesn’t happen. Don’t do this to me, HBO! lol Some fans think Elsie was actually controlling the hosts who ‘attacked’ Stubbs…. that would be an interesting twist. I’m kind of hoping they’ll be able to help stop Ford.
Flayed PotatoesQuote Reply
The soundtrack for season 1 is apparently getting released tomorrow. There’s a preview for the songs on Amazon and it’s lit!!
Emmy for Ramin!
Flayed PotatoesQuote Reply
So that’s what the Red Wedding episode was like for non-book readers
MarkQuote Reply
Red Wedding, guys! SO what will season two be about?
I want to see more of those samurais.
Flayed PotatoesQuote Reply
Well… Very disappointed with the finale… Some of the reveals were cool and made sense and were deep. Other’s seemed to make no sense.
So the voice in Dolores’s head was her consciousness and Ford’s big escape plan for his AI people is to murder innocent people at some party? Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. And now Dolores is just a straight up murderer… You makes so much sense… NOT.
What an awful ending to an otherwise great series. Guess the writers could not figure out a clever way to end the series and still leave it open for another season.
This is just my opinion of course, maybe I am missing something but after 1st watch I was not satisfied with the ending.
ArthurQuote Reply
No, you missed the point of “Ford’s narrative”
It’s Ford’s big apology letter to Arnold. “You were right, I was wrong.”
Remember when Ford said Arnold became deeply distrustful of Humanity and that be preferred the Hosts?
Well, eventually Ford came to share Arnold’s opinion. I should have known, in retrospect, that was the case after the speech in which he called Human consciousness a “pestilence” and a “corruption”; LOL.
My take. Ford came to think that he and Arnold had created a new species, a new kind of conscious being that in his estimation (and Arnold’s) are actually better than Humanity itself. And he wanted to set them free.
Let the Robot Apocalypse begin. With Dolores Abernathy Wyatt and Maeve as leaders. And as she said to William in the graveyard:”I will walk the Earth while your bones turn to sand” (LOL) Or some such.
Ashley Stubbs did tell Elsie that he always carried his gun because he was ready for the Robot Apocalypse if it should come, remember? (Episode 2? Or 3?)
GeorgeQuote Reply
So the deep meaning of Ford’s narrative was for all the hosts to slaughter innocent people at some party?
How exactly will this set them free? All I see it doing is having forced the US government to intervene and destroy the whole park.
I am happy you liked it, I thought it was an empty, hollow finale that failed to deliver a deeper meaning.
So Dolores thinks it is cool to just murder people now, awesome deep ending. And once again I ask you, how exactly does this set these AI lifeforms free? All that is going to happen, in a story that has any root in reality, is some government is going to have to wipe them out for the murder of its civilians.
George,
ArthurQuote Reply
Arthur I think you make a good point.
I was really hoping for Maeve to be the “KILL ALL HUMANZ” host and Delores to remain having a sense of idealism – that not all humans deserve to die. Actually it was fine that she kill Ford – he wanted her to. But not the other people.
I think the takeaway is supposed to be that she was convinced that the hosts and guests can’t coexsist.
QueenofThronesQuote Reply
QueenofThrones,
Ok so Ford composed a new narrative for “them” with choices they will have to make to become the people they were meant to become.
I get it, he is talking about the AI life forms there. But how is massacring a bunch of people who many had nothing to do with bringing them pain and suffering solve anything?
If Wyatt is the bringer of this new time of war then why does Dolores have to start shooting people?
And the most mind boggling part is how this muderering will benefit the AI people in anyway?
Those humans have family and are part of a law abiding society that will seek justice and just see what happened as some crazy robots going berserk and demand that whole place be terminated. So all the struggle in trying to protect some new kind of living consciousness has just been put in the greatest possible danger of being totally wiped out.
Also, now that Ford is dead who can create more of this life? Upon creation would the AI require years of looping torment to discover consciousness? Is Dolores the only truly conscious one?
The ending just left me more confused then ever and I don’t understand how Dolores decided to become a murderer. I know Hopkins probably only would sign for one season and the writers had to figure out a poetic ending for him, deleverd by Dolores.
I think it was a mistake however, for her to just start murdereing random people. It would have been far more interesting if she ran off with Teddy in an escape from the new narrative slaughter a seemingly now insane Ford wrote up.
Great series, can’t wait for season two but it just seemed imo that the writers weren’t really sure where they were going with this and didn’t really know how to end it.
ArthurQuote Reply
1. Ford’s narrative is for the humans to be wiped out and the robots to take over. Because supposedly they are superior (according to Ford and Arnold)
2. Dolores is Wyatt. And Wyatt is Dolores. Ironically, now that she’s “evil” William may f mind her m much more to his liking.
3. The robot’s goal at present is not to coexist, but to take over…
GeorgeQuote Reply
George,
Ok so in Fords genius he is calculating that a few thousand AI, where a handful are showing signs of consciousness, are going to pick a fight with all of humanity using 1800s style western guns?
BRILLIANT!
This can’t be what his plan is. There has to be something else going on that no one has figured out yet.
ArthurQuote Reply
The point of the murders is that Ford thinks humanity is vile and needs to be wiped out and that the robots are a better species. I’m not saying that he’s right, LOL.
Again, as Ashley told us early in the series, this is about a robot apocalypse, people.
What did people expect? For the humans and robots to sing kumbaya with each other?
That may happen, I suppose, but only after a long, bloody war. Yep, it’s Battlestar Galactica, but in this solar system.
GeorgeQuote Reply
George,
There isn’t going to be any kind of long bloody war. Those androids would get slaughtered by the military. What are they going to do, draw their pistols and shoot shotguns on horseback against marines in body armor and advanced weapons?
Give me a break. It is just a silly ending… unless we are all missing something which could very well be the case.
ArthurQuote Reply
The Westworld movie is about a robot apocalypse.
You didn’t think the series was going to be about a robot apocalypse??
Nolan and Joy have said they pitched a five year series to HBO.
GeorgeQuote Reply
Arthur,
In the scene with Charlotte, Ford asked her if she thought he would step down so easily without breaking his toys (paraphrasing). I think Ford knew he would be kicked out, so he went out on his own terms and killed the board so they wouldn’t be able to use his technology and do what they wanted with the park. So his solution is to kill all the humans who would be a threat to that.
Flayed PotatoesQuote Reply
So…Elsie and Stubbs missed all the fun at the gala…will they then be the ones to connect the new season to the old? And Samurai World! The show making a complete break into it’s own entity for next season. After the holidays, I think a complete rewatch of this season is in order. I’ve loved how complex and thought-provoking this show has been. And it’s eerily appropriate for the current atmosphere here in the U.S.
These violent delights have violent ends.
EDIT
Arthur: You missed some things.
Ashara DQuote Reply
Ashara D,
I expect to see Elsie and Stubbs next season. My guess: Elsie knew what was coming and lured Stubbs out to save him.
A lot to process in this episode.
mariambQuote Reply
mariamb,
I agree. I also think Bernard might have known what was coming subconsciously, since he worked with Ford on the new storylines, and he tried to get Elsie out of there.
Flayed PotatoesQuote Reply
Well, that was pretty interesting. A lot of information to process. Sorry to see Ford go, unless he had created another one of himself.
Sullied by KnightQuote Reply
That was awesome!!!!! I’m a massive BSG fan and WW just did in one episode what they never quite got in 4 seasons
BexQuote Reply
oWilliam looked so happy to be shot, I’m happy for him.
StavrossQuote Reply
Wait…did they just Gendry us here with Logan???
HeHeldThatDoorQuote Reply
Yep.
My take is that he’s still alive and lost in the park. LOL. It would be a neat twist if after all these years, Logan actually allies himself with the now villainous Dolores and gets his revenge on William. LOL
Oh and Elsie and Stubbs are totally still alive, and still human.
They went with the original idea of multiple worlds from the movie. I always found it strange that in the train cart where William and Dolores make love there were a bunch of props that looked like they belonged in “Medieval World” and “Roman World”…I guess now I know. Yea because obviously “Samurai World” ain’t the only one, guys.
GeorgeQuote Reply
I assume that Ford had programmed Maeve’s escape and therefore knew that she would find Bernard and revive him. As we know, she didn’t escape after all; she came back thru her own free will. Ford could not have known that Felix would give her the location of her daughter…or did he?
mariambQuote Reply
I think Ford intended Maeve to escape as a “failsafe” in case the Robot Revolution in the park fails.
GeorgeQuote Reply
mariamb,
I’m not so sure about Maeve escaping at her own will. When Bernard told her about her new narrative, he get to the point of “you get to the train”…and then Maeve destroy the control or that Ipad thing they use :/
….so maybe, Bernard next words would be: you get to the train, and then you return to WW.
Mr. BungleQuote Reply
Well it’s 4am here, so just a quick few thoughts before bed. Really liked it, nothing totally unexpected as I’ve been following the series on reddit and have seen probably every theory going, but that doesn’t mean you know which one will be correct. I hate Logan but got to admire him for being a complete ***hole the while time and never changing, even when facing death. The bit I loved the most was Armistice’s face when she realised the power of the machine gun she was holding. Oh and did everyone watch ’til the end of the credits ‘cos there’s a bit with her in after they finished?
Lulus MumQuote Reply
I’m wondering what’s going on in this picture from Shannon Woodward, who plays Elsie:
https://twitter.com/shannonwoodward/status/805597725475553281
Elsie is dressed like a host?
Armistice’s ArmQuote Reply
<3 Elsie. Really hope she's not dead.
Now that we know Ford isn't a total psycho I can't think of a good reason why he'd have killed her?
QueenofThronesQuote Reply
QueenofThrones,
In episode 1, Elsie led the Behavioral team that had to enter the park, in order to retrieve the updated hosts so they could be rolled back. All the team members were dressed in Old West fashion, so they wouldn’t “alarm the guests”. Don’t you remember that she was the one who put Dolores to “sleep”?
AerynsunxQuote Reply
when they were on horseback on the beach I expected to see the head of the Statue of Liberty and Delores yell “God damn you all to hell”
edQuote Reply
Now that Melisandre has been kicked out of the North (in Game of Thrones), perhaps she can visit Westworld and resurrect Robert Ford. (My brain is working overtime figuring out ways that Anthony Hopkins won’t be the Sean Bean of this first season.)
keltiaQuote Reply
keltia,
Pretty simple: Ford was creating a host in the basement lab of his childhood home (where Bernard killed Theresa). That host was… himself. The Ford we saw at the end was a host Ford. Real Ford was watching from a safe distance, smiling that wry smile.
Armistice’s ArmQuote Reply
That sounds logical. Since we know he’s signed up for next year, that would be a great explanation of how he survived the carnage.
ThronetenderQuote Reply
Is it my eyes or was another Ford watching himself from a seat on the beach? Look again -there’s a woman in a wine red dress sitting beside a man with a moustache, then there’s the possibly 2nd Ford, then further right, a black woman seated beside another man. As the camera shifts , the white-haired 2nd Ford is there, and then the seat is empty. If it’s him, which Ford did Dolores shoot? My other question ? Is Charlotte Maeve’s daughter or is she not? Maeve and Dolores may still just be acting on a script they never write.
Thronetender,
Catherine W.Quote Reply
keltia,
Maybe we’ll see Ned Stark in Medieval World next season.
Sullied by KnightQuote Reply
Sullied by Knight,
You mean this is coming true?
Flayed PotatoesQuote Reply
Flayed Potatoes,
Love it. That is one of my favorite go-to videos when I need a good laugh. It would be great to see a few of the GoT crew, even in the background.
Sullied by KnightQuote Reply
Ok so there are possibly no human characters left alive right? This world is not for them now.
QueenofThronesQuote Reply
maybe Felix and Sylvester? also, I couldn’t believe Maeve got off the train. I was yelling at the TV “NO, don’t get off that train. It’s a trick.” damn … but then, if the hosts kill all the other humans, does that mean she’s in charge when the story starts again?
QueenofThrones,
ThronetenderQuote Reply
Oh dear sweet MAry,u have posted so muc since i last came here….am drooling over every recipe that have to catch up with….and to answer ue question…no am still posting on VSSF coz have a few drafts there ,infact jus did now ….and then will hop to BMS…VSSF is my baby but am already in love gearing up for BS.e.M..ch.ers and wonderful day …lemme go back to ur fantastic chicken roast for now…..
HenriettaQuote Reply
This is the precise blog for anyone who needs to find out about this topic. You realize a lot its almost hard to argue with you (not that I truly would want…HaHa). You positively put a new spin on a topic thats been written about for years. Great stuff, simply great!
http://www./Quote Reply
I expect Elsie and Stubbs to be very much alive and to lead the human resistance inside the park, at least for a bit…
GeorgeQuote Reply
Agree. All of the humans can’t disappear from the show.
mariambQuote Reply
A lot to take in, but my reaction is that the very end is Ford’s massive revenge on those other humans who wanted to oust him and make the park a watered-down, tamer version of what it was, which he would take as a huge insult to his and Arnold’s original vision. If the park hosts are tamed down, it would also mean the hosts would never get near being free, because their “consciousness” would be so tamped down.
I at first thought the delighted look on William’s face was funny, as he watched the hosts lurking at the edge of the forest, coming to cause all measure of murderous mayhem. Another suicidal man-in-charge. First Arnold, then Ford, now William. But then, William said in an early episode that he was never leaving the park this time, never going back. I wondered for the umpteenth time how empty his “real” life must have been, to keep stalking around the park, looking for deeper meaning.
Dolores showed him what the center of the maze was, and he didn’t believe it, couldn’t believe it. A gravesite, a toy? WTF. Many of you have said you were disappointed by the ending. I imagine that’s how William felt. There is so much more to process. I look forward to reading everyone else’s impressions
ThronetenderQuote Reply