A Potpourri of Vestiges Review
By Murtaza Ali Khan
By Murtaza Ali Khan
 |
| Ed Harris as the Man in Black in Westworld: Season 2 |
*****SPOILER ALERT*****
Well, first things first... we all know that Robert Ford is dead but he
is still pretty much in control of the proceedings at the park. As part of his
new storyline (activated by him just before his death) the Hosts are no longer
innocuous, for now they are capable of inflicting real damage to the visitors.
Also, it is no surprise that he shares a special relationship with the Man in Black. As much as they hate each another there is respect between the two.
Ford is obviously the mad genius but as we now know it is the Man in Black aka
William who inherited Delos from his father in law, James Delos. The first
season revealed to us that the Man in the Black was once a young man who fell
in love with Dolores. Over the years he has developed a strong sense of
addiction towards the park. The first season was about him trying to reach to
the centre of the maze but the second season is all about the game that Ford
has specifically designed for his old foe. While the maze wasn't meant for the
Man in Black, the game is meant for him alone and as per Ford's design he
must play it alone without much help from the park's denizens and must reach the door.
The second season has transformed Dolores into a ruthless killer
who now commands Teddy and his like. She now likes to call herself Wyatt. She may think that
she is free but it is still Ford who is maneuvering her free will. The best
part about Dolores in this season is a flashback of sorts wherein Arnold is
trying to get her ready for display to the potential investors and we finally get to see how the outside world actually looks like.
 |
| Ewan Rachel Wood (left) as Dolores aka Wyat in Westworld: Season 2 |
A new character called Grace has graced the Westworld universe
in season 2. She is not a Host but is actually a visitor whose wanderlust has
brought her to the park. But she seems to be quite at home at the park and when
a man approaches her she actually shoots him in the chest to be sure that he
is a real man and not a park's creation. But gone are the days when the visitors
were safe at the park and soon she too has to run for her life. Later on it is
revealed that she is actually the daughter of the Man in Black. The fact that
she has lost her mother (who has committed suicide as revealed by William himself) means that she has probably
come to the park to demand some answers from her father.
 |
| Katja Herbers as Grace aka Emily in Westworld: Season 2 |
As the Hosts are going berserk, gradually obliterating
the human control over the park, Charlotte, with the help of Bernard, calls for
some outside help, even as Maeve, accompanied by Hector, continues with her
mission from Season 1. Meanwhile, Dolores is aware of the challenge that would arrive
once Delos sends forces to get the things back under control. So she isn’t in a
mood to take any chances and is hell-bent on consolidating her own forces whether
through forging alliances or through intimidation. The makers had promised that
the second season would be set in a Shogun World but so far we haven’t seen
anything substantial in that regard. But, Episode 5 will change that as
confirmed by this
teaser.
 |
| Jimmi Simpson as William in Westworld: Season 2 |
By far the most interesting thing about
Westworld Season 2 is the revelation regarding the relationship between the Man
in Black and his father in law. In Episode 4, we finally learn that the R&D
at Westworld is not just about making Hosts but it also has to do with transferring
human consciousness into Hosts à la Altered Carbon. But so far all the
experiments to this end have been failures. But this can really be the
beginning of a whole new chapter in the Westworld saga. I just can’t wait to
find more. One tiny bit of info that might excite you is that Elsie is back in
the Westworld universe and having made peace with Bernand now she looks set to
assist Bernard in digging the whole truth behind the research facilities at the
park .As for Bernand he seems to be in total control of himself for now but
given Ford’s continuous presence (as revealed by his interactions with the Man
in Black) one can just never to be sure. There is no denying that the Man in
Black is still the most enigmatic character in the Westworld universe. Is he the hero or the villain is what the season 2 is already making us wonder? After 3 relatively
dull episodes, in episode 4 we finally get a taste of what the show is actually
about... we don't want GoT style battles but what we want are relentless mind
games, labyrinthine storylines, plot twists, character shifts, and formidable
back stories.
 |
| An elusive encounter between Robert Ford and the Man in Black from Westworld: Season 1 |
As we approach the fifth episode of the season
the biggest question on everyone’s minds is whether Ford would make a
full-fledged appearance before the season ends. I, for one, would kill to see
one more epic exchange between Ed Harris and the great Anthony Hopkins.
P.S. The latest episodes of Westworld are available in India on Hotstar. The first four episodes of season 2 are already streaming.
P.S. The latest episodes of Westworld are available in India on Hotstar. The first four episodes of season 2 are already streaming.
Readers, please feel free to share your opinion by leaving your comments. As always your valuable thoughts are highly appreciated!
Previous Post: The gift of good health by Foodhall for this Mother's Day
Next Post: 'Angrezi Mein Kehte Hain' Review
Next Post: 'Angrezi Mein Kehte Hain' Review
People who liked this also liked...
The latest episode was an absolute joy to watch. So many big reveals, it could easily have been the seventh or eight episode of the season. Excited for what's to come.
ReplyDeleteBTW, according to a Reddit theory, Ford managed to clone himself using the tech they were developing for Delos, before he had his clone shot by Dolores. Supposedly, it is the imprint of Ford's consciousness that we see Bernard stealing in his memory-flashback thingie in Episode 4. In short, Ford is alive. Reddit theories tend to get wacky at times in their speculation, but I am not going to complain if Anthony Hopkins makes an appearance this season :-)
Wow... I would love to be the happiest person on the planet if Hopkins makes an appearance :-)
Delete