Westworld Episode 9 Review: “Vanishing Point”
Westworld Episode 9 Review: “Vanishing Point”
Rog and Big D climb the Mesa Bar diving board to jump into the deep end of the Penultimate Episode of Westworld Season 2. During the podcast, the boys unravel:
- Which time frames are featured in the episode
- Who is Subject 001
- Is William “Real” or “Host”
- Literary references to the plot
- Ford & Maeve’s “Unlocking Core Permissions”
- How Teddy’s death will affect Dolores
- All Roads Lead to “The Forge”
- Predictions for the Season Finale
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Westworld Episode 9 Summary:
“Vanishing Point” As Emily treats William’s wounds, she asks him why Juliet committed suicide. In a flashback, it is revealed that Juliet killed herself after she viewed a file detailing all of William’s past actions in Westworld. In the present, William slowly begins to go insane and shoots Emily under the belief she is a host sent by Ford. Realizing too late that she is human, William considers committing suicide before he starts cutting open his own arm. In the Mesa, Charlotte’s men manage to use Maeve’s code to reprogram Clementine, allowing her to control other hosts as well. Bernard escapes the Mesa with Elsie, but Ford continues to goad Bernard into killing Elsie to prevent her from betraying him in the future. Bernard deletes Ford from his mind and parts ways with Elsie, continuing on to the Valley alone. Ford leaves a message for Maeve, telling her he will help her escape. Dolores and Teddy continue their journey to the Valley, but Teddy tells Dolores that he cannot accept Dolores’ actions and the way he was reprogrammed, and commits suicide.
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I just recently went back to Season one and am starting to notice a lot of things this time through. Episode 2 Delores sees Sweetwater completely wiped out with bodies in the street, and at the time we are let to believe its the memories of Escalante. Only it could just as easily be the events of Season 2 and how the town looked when she is getting the train.
Then another episode where Maeve is remembering Ghost Nation trying to scalp her and attacking her daughter. Only we know now that Ake and his boys scalp to imprint the maze on the inside of the hosts skull cap.
But in episode three I caught something very cool in the dialogue. In the scene where Delores is taking into the hay shack at her house to essentially be raped by the bandits, she reaches into the hay and finds the gun. In the event of trying to work up the courage to shoot him, her mind reverts to seeing The Man in Black. Its at this moment that he says to her “Lets acquaint ourselves Delores. Start at the beginning.” Then the voice of Arnold/Ford says “kill him”. Might be a coincidence in dialogue but boy did it stand out after everything we have learned from this season.
Enjoyed listening to you guys from the beginning. And dont worry what anyone says Big D, you have at least one vote for crowd favorite!
Hi. Nice Deep Dive and a great episode to dive into. Just a comment, not a theory, here. At the end of the episode Teddy is looking out at the “natural splendor” and remarks something like that there is no more “nature” in what they are looking at than there is in themselves. Delores responds that they (hosts) will be the first creatures to have real choices. So I wonder if self-conscious, sentient manmade artifacts are really “creatures.” It certainly lends some irony to that famous line by Rose Sayer in the African Queen: “Nature, Mr. Allnut, is what we are put in this world to rise above.”
We also see that there is an answer to the Westworld question: “If you can’t tell the difference, does it matter?” It certainly mattered to Emily.
Love the series and love what you Shatters do with it.
Steve
I haven’t listened to your e9 dive yet but it occurs to me that the jumpy timelines are a sort of author’s conceit in the storytelling. By this time, I think we can worry less about when certain scenes take place, than why they take place. The jumpy timelines add some density and suspense but they all have to lead to the “present” for resolution in the end, or at the end.
Random thoughts:
I was really happy to see Ford’s interaction with Maeve. Is that the first time we have seen him with her? The kiss on her forehead struck me as profound.
I have watched this episode 3 times now, and each time I see Delores’s final expression change from anguish to anger and defiance.
I think more of the backstory on William’s (MiB’s) relationship with Ford is unfolding, which intrigues me. When and how did they first meet? What are the events or attitudes that put them at odds? Why does MiB feel compelled to best Ford?
Anyway, going to listen to the podcast now. Thanks for all you do Westworldwise.
Steve