Westworld Recap: Chestnut

Westworld doesn’t waste any time when it comes to moving the plot along in “Chestnut.”

Westworld is a show with huge ideas. These are ideas that the characters themselves cannot wait to tell you about — there are times when exposition drips from their mouthes. If there is one complaint that can be lobbed at Westworld, it is this. “Chestnut” does not endeavor to fix this issue (it frequently does the opposite) but it’s impossible to not marvel at what the episode actually achieves.

“Chestnut” introduces us to William, played by Jimmi Simpson. He is visiting Westworld with a friend, or at least a man who thinks that they’re friends. Through Jimmi’s eyes we see the wonders of entering Westworld for the first time. Every thing is laid out for him — he even gets to pick his own clothes and cowboy hat — before he enters a doorway that puts him on the train we saw in the first episode. It’s an almost dizzying sequence. We learn quickly that he and his friend are two very different people. William sees Westworld as an overwhelming, perhaps dangerous, achievement, while his friend sees it as more of a video game based in reality.

Image Credit: HBO

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“Chestnut” changes viewpoints multiple times, and William never gets to interact with the Hosts that we are already familiar with. So far, William is a gentle soul. He declines to sleep with a Host because he loves someone back home, and to him it would be cheating. He is the most interesting human character so far, if only because he chooses to stay silent most of the time.

In Westworld’s backend, Bernard continues to work on the spreading problem. We learn that he is sleeping with Theresa and both of them detest Sizemore. None of this, however, is terribly interesting. Peeking behind the scenes of Westworld is not as compelling as actually seeing it in action. These characters feel two-dimensional. Even Ford, the most interesting of the bunch, has very little mystery about him. He does gain the upper hand when he shows Bernard a secret story that he’s been working on.

There’s not really any reason to waste breath on Sizemore. His character is meant to be hated, but he doesn’t walk the fine line well enough. He’s not only a prick, but he’s also annoying to watch. He’s a caricature, and the coming rebellion against Ford is written on the wall. If only they could see it.

His character is meant to be hated, but he doesn’t walk the fine line well enough.

Back in the wild west, Delores is having nightmares and she infects Maeve by speaking the magic words. It’s Maeve here who suffers the most, and her story is by far the most compelling. The idea of nightmares play a big role here. For the Hosts, they are nothing more than an idea, though they of course do not realize that. In reality they can be traced back to moments of being serviced after hours, which Maeve experiences several times during this episode is eventually marked to be decommissioned after a physical. That doesn’t go so well when she doesn’t turn off like she’s supposed to, and she gets to see Westworld for the human factory it really is.

And for those that thought he tune on the player piano was familiar, it’s “No Surprises,” by Radiohead. A fine choice.

Speaking of after hours, Bernard and Delores have a cryptic conversation in private. It’s hinted at that Bernard did something wrong, though it doesn’t feel likely that he’s the only actually behind the bad update. But we’ll see.

Now for The Man in Black, both a frustrating and exciting character. His need for chaos is compelling, though he too falls prey to moments of unnecessary exposition. We learn that he’s not  necessarily the rule breaker we thought he was after he dispatches a Mexican village in search of some sort of labyrinth. The men behind the scenes are watching, and when push comes to shove word comes down that he can do anything he wants. Maybe he really is just playing the game, searching out a hidden storyline.

Next: When will HBO renew Westworld?

Westworld is not a slow, contemplative show. That may end up being a drawback, though it’s too soon to tell after only two episodes. Right now, Westworld is amazing television, even if does feel like it’s missing a little soul.