Westworld Recap: The Stray
“The Stray” serves as an important episode that doesn’t focus enough on the Hosts.
The this episode of Westworld, titled “The Stray,” opens up with another secret conversation between Dolores and Bernard in which he gives her a copy of Alice in Wonderland. Yes, there are plenty of analogies to Alice that Westworld could easily make, though it wisely does not belabor the point. The conversation is actually about memories, and it’s quickly revealed that Dolores is remembering things that she shouldn’t be.
“The Stray” could be considered a transition episode; the status quo of Westworld is about to changes, and this episode marks that more than the previous two. William is getting more acquainted his new surroundings, and for him that means playing the hero. Or in other words, getting distracted by the endless amount of “side quests” that Westworld offers.
The behind the scenes action of Westworld continues to be the least interesting part. More rumblings about narrative focus, office politics, and strained relationship. It does, however, occasionally spark to life when the staff interrogate the Hosts. Their robotic coldness is wonderfully compelling, and that’s all on the actors. It’s also fun to see the team working in the field, like when a camp gets caught in a loop and has to be fixed. It also holds clues to the labyrinth that The Man in Black is so obsessed with finding.
The behind the scenes action of Westworld continues to be the least interesting part.
Watching the various storylines play out around Westworld, with and without the cooperation of the Guests, is another area in which Westworld continues to shine. Especially when something goes wrong, though to Westworld’s credit the scenarios would be interesting even without the extra drama. It’s also getting more difficult to tell some of the Hosts from the Guests, a problem that is likely to come to a head in the future. Teddy comes back into focus this episode after playing second fiddle to Maeve’s storyline last episode, and he spends a chunk of the episode as the only main Host not contaminated.
In a meeting between Ford and Teddy we learn that he doesn’t have much of a backstory. He’s just a stereotypical protector — easy to mold and control. Ford shifts Teddy’s story to include a new villain, and so new memories are born. It’s fascinating to watch the Hosts be caught in a sea of Ford’s whims. Watching Teddy’s new story play out later on is something of a thrill.
Image Credit: HBO
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But Ford still embodies some of Westworld’s worst tendencies — he has a predilection toward telling us either what we already know or what we don’t need to know. During an exposition dump between Ford and Bernard we are supposed to believe that Bernard didn’t know that Ford had a partner, Arnold. Westworld has been running for a long time, but it still doesn’t fly. It’s for the audience but it lacks the subtlety that is needed to feel organic as actual conversation.
Westworld doesn’t shift focus the way that Game of Thrones does. Even though we don’t see much of Maeve this episode, we are still reminded that she is going through her own problems. Westworld may seem large, but that’s a deception. Characters are always around even if a particular episode doesn’t focus on them. It’s part of what makes the show strong even when it falters.
“The Stray” features a bit too much behind the scenes action. Somehow, Westworld only truly feels comfortable when it focuses solely on the Hosts. The actual human drama comes off stilted, like during an exchange between Bernard and his wife. It’s supposed to be emotional that his son died, but it feels even colder than the Hosts.
In a final (at least in this episode) conversation with Dolores, Bernard attempts to have an actual conversation. To have her try to choose a path. Westworld is about, at least partially, choosing paths. Dolores’ actions will be what propels Westworld forward — they are what eventually puts her in the arms of William.
Next: Could William be the Man in Black?
We don’t see The Man in Black this episode outside of a glitch/hallucination from Dolores. That’s just fine; he’ll make a better villain if we spend less time with him. There will be a before and after in Westworld, and “The Stray” will mark that turning point. A few less interactions with the Westworld team, however, would have served it better.