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Westworld Recap: Dissonance Theory

By Reuben Levine

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Westworld gets weirder than ever and teases some back stories in ‘Dissonance Theory.’

‘Dissonance Theory,’ the fourth episode of Westworld, wastes no time in getting to the matter at hand. That matter happens to Dolores and her relationship with Bernard, a man who finds solace in her after the death of his son. Dolores is gaining inner knowledge that she’s not supposed to have access to. This puts her in the game, the same one that the Man in Black is playing.

This is all par for the course for Westworld, a show that aims to examine what it means to be human as quickly as possible. We’re with Dolores and then with Maeve, each having similar experiences that lead to the same result. The Hosts of Westworld are “waking up,” so to speak. After examine a remembered wound that is no longer there, she discovers strange drawings underneath her floorboard. It’s difficult to believe that the architects of Westworld would be so careless as to just forget something so meaningful, which fuels theories that they (or someone) is in more control than it seems.

We are continually fed new information without being able to breathe

This quick — all of the above takes place before the 15 minutes mark — is a constant weakness of Westworld. We are continually fed new information without being able to breathe. So far Westworld has handled itself well on its toes, and ‘Dissonance Theory’ is no different. And yes, Williams’ friend is still a huge jerk. A huge, two-dimensional jerk. He is, however, good for video game references and callbacks, calling a found gun an “upgrade.”

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‘Dissonance Theory’ reunites us with the Man in Black, though he hasn’t been up to much since dragging poor Lawrence through the desert. A woman with a snake tattoo all across her body provides another hint to the labyrinth, and off they go. This episode relays, or at least hints at, a lot of back story. We learn that the Man in Black is a wealthy man with a foundation on the outside that helped save some guy’s sister. But he’s on vacation, and he doesn’t want to talk about that.

The Man in Black also knows all about Arnold, though that doesn’t come as a surprise. His goal appears to be liberation of some kind. This leads him to meet up with Hector, giving us the best exchange of the episode in which The Man in Black compliments him on his “tasteful scar.”

The human interactions of Westworld are usually the most stilted, but we now have an exception.

‘Dissonance Theory’ is an episode that expects you to roll with the punches, offering little explanation. It also furthers the belief that nobody can be trusted and reality is subjective. On that point it does an excellent job at building the mythos and furthering whatever Ford’s narrative is.

The human interactions of Westworld are usually the most stilted, but we now have an exception. At an eerie scene at a restaurant in the park between Ford and Theresa, Ford become actually threatening. The Hosts pause while he gets his point across, something which occurs seemingly at his will. There is no mistaking that Ford is the king of this castle. He wants full reign to construct his narrative, but the Delos Corporation is wary. This is Ford’s best scene to date, and Anthony Hopkins radiates fiery menace under his cool facade.

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Back in the park William engages in a fire fight. It’s obvious now that he is starting to enjoy Westworld life, though he still refuses to join the “black hats.” William is being manipulated by the park and it is thrilling to watch it happen. It will be interesting to see if he is able to stick to his moral code for much longer.

The character Wyatt is mentioned several times in the episode and we learn that he is the leader of the band that captured Teddy in the previous episode. He is also, apparently, a bad dude. There is also a thread of religion running through Westworld surrounding the visages of the masked men that service the Hosts. The fact that they are known in some form can’t be a mistake, and that’s part of what makes this show so fun to read theories about.

Whether or not the semi-knowledge of the masked men is new or old is impossible to tell. It could be a new revelation; part of Ford’s narrative. Or it could be something old, like an “easter egg.”

Next: Ed Brubaker wrote episode 4 of Westworld

‘Dissonance Theory’ isn’t interested in answering questions, but instead furthering the story through more world-building. It’s a good thing that the world building aspect is one of Westworld’s best-selling points.

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