Westworld 02.06 ‘Phase Space’ recap

All teams bound for Glory converge on the Mesa as everyone is finally allowed to choose their own fate – even if that fate is death in this week’s Westworld.

After all the scenes of Arnold talking to Dolores, we come to find out that it was really Dolores testing Arnold – or probably Bernard – for fidelity. But how and why is Dolores involved? And when in this crazy timeline is this taking place in Westworld? Is it when Bernard was first brought online, or could this maybe be after the host rebellion?

The Calvary finally arrives after Hale reports that she has Abernathy in her possession. Coughlin (Timothy V. Murphy) takes over operations in brash style as he insults everyone he encounters along the way. With reinforcements on the scene maybe we’ll soon learn what all the fuss is about Abernathy. I think its pretty likely that he’s holding someone’s imprint, but who could it be?

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Meanwhile, Dolores tests out Teddy’s new personality. He’s almost robotic in his sternness, certainly much less expressive. And he’s brutal. He kills one of their pet technicians just for wasting time. Westworld has Dolores seems regretful and apprehensive. And the trouble is that Teddy remembers what was done to him and he’s smart enough to resent Dolores for it – may be enough to betray her for doing to him the exact thing they’re fighting against. They take the train to the Mesa and drop off technician Phil to his death along the way. They seem to be on their way to commit some kind of siege.

And it certainly seems like they’re creating some damage while Elsie and Bernard investigate at the Mesa. There’s something in the system that’s fighting back against attempts to reprogram the hosts – something intelligent and capable of improvisation. They move to the Cradle to investigate further, but still can’t find the source. Bernard plugs himself into the system to find the source and arrives in a virtual version of Sweetwater. There he finds a familiar greyhound dog that he follows into the saloon. Could it be Robert Ford all this time manipulating the system from inside? There’s piano music coming from inside and Anthony Hopkins does play. We see him before Bernard does, a blurry figure in the background plunking along on the piano. Then Bernard sees him. It’s Robert Ford!

Maeve and company escape the samurai attack and make their way to deliver Sakura’s literal heart to her home village. Musashi has a sweet sword fight with Tanaka, winning handily (haha) as he slices off his hand and then his head as Tanaka commits seppuku. Akane burns Sakura’s heart at the village shrine. Musashi and Akane decide to stay there to live with Sakura’s spirit.

Maeve and company, now including Armistice’s doppelganger Hanaryo, continue on their journey to find Maeve’s daughter. They arrive in the hills of her old homestead, where Lee seeks Maeve’s approval for their success. Maeve can’t help but deliver a cutting remark, but after seeing Lee’s disappointment she offers her genuine thanks. It’s a sweet moment in Westworld after so much contempt on both sides. Maeve continues alone to her homestead where she finds her daughter, but also finds that she’s been replaced by another host as a mother.

The Ghost Nation arrives to kidnap them, as they always do, and Maeve grabs her daughter to save her. The rest of the hosts in her crew move in to protect them. Even Lutz moves in to help. And just when you think Lee has had a change of heart, he calls Delos for help on the walkie he stole off a security guard. I’m not totally convinced this move is selfish – I’m hopeful that it’s some kind of strategy to save them all from the Ghost Nation.

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William and his daughter Grace ride together toward the Mesa. William thinks at first that Grace is actually Ford in a replica host body, but once she convinces him she’s real they have a heart to heart. Grace blamed William for her mother’s death and she tells him that was wrong and unfair. Her mother was never convinced that the Delos parks couldn’t hurt them. She wants William to come home with her instead of continuing on his suicide mission. He agrees but sneaks off in the night instead.