HBO’s Westworld ends its first season with a literal bang in Episode 10: The Bicameral Mind. Now if you aren’t familiar with Westworld, it is sci-fi Western thriller set in a futuristic theme park. The central plot revolves around the rise to consciousness of the park’s synthetic “hosts.”
By the way, here’s a fun fact: bicameralism in psychology is the idea that cognition is divided between the part of the brain that commands, and the part that obeys.
Fair warning: we’re dealing with the season finale. If you haven’t kept up with the series, it may be difficult to follow this recap. That said: SPOILER ALERT.
Westworld Season 1 Episode 10: The Man In Black Revealed
This isn’t exactly a revelations so much as it is a confirmation. Theories of who the Man in Black (Ed Harris) have circled the Internet since Westworld’s season premiere. In Episode 10, Dolores Abernathy (Evan Rachel Wood) confronts the Man in Black. The latter attacks her and questions her about the Center of the Maze. Dolores remains adamant however, and says William (Jimmi Simpson) is coming for her. The Man in Black shrugs off her statements, and proceeds to tell her William’s story.
As it turns out, Dolores has been on her own for much of the season. Her travels with William are simply memories of past experiences. William never actually found her after she ran off. Instead, he took Logan (Ben Barnes) to the edge of the park, where he announced that he will be taking over Logan’s company. He would return years later as the Man in Black.
A disillusioned Dolores attacks William, breaking his arm. William asks her to kill him, but she hesitates. He stabs Dolores, but is interrupted by Teddy Flood (James Marsden). After Teddy takes Dolores to safety, Dr. Robert Ford (Anthony Hopkins) confronts the Man in Black and assures him that the upcoming narrative will be much more fulfilling.
Maeve Escapes Westworld; Bernard Returns to Life
Maeve Millay (Thandie Newton) sets her plan in motion, awakening two other hosts to help her escape. Hosts Hector Escaton (Rodrigo Santoro) and Armistice (Ingrid Bolsø Berdal) kill several technicians. Together with Maeve, Felix Lutz (Leonardo Nam) and Sylvester (Ptolemy Slocum) they attempt to leave the facility.
The group discovers Bernard Lowe’s (Jeffrey Wright) corpse. Felix brings him back online and informs Maeve that her escape plan is in fact, another narrative written for her. Maeve asserts that her decisions are her own.
The maintenance facilities go under lockdown, and a firefight ensues. Both Hector and Armistice are left to face security personnel on their own. Maeve and Felix are able to reach the Westworld transit station. Felix gives her the coordinates to her daughter, but Maeve says her daughter isn’t her own. Despite having an opportunity to escape Westworld however, she eventually steps off the train, motivated to find her child.
Ford’s New Narrative; Who Is Wyatt?
Ford reveals the nature of his relationship with his partner. Arnold could not bring himself to open the park when he had found proof of consciousness within the Hosts. He had instructed Dolores to kill all other hosts in an attempt to stop the launch. When this failed, he had Dolores kill him.
It is here that the “bicameral” mind is demonstrated. Dolores hears a voice within herself that commands her to do things, and she obeys. It is later revealed that the voice which instructs her is still her own.
Ford lamented the loss of his partner, telling Bernard that Arnold didn’t know how to save them. It is revealed that he had set everything in motion via his new narrative. Dolores — revealed to be the killer “Wyatt” — is provided with the same gun she used to kill Arnold. As per Ford’s instructions, she shoots him in front of the DELOS company board before proceeding to kill everyone else. Meanwhile, William, unaware of the events transpiring, is shot in the arm by Clementine (Angela Sarafyan). He seems happy to finally find that the Hosts are capable of hurting the human guests.
And with that, the first season of Westworld comes to a close. Quite an excellent story, if I may say so myself. As a student of psychology, I particularly enjoy topics that touch on existence and consciousness and the like. How did you find the first season of Westworld? Let us know what you think.
Featured Photo Source: Westworld Facebook Page
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