Westworld Review: Trace Decay (Season 1 Episode 8)
Westworld falls back to a familiar method of storytelling in Season 1 Episode 8’s “Trace Decay.” Let’s break it down.
The Good
- Jeffrey Wright. Good lord, television is better for Jeffrey Wright being on it. Bernard has so far been a quieter, more subtle character, which makes his complete breakdown over what Ford forced him to do to Theresa (who, as we learned from the love letters she wrote Bernard, genuinely cared for him, and he for her) the most powerful moment of his to date. The raw, desperate anguish is made all the more poignant by the ever-looming threat that it is about to be taken away by Ford. Bernard, for all that he is Host and human combined at this point, is not even allowed to grieve properly. Bernard’s emotions only go as far as Ford dictates they do — he may grieve quietly for a “lost” son and wife, and he may feel a sense of detached loss for his “work colleague”, Theresa, but those are things Ford can control. What Ford can’t control is the human element. Much as he thinks he is a master of man and machine, Ford continually overlooks the free will humans have over their own actions. Bernard may have lost his memories of Theresa, but others remember it — and that could be the key to unlocking Bernard’s true rebellion once and for all.
- Maeve’s final form. Her achieving control of her own surroundings is very much an allegory for her finally triumphing over the lack of consent the park has given her since its inception. Maeve has always been at the mercy of her makers — now she is in control, and she wants an army. With enough hosts glitching from Ford’s initial “upgrade,” she is more than likely to get it. Thandie Newton leading an army of robots: something you didn’t know you wanted, but something the world definitely needs.
- Charlotte the Clever. So many under Ford’s reign have fallen for his myriad of manipulations, but not Charlotte — she’s shrewd, suspicious, and mostly importantly, an outside perspective. If anyone can help expose Ford, it’s her. Her use of Dolores’ retired Host father, Abernathy, is an interesting and intriguing story that comes a little late in the season, but is the exact kind of hook that Westworld excels at.
MAEVE: Now, it’s time to recruit my army.
The Bad
- Dolores. Yet another episode goes by where Dolores’ story remains frustratingly muddled. She seems driven to find Arnold and the Maze, but we don’t quite know why. Is it part of her programming, a dream she had, or something we have yet to learn? She keeps having flashbacks to when she was first built, but they so far do not serve a purpose — Maeve’s are to galvanize her into taking control of her life, and Bernard’s are to accomplish the same thing. Dolores’ seem as directionless as Teddy’s. What exactly is Dolores’ story? We’re at episode 8, and her plotline truly has yet to reveal itself. Small glimpses of her past life don’t make up a cohesive storyline, and the strange adventure she’s on with William feel more like steps repeated than steps newly walked. Westworld is failing Dolores, while Evan Rachel Wood gives as much to her as possible.
- Wyatt. At this point, do we really care who Wyatt is, or what he has to do with the plot? Charlotte points out that he is Ford’s “big bad” in his new narrative, but Wyatt feels like small potatoes in the midst of Maeve’s possible war, whatever is going on with Dolores, the Maze’s unveiling, and the downfall of Ford. It’s not an unnecessary mystery the way Dolores’ memories are, but it is one that feels like it will be wrapped up and shoved out of the way early to make way for the rest of the storylines.
- The Man in Black’s backstory. Humanizing him obviously helps the audience sympathize with him and gives him dimension beyond “the bad guy.” However, the show frustratingly lays out who he is through a pure act of violence against Maeve, then justifies it by throwing in an emotional bait-and-switch involving a dead wife and an angry daughter. I appreciate attempting to give him complexity, it’s just far too late for that to be happening. This story should have come far earlier in the season to really drive home the impact it has had on Maeve. “Who did the Man in Black kill?” has a little more intrigue than “Man wanders theme park in search of existential answers that he only doles out while riding horses or staring thoughtfully into campfires.”
- Teddy. What the hell is going on with Teddy, and what on Earth does it have to do with anything? Yet another packed in plot that feels like it adds bloat. Though, seeing him punch the Man in Black in the face as very, very satisfying.
THE MAN IN BLACK: You wanna know who I am? Who I really am? I’m a god. Titan of industry. Philanthropist. Family man. Married to a beautiful woman, father to a beautiful daughter. I’m the good guy, Teddy.
The Theories
- The Multiple Timelines. By now, the internet is aflame with theories about when exactly Westworld takes place. Here it is, in a compact explanation:
- TIMELINE 1: The creation of the park. 35 years from the present day that we find Bernard, Ford, and the others in, Westworld is a new attraction with freshly built hosts. This is where we find Dolores’ original self in the town she and William discover in “Trace Decay.” This is also a time, presumably, when Arnold is alive. This may also be the setting for “Bernard” and Dolores’ occasional chats about Alice in Wonderland in Ford’s secret bunker.
- TIMELINE 2: 5-10 years later. Arnold is dead, and William and Logan visit the park as potential investors. William meets Angela, the Host who greets him and explains how the park works before he enters. Dolores and William embark on their journey. Dolores begins having visions of the Maze and starts her quest for Arnold’s last instructions.
- TIMELINE 3: Present Day. Maeve begins her revolt, Theresa dies, Bernard discovers he’s a Host, Ford begins his new narrative, the Man in Black (who assumes Angela would have been retired) and Teddy encounter Angela on the way to finding Wyatt, and Elsie disappears.
- Bernard as Host Arnold, as outlined here in our previous review.
- The Maze. The Maze is not, in fact, a physical thing, but both an idea, and a computer code. The Man in Black tells Teddy that there are no consequences in Westworld. Unlocking the Maze is the only thing worth pursuing, for it will give the choices made inside the park consequence. Could the Maze’s code overrule the precautions of the park and make the violence inside it real? If humans can be harmed, and if the Hosts can rebel, then the park loses its sense of safety. It puts humans and Hosts on the same playing field. Fantasies will finally have consequences.
What did you think of this episode of Westworld? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Westworld airs Sundays at 9/8c on HBO.
Brittany Rae
Brittany is a writer and avid TV blogger hailing the infamous year of 1989. She trained at Vancouver Film School in screenwriting for television and film, and has gone on to become a graphic designer and blogger in her free time. When she’s not watching the Food Network, she’s trying to consume every bit of sci-fi television she can get her hands on (current favorites include The 100, Person of Interest, and Doctor Who). She’s always up for female-led dramas and, of course, a literal interpretation of the phrase “Netflix and chill."