Here at Oohlo, we’re just a little obsessed with HBO’s Westworld, so if you didn’t realize I’d be combing through any episode information and previews for clues … well, you don’t know me at all. This week’s third hour, “The Stray”, will find Teddy and Dolores with new storylines, aka “narratives”: Teddy is hunting down someone, there’s more mysterious malfunctioning mayhem, and Elsie and Ashley are hunting down a missing host. Let’s see what we can piece together.
First, the preview:
Some bits of interestingness:
During their search, Elsie is in another darkened room (like the others we’ve seen with decommissioned Hosts, and where Ford was hanging out with Old Bill); this seems to have a carnival/masquerade atmosphere. Are they leftovers from another as yet unseen area of the park or remnants of a narrative unplayed? I guess if I were a Host who didn’t want to be found, that’s exactly where I’d go hide out, among my mannequin-like “dead” friends.
It seems Dr. Ford went down to his holding area for another visit as well, and he seems troubled. I’m calling it: either Pete Abernathy or Old Bill is missing. More likely Pete; he didn’t seem happy about his storage options and Elsie is ready to rampage about the notglitch he and others have displayed. “There’s something bigger going on here.”
Teddy’s new narrative still includes Dolores (and kissing) — though the synopsis mentions him leaving her in Sweetwater — and he almost seems out for revenge against the Man in Black. Interestingly, they’re wearing similar uniforms:
During last week’s “Chestnut”, the Man wore a black blazer.
I question whether a guy as intense about a quest as he is would take the time to change, which brings up a load of questions. When a guest traverses different areas of the park, is he required to be costumed a certain way? Is it just a big, endless roaming kind of place, or must he hit checkpoints? Is the Man in Black just getting into his gameplay this much; is his costuming inherently part of his quest?
Dolores also spends time with William, Logan, and Lawrence. The wagon encounter appears to feature some new characters:
Meanwhile, there’s another massacre in Sweetwater. Expert shot, Armistice (Ingrid Bolsø Berda) is back in action, but she must have suffered a malfunction because later, there’s another behind-the-scenes incident.
I’m digging the Game of Thrones wolf imagery:
… and tell me I’m not crazy (please?), but doesn’t the maze bear some resemblance to those old Lost Dharma logos?
Those are what look like two women’s bodies, but it’s hard to say who they are.
My terrible guesses are Maeve and her “daughter” or Maeve and Dolores.
Finally, IMDb lists Tessa Thompson in her first appearance this episode. She’s playing Charlotte Hale, a “mysterious and savvy provocateur with a unique perspective on Westworld.”
“You should go. Leave. Can’t you see, hell is empty and all the devils are here?”
Official “The Stray” synopsis:
Elsie (Shannon Woodward) and Stubbs (Luke Hemsworth) head into the hills in pursuit of a missing host. Teddy (James Marsden) gets a new backstory, which sets him off in pursuit of a new villain, leaving Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood) alone in Sweetwater. Bernard (Jeffrey Wright) investigates the origins of madness and hallucinations within the hosts. William (Jimmi Simpson) finds an attraction he’d like to pursue and drags Logan (Ben Barnes) along for the ride.
Westworld airs on HBO Sundays.
(Photos via HBO)
