Westworld‘s fifth episode is titled “Contrapasso”, which can generally mean retaliation (counter-strike or counter-suffering), but in terms of Dante’s Inferno, refers to the idea that in Hell, divine punishment would fit — or equal — the sin. Clearly, Dr. Ford has some ugly penance headed his way, but the depths of his sins are yet to be seen. Likewise, will the Man in Black (if he is human, and for me that’s still a huge if) be in for a rude Westworld awakening (heh*)? His horrendous treatment of Hosts will surely come back to haunt him.
Uh, that Delos map bears a certain resemblance to the Inferno levels. Just sayin’.
According to the episode description, Dolores, William and Logan head to the decadent, sin-filled town of Pariah, which Delos’ Westworld Host, Aeden describes thusly:
When Dolores has a look around, she experiences something strange. Is it a vision/memory/glitch, or are we now dealing with doubles?
Dolores, like Maeve, has discovered something strange about her body.
Listen Dolores, I know your mother is gone now, so let me just clue you in: NEVER pull on a loose thread, it will only unravel everything.
Also, I must caution you against heading down candlelit stairways. One never knows what lurks at its final dark, bottom step.
After staring at several brightened up screenshots, I believe this dude is slipping on a gloved, robotic hand,
like the one below. What I really want to know is, what is the lab technician up to? Does he use it against a Host, or to measure strength? Is Westworld experimenting with bionic parts for humans separately from its Host work? Does that have something to do with management or the board’s (as mentioned by Theresa to Sizemore) motives?
William gets off another shot, his reticence clearly in the past.
From the hat, I’d guess this is also William — Dolores behind him — running for a train (fast ride out?). The synopsis refers to them being “recruited for a dangerous mission”.
No wonder; Logan has apparently been captured, and things aren’t going so well.
Meanwhile, “the Man in Black meets an unlikely ally in his search to unlock the maze”. Honestly, this doesn’t seem that unlikely to me, and I’m drooling in anticipation of Ed Harris and Anthony Hopkins chewing scenery together.
I’ll tell you what’s true, buddy; clearly Teddy is very loyal to his creator. Whatever Dr. Ford said that pissed off the Man we don’t yet know, but we do see that Teddy takes protecting his creator(s) very seriously .. for now, at least. Unless, this is Ford wielding his magic over Teddy, controlling him, in which case I wonder if an awakening Host would feel that power over his own will?
Finally, though it’s MiB’s voiceover in this shot, I believe (hair) that’s Dolores seeing the table marking;
that maze design we keep seeing everywhere, in scalps and fields? Here are the possible paths (H/T the mister):
Personally, I usually think of a maze as something to work your way out of, but in this case, the Man in Black seems to be working his way to its center (Agree/Disagree?). Interestingly, you can see that there are paths into four compartments (as defined by sections) surrounding the body. Heart, mind, body, soul? I’m sure that’s not it, but there must be something significant about the partitioning.
In Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man, four is the number of fingers equivalent to a palm; four cubits are a foot; four cubits make a man; and a pace is four cubits. Westworld makes much use of Vitruvian Man; the center of the maze included.
Here’s the full “Contrapasso” teaser. Please add your own thoughts and interpretations in the comments, and meet me in Westworld again, Sunday night.
*By the Man in Black’s awakening, I mean, him discovering he’s actually a Host.
