So when Teddy tries to shoot Ed Harris - listed in the credits as The Man in Black (LOL)- nothing happens. Guests on the other hand, can do whatever they want to hosts: Therein lies the fun of this virtual experience. It is literally coded into their core system to do no harm to living, breathing humans. And here we learn the most important rule of Westworld: Hosts cannot hurt guests. Because - and this is the twist - Teddy isn't a guest. Teddy is all set to play the hero, but it soon becomes clear that something isn't right. He also seems to know Dolores, although she has no idea who he is. What if I told you that you were wrong? That there are no chance encounters? That you and everyone you know were built to gratify the desires of those who pay to visit your world? The people you call the newcomers.”Ī new character enters the fray: Ed Harris, looking fearsome in an all-black cowboy outfit. Teddy, our hero, kills them both - but not before they shoot and kill Peter, Dolores' dad. He wonders about the cattle - how do they all know where to walk? Dolores laughs at him: “I forget you dress like a cowboy, but that’s about the extent of it.” (Essentially, Teddy is like Jon Snow: He knows nothing.) They soon leave, because daddy won't be pleased if Dolores comes home after dark.īut back at the ranch, something is very wrong. He asks to see her home, which in this world means a pit stop in the plains to admire the beautiful canyon scenery. Obviously, Teddy and Dolores already know each other. "The difference is our costs are fixed and posted right there on the door.” (Do I detect a deeper meaning related to the show's premise? I believe I do.) “You’re always paying, darling," she scoffs. When you look like Teddy, you'd "rather earn a woman’s affections than pay for them.”Įnter a badass Maeve Millay (Thandie Newton) as what I assume is a brothel madam. One of these ladies strokes his face and promises him a discount, but Teddy doesn't go for it. ("Not today." These words later take on more meaning when we realize that the outcome of this exchange could in fact be radically different on another day, when this whole cycle is repeated.) Instead, Teddy heads straight for the saloon, where he asks for a whiskey and shares banter with two prostitutes. Teddy gets asked to join a posse to hunt down known outlaw Hector Escaton, but turns the sheriff down. Welcome to the Westworld town of Sweetwater. Teddy gets off the train with the rest of the guests, his walk into town giving us a feel for the surroundings. Voice-over: “Have you ever questioned the nature of your reality?"ĭolores: “The newcomers are just looking for the same thing we are, a place to be free. It's evident she cannot feel it on her skin. A fly crawls on her face, across her nose, and onto her eyeball.
She is naked and expressionless while being questioned by a disembodied voice-over. The first scene opens with a dull-eyed Evan Rachel Wood, whose name we later find out is Dolores Abernathy.
(Note that there is a voice-over throughout, which is in italics for clarity, as the narration reflects the action.) Since the first 15 minutes of this episode are CRUCIAL to our understanding of the world we're about to discover, I'll focus on them in more detail than I usually would. If you're the kind of person who has trouble keeping track of the various Houses at play in Westeros, beware: This promises to be just as complicated. The first episode, "The Original" (more on that later), does a good job of setting up an intricate storyline for characters both real and virtual: The setting shifts back and forth between the park and the high-tech facility that administrates it - a constant reminder that many of the characters we're interacting with aren't technically alive.
#Westworld episode 3 summary series
(You probably know him as the author of Jurassic Park.) The series centers on the titular Wild West-themed amusement park, in which paying guests interact with increasingly lifelike hosts that are artificially intelligent androids.
#Westworld episode 3 summary movie
After this premiere, I'm a believer.Ī brief plot summary for the uninitiated: Westworld is based on a 1973 movie of the same name, written and directed by Michael Crichton. Westworld, it seems, aims to fill that gap. Winter has come and Game of Thrones is on break, leaving the door wide open for a new sci-fi/fantasy obsession.