Tonight's 'Westworld' took us to some new places and reintroduced some familiar faces
Warning: This post contains spoilers for the “Virtù e Fortuna” episode of Westworld
As Westworld has already taught us, in the not-too-distant future, entertainment-starved audiences with money to burn will eschew Disneyland’s Frontierland for a living, breathing version of the Old West. But what if you’re a member of the wealthy class who doesn’t harbor dreams of being the king of the wild frontier? Well, the big brains at Delos made sure to include some other theme park experiences on their island getaway. We’ve known since the end of the show’s freshman year that there’s a world filled with samurais not too far away from the world filled with pistol-wielding bandits. And the Season 2 premiere disclosed the existence of a Park 6, where Bengal tigers roam the landscape. Tonight’s episode, “Virtù e Fortuna” takes viewers into both of these non-Western worlds, though not for an equally long stay.
It’s only in the closing minutes, for instance, that we enter Shogun World territory, where Maeve and her growing band of travelers have inadvertently strayed. The first clues that they’re not on the frontier anymore? Gently falling snow and the decapitated head of a Japanese warrior lying beneath a tree. Thanks to a pre-credits sequence, we’re treated to a longer, if equally violent stay in Park 6, which turns out to be a re-creation of 19th century India under British Rule — call it Raj World. The change of scenery was drastic enough for a few Twitter users to speculate if HBO had altered the title of the show without telling anyone.
Having to do a double take on this #Westworld opening because I thought I was watching another show based on the setting tbh… lol
— David Weiser (@weiser_david) May 7, 2018
I tuned into #Westworld and thought it was a show about the British Raj in India
— Ali (@RoyMustang786) May 7, 2018
Who are these people and why are neither of them Dolores #WestWorld #MurderLadySunday
— Macy (@mightyamazon24) May 7, 2018
Don’t adjust your set, guys. Our vacation in Raj World is temporary — just long enough to meet the woman, Grace (Katja Herbers), who killed the tiger that the Delos security team found two episodes ago in our world and two weeks from now in the show’s timeline. When we first encounter her, Grace is enjoying what appears to be the latest of many trips to Raj World — then the uprising happens and she narrowly escapes death at the hand of both human and animal hosts. In our last sighting, she’s crawling through the banks of a muddy river and looks up to realize she has crossed the border into WestWorld. Safe to say she’s in store for one heck of a culture shock.
Despite the initial confusion over which show we were all watching, most Westworld fans rated Raj World as a five-star location.
Wow. That was one hell of a cold open. #Westworld #WestworldSeason2
— Jackie (@ImpsDelights) May 7, 2018
Elephants and tigers and cliffs oh my #westworld
— Tracey Evans (@pluto6405) May 7, 2018
I’m so glad Shiva found new work after leaving The Walking Dead #Westworld pic.twitter.com/4ZGB1hvgPR
— Shawn Drew (@Drew_H_Shaw) May 7, 2018
THERE’S ANOTHER PARK AND THE GUESTS LITERALLY ARE COLONIZERS #Westworld
— terfle (@terfle) May 7, 2018
I am more invested in what happens to Bengal Tiger Delos Park Lady than any other character on #Westworld so far.
— Kristen Soltis Anderson (@KSoltisAnderson) May 7, 2018
Along with some new places, “Virtù e Fortuna” also saw the return of some familiar, much-missed faces. Here’s a ranking of the characters viewers seemed most excited to see again, based on the Twitter reaction.
3: Felix and Sylvester
These bickering Livestock Management drones — cheekily named after cartoon cats — may not be the smartest employees at Delos, but they know enough to say yes to whatever the hell Maeve asks of them. Vanishing amid the mayhem at the end of Season 1, they turn up again as hostages of Hector’s trusty accomplice, Armistice. (More on her in a minute.) Never one for emotional outbursts, Maeve does seem moderately pleased to be reunited with Felix. On the other hand, she barely gives the wily Sylvester a glance, and her preference lines up with fans’.
ARMISTICE!!
Where have you been, baby? So glad to see you. Oh, my dear sweet Felix, there you are! Oh, uh, hi Sylvester.#Westworld #WestworldS2
— AerynSunX (@aerynsunx) May 7, 2018
Name a more iconic duo than Maeve and Felix #illwait #westworld #WestworldSeason2 pic.twitter.com/oc0lXKQtXM
— Hannah T (@hannah_t3) May 7, 2018
FELIX AND MAEVE TOGETHER AGAIN #westworldseason2 #westworld pic.twitter.com/1WP4O1Q0K9
— Hannah T (@hannah_t3) May 7, 2018
2: Peter Abernathy
In another life and with another program running through his computer brain, Peter was Dolores’s dearly beloved father. But that was before he was escorted to cold storage, only to be busted out again and hastily turned into a vehicle to smuggle valuable information out of the park. The rewrite performed by Lee at Charlotte’s request was clearly a rush job, because poor Peter’s mind is breaking down when we happen upon him for the first time this year. Initially held at gunpoint by fellow hosts — who don’t recognize him as one of them —he’s eventually found and cared for by his daughter in a deeply emotional scene that gave Twitter all the feels.
Blubbered my way through the Dolores and Peter scene, and white-knuckled my way through all of Wyatt. I just… @evanrachelwood is an absolute wonder. #Westworld
— Amy Lynn Angus (@amylynnangus) May 7, 2018
Original Peter’s reunion with Dolores is easily the most heartbreaking thing and most sympathetic trait of Dolores’s character #Westworld has given us so far.
— ??p? (@adamemile) May 7, 2018
Me after that scene with Dolores’ dad: #Westworld pic.twitter.com/FoU0L5Xq0B
— DeVon2112 (@DeVon_FNMfan2K8) May 7, 2018
1: Armistice
With Daenerys and her dragons out of commission until 2019, leave it to Armistice to bring the firepower back to HBO’s Sunday night lineup. In a parallel that was lost on no one, the blonde warrior returned to Westworld in a literal blaze of glory courtesy of a flamethrower, leading Hector to remark in awe: “She has a dragon.” And you know what that means … bring on the Game of Thrones GIFs!
Hector: “she has a dragon”….crossover episode suggestion – Westeros World #WestworldSeason2 #westworld pic.twitter.com/cJXu0ElZG2
— Hannah T (@hannah_t3) May 7, 2018
“She has a dragon” #Westworld pic.twitter.com/hZTl9yfqdj
— W U I S (@__wuis) May 7, 2018
Looks like Armistice got a dragon, not unlike another platinum blonde #Westworld pic.twitter.com/tSVT4aUoJM
— Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton (@BetseySHamilton) May 7, 2018
Westworld airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO.