Last Updated on August 2, 2021
This recap/review of Westworld is written with the expectation that everyone who reads this and comments below will have seen the episode already. Thus, if you've yet to see the episode in question, DO NOT GO ANY FURTHER. SPOILERS!
PLOT: Taking residence in neo-Los Angeles, Dolores develops a relationship with Caleb, and comes to learn how artificial beings are treated in the real world.
REVIEW: After almost two years, Westworld is finally back. Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy's science fiction morality drama capped season two with a devastating massacre at the Delos park facility and ushered in The New World that is Season 3 which debuts with a feature length episode that leaves the West behind and changes the dynamic of what this series is really about. A lot happens in the premiere, "Parce Domine", but the vast majority of the time is set introducing Aaron Paul's Caleb to this new world which may leave some viewers wondering if this is the same series they were obsessed with. Gone is the complex maze of twists and clues for viewers to figure out. Instead, this new season of Westworld feels like a tonal reboot that changes the series into a more linear and straightforward scifi thriller.
"Parce Domine" is split into four main storylines, all of which do not intersect aside from two in the closing scenes of the episode. By spreading our characters across the globe forces the story to slow way down but we know they will eventually come together at some point in this season. The first arc involves Dolores who has ingratiated herself with Liam Dempsey, the co-founder of a major tech company. Using her programmed skills to her advantage, Evan Rachel Wood has turned Dolores into a terrifying creation who wants the control she has been deprived during her entire existence. From the opening scene where she calculatingly takes down an abusive businessman (Thomas Kretschmann in a great cameo) to another brutal fight in a car, Dolores is cold and efficient and may be the show's biggest villain. Her screentime is important but never more than when she finally crosses paths with Caleb.
Aaron Paul is the centerpiece of this episode which introduces Caleb Nichols, a veteran working construction jobs during the day while participating in an app called Rico at night. Rico is like Uber for revenge and gives participants the chance to kill or rob in exchange for pay. Caleb is living a monotonous life repeating the same work and therapy conversations over and over again. It is the human equivalent of how Dolores experienced her life in the early episodes of the first season. The question becomes whether Caleb is another host or if he is the human side of the uprising that Maeve and Dolores have been working so hard to achieve. Kudos to Aaron Paul who is able to jump right into this world and doesn't miss a beat.
The third storyline follows Bernard (Jeffrey Wright) who is spending his time working at a slaughterhouse while evading the authorities searching for him. Bernard continues to try and figure out what he can do to stop Dolores while trying to make his way back to Westworld. Bernard has some of the least amount of screen time in this episode, but it is clear that he remains the conflicted voice of reason amongst all of the hosts. The final storyline centers on Charlotte Hale (Tessa Thompson) who has put herself into the leadership role at Delos with the aim to take the company private so that they can resume manufacturing hosts. Thompson has always been a highlight of this show and seeing her step into the Delos boardroom and literally silence those around her is something to see.
Like I said, a lot happens in this episode, but it should be noted that so much of it is easy to grasp just from a cursory viewing of the show. I remember watching the first two seasons with my remote in hand, rewinding to try and figure out what hidden clues that Nolan and Joy were peppering into the mix. If that was your favorite part of the series, I am sorry to say that it is gone. With season two suffering critically and in the ratings, this season looks to be taking a more straight forward approach to storytelling. After this first episode, that could change, but Jonathan Nolan helmed this chapter with an eye for streamlining the narrative while making it easy to pick up what is going on. It also allowed me a chance to appreciate the little touches in this Neo-Los Angeles including the Rico app, guest star Marshawn Lynch's emotion-controlled shirt, and Lena Waithe's character Ash.
The problem with this new Westworld is that it doesn't feel like Westworld anymore. What made the first two seasons so unique was that they gave us the Delos parks where the uprising of the hosts felt like a powderkeg that was poised to explode. By taking the action out of the park, the series just feels like any other science fiction thriller. Gone is the mystery box, gone are the complex twists, and instead we have a show that feels more like something we have seen before many times over. Despite that, this is still a damn good story with a very talented cast. I just hope that this episode is easing us into something a bit more challenging than what this premiere lays out.
Westworld airs Sundays on HBO.
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