'Westworld' Recap: 'Trace Decay'

​Written by Scott Edwards

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...

The all-important narrative is the only way to survive in Delos’ park of excitement and Bernard has been privy to seeing this first hand, but now he has become part of the story on another level. Feeling pain for killing his ex-lover in Theresa, Bernard is directed by Dr. Ford to perform the cover up as well. Being able to manipulate all of the park systems, he is promised a clean slate by his friend, but wants to know much more before his memories are erased and he can only hope that Ford tells him the truth about what is happening to him, along with why his memories feel so real.

Finding Theresa’s body in the park, the autopsy shows that she suffered a massive head wound from a fall and the group is happy with that explanation. But there is more information that is coming to light about the now deceased park boss as transmission devices have been found with her body, the same ones that were pulled from the woodcutter host. Knowing now that there was some sort of espionage going on in the park, Stubbs has been drawn into the plot once again and needs to find out how deep the spying inside of Westworld actually goes, yet Ms. Hale can care less, especially since she knows where all of the information was being sent. Needing to find another way to stop Ford from completing his next story, Charlotte turns to the lead storyteller Lee for help that she cannot get anywhere else.

As she continues to try and find the entrance to the maze with William, Dolores’ memories are becoming more real than normal. Knowing the river that she is following is from another time in her life, she leads her friend to her home town that was torn down sometime in the past. With nobody around, Dolores sees the town as it was when she lived there, even the training personnel from the park teaching the townspeople how to dance. Everything is as it was when gun shots ring out, killing everyone in the streets and Dolores is faced with the reality of what her subroutines were designed to do. Keeping her from trying to kill herself may be the only thing William is able to do as an old friend/foe has returned to try and keep him from achieving his goal.

Continuing to track down Wyatt, Teddy and the Man in Black are entering a killing field that no one has dare ventured into before. Knowing that he is a killer as well, at least that is what the new storyline for Teddy says, he is starting to have flashes of other memories as well and most of them surround the Man in Black. Stumbling upon on a survivor from Wyatt’s last killing spree, the two men try to gather any information that may be helpful when one of Wyatt’s men comes to play. Working as a team, the two men are able to subdue the oversized beast, but Teddy’s memory banks come back a hundred percent and he knows what kind of man the Man in Black really is, especially after seeing him have his way with Dolores in another lifetime. Tying up his new friend and getting information about the Man in Black that nobody has been privy to, the maze may be the only way he can get retribution for his crimes inside and outside of the park, but with a double cross coming, the Man in Black may not be ready for what comes next in the story.

---

Maeve is still trying to find a way to get out of the park and with help from Felix and Sylvester, she knows at least one part of her plan will work, gaining control of her own mind. With current updates, Maeve has been able to keep herself awake during her sessions on the table when the park has been shut down for an extraction, but she wants more power. Needing a new upgrade that will grant her humanlike access in the park, the two techs are against it, however Felix is not able to deny the host her rights since in his eyes, she is alive. With new programming, Maeve is able to control her own storyline in the park by telling the other hosts what to do, now she is left with her final challenges; escaping the complex and building an army.

Doctor Ford knows of the plans to relieve him of power over his creations and will not allow it to happen at any cost. With his new 'killbot' Bernard coping with the issue of taking a life, Ford is willing to play God with him and simply erase his memories. Confronting Ms. Hale about the skewed testing that was put on display to get rid of his oldest friend in the park, Ford is able to get Bernard reinstated and back to work since the two have much to do. With plenty on his plate already, Ford also takes over Theresa’s duties in the park, which gives him more access than he has had in years. Whatever Ford’s plan is for the park, he does not seem to understand that simply erasing the memories of his hosts is not as permanent as he guarantees as several hosts are starting to remember their past lives and getting ready to act on these memories.

A dark cloud has been released over Westworld in this episode, showing how much power really means to several characters. Ford is on his own with his host Bernard to take over most of the park duties, which Delos is trying to remove him from, yet they cannot stop him, nor know what he is up to in an unsupervised part of the park. Even though it seems hard for Bernard to come to terms with what he is and what he has done, his programming seems to work just fine and his friend Ford is able to control him with any word he speaks. The Man in Black is left in a hard place as he opens up to a host and we all know that whatever the end game is for him, there will be a river of blood flowing in the park. The re-emergence of Logan has both William and Dolores shaking in their boots, yet I think that this will be short lived since William has been very clear in that he has no trust for this man and will do anything for his new western love. Maeve still has the best story going right now with her reprogramming and with her starting to remember things that were programmed by Arnold that none of the programmers seem to know a thing about. With the ability to kill and control her fellow hosts, or even hurt the guests, Maeve’s breakout of the facility will be nothing less than a bloodbath, and she only has two more episodes to make it happen.

---