Westworld Season 1 Episode 6 Review: The Adversary
Carissa Pavlica
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Is Arnold alive?
There are varying degrees of life on Westworld, so the answer to that question might fall somewhere in between yes and no, as well.
On Westworld Season 1 Episode 6, Elsie discovered several people have been messing with the code of the oldest hosts, Bernard met some of those hosts, and even Ford, who knew of those hosts being active and off the grid, started getting a little bit worried.
Yep, the mystery increased. Not only that, but Maeve, who is one of the hosts who has been manipulated, is also taking matters into her own hands.
It's getting good, people.
I mentioned in my last review I might do a post about potential theories of what the heck is going on on Westworld. Well, reader Sojourner kind of messed that up with his compelling argument about two time periods. I am inclined to agree.
I'm not sure how it's all going to play out, but there are definitely differences between logos here and there, a difference between what narrative is happening on what day, etc. So I'm letting some of that rest for now.
What happened during "The Adversary" gave us plenty to chew on, no devour, during this review.
Personally, I could have done without any of the action featuring The Man in Black and Teddy. It felt extraneous and unnecessary with the two main stories. Stepping out of the park setting for a bit and into the background helped me to remember this isn't just a fantasy land.
Sometimes, when too much is focused on Dolores and her story with William, it's easy to think about the park for the park's sake. Removing Dolores from the picture didn't bother me a bit. Did anyone miss her amidst the other, more exciting story focus?
Elsie has no fear, but I do. And my fear leads me to believe she may be a goner.
She's like a dog with a bone full of marrow. She finds something and will not let go until she gets what she wants out of it. Of course, Bernard was matching her step for step.
Between the two of them, they came to the realization someone has been messing with the coding of the oldest hosts on the park and that some of them weren't even on the newest system.
Bernard met Ford's family, a gift from Arnold. Ford has been maintaining them himself. It made him seem a bit more compassionate toward the hosts when he ordinarily seems to harsh. Perhaps it's because he's found himself so close to his "family" that he continually warns Bernard to remember they are not real.
Elsie discovered both Theresa and "Arnold" have been making drastic changes in the code, creating the bicameral minds situation with the hosts. Since we met the board member (not anybody we realized) and know Theresa's up for taking over Ford's job, she could be making changes hoping to sway things in her favor.
But what does "Arnold" know, whether alive or uploaded to the cloud, that he's altering the code of the older hosts? The mystery deepens, that's for sure.
And Maeve? She's one of those being altered, to great effect.
Maeve: We feel the same.
Felix: We are the same these days. For the most part. One big difference though. The processing power in here [points to her head] is way beyond what we have. It has one drawback though.
Maeve: What's that?
Felix: You're under our control. Well, they're control.
Thandie Newton has been doing stellar work as Maeve. She's absolutely delightful to to watch as Maeve gets stronger and more sure of herself.
My favorite scene was when Felix took Maeve around the facility. The mood was captured perfectly, with the right music to fit the atmosphere as she took everything in, from seeing a body fill with blood, to watching men learning their roles playing poker and fighting.
When she saw herself in the Westworld welcome movie, Felix didn't really pay attention to what she was saying, that she remembered her past lives as dreams. Seeing the moving pictures play out wasn't the first time she saw herself in those situations. I think that should have been more significant to him.
When Maeve asked for her personality to be adjusted (less loyalty and pain, please), Felix and Sylvester noticed it was already being changed. Ford discovered, too, that "Arnold" had changed Robert, asked him to lie to Ford.
So much to take in and digest, so little new information to help decide why it's all happening!!
Oh! I almost forgot. When Bernard signed into the older system in the basement, didn't it look, literally, like a world? At first it reminded me of earth, but upon a second view not so much. Did it strike anyone else that way?
So tell me. What did you all see? Were you surprised the board member was someone we had never seen before? Isn't Maeve the greatest? Thoughts on Ford keeping a version of his family around? Is Elsie a goner?
Until next time...
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.
