The Well-Tempered Clavier

So this one's the penultimate episode of season one and it's a definite step up in quality. So far this show started on an amazing high for a few episodes before dropping down in quality and becoming slightly repetitive, even a little sluggish at times in the middle part. However, things are starting to happen again now, it's starting to come together and we're getting a sense of gravitas that really works. Bernard makes for an interesting character in particular, because you think his character arc has come to a natural close and yet there's still more to discover. At this point all the sub-plots are firing, and I'm looking forward to the climax.

"Westworld" think it's on the side of the Man in Black (Ed Harris), and by extension, the audience. The series lectures us constantly about how, in Hale's words, "Most of the guests just want a warm body to shoot or to f---. They'd be perfectly happy with something less baroque." nature of the show, if you'll indulge me, could be a powerful one. Reflecting the tensions in popular entertainment in the divide that places Hale, the late Theresa Cullen (Sidse Babett Knudsen), Logan and the Board against the Man in Black, William and even in his own way Ford, could be a powerful thing. The problem is that on balance, "Westworld" is giving us as much of - or more than - the story that Hale, Cullen and Logan want as it is delivering the deeper meaning the Man in Black wants, and the sensitivity that William craves. Again, there's something fascinating about a show that is predicated on oppressed people, especially women, achieving the consciousness that would make them dangerous. There's something especially radical, particularly in this political moment, about suggesting that trauma can be both an anchor for a person's personality and a limitation, a defining experience that doesn't allow a person, or a host, to see too far beyond their cornerstone. But what "Westworld" does in this episode is to subordinate Dolores's experiences to an info dump, to make her the sum of what Ford and Arnold did together, and what Dolores herself did to Arnold. This isn't a story about how trauma has shaped Dolores, and who she's becoming. It's a story about what Ford and Arnold created, how one of their creations lashed out at them, and how Ford, the surviving partner, built Bernard in order to re-create his own lost sense of partnership.

The show continues with its many story-lines, secrets within secrets and personalities and identities within identities. It just follows the topics introduced in previous episodes and sometimes falls into muddy-we-will-just-complicate-for-the-sake-of-it exposition style, but it is a very strong episode and the show keeps delivering.

Teddy discovers there is more in his past than he 'remembers', the Man In Black With A Hat just wants to keep playing his particular game and doesn't care if the world burns in flames if he is left alone, Dolores is trying to connect to her past, Maeve is working on 'its' robot-raising, and Bernard and Ford have a very interesting conversation.

The whole episode basically centers around Bernard and Ford's confrontation and it does a great job of piling surprises, twists, little moments and a quite strong dialogue. Of course, it helps if you have Wright and Hopkins delivering it. Jeffrey Wright is just doing an amazing work as Bernard, and, here, continues raising the bar.

The rest of the episode is really good too, but it just seems to be there to put the little details for the last episode's showdown and to tease the viewer with little secrets and details. The production, direction and acting keeps being top-notch all through.

This is the episode where everything finally clicks. Many of the season's outstanding questions are answered, and the underlying narrative is exposed. The final ten minutes of the episode is a cascade of reveals, twists, and turns. In my opinion, this episode manages to outdo episode 7, which is quite an accomplishment. One truly remarkable thing about the episode (particularly the final sequence) is that there is a real sense that anyone can die, and someone will.

Of course, while it is easy to focus on the fantastic closing to the episode, it is important not to forget the rest of the episode. Even without the ending, it's one of the better instalments so far. It checks in with most every major story-line, smoothly weaving them together and bringing them all to a crisis point.

If Westworld runs as long and as successfully as HBO's current flagship show (Game of Thrones) has, this episode will be looked back on as one of the series' best, and the moment that cinched it as the new big show.

Bernard is analyzing Maeve; however she dominates him instead, showing her power. William is tied to a chair asking Logan to let Dolores and him go. Logan stabs Dolores´ belly and exposes her mechanical components to show that she is a robot. However Doleres shoots the soldiers and flees and William promises that will find her. Bernard asks Dr. Ford to recover his full memory and uses Clementine to help him to get information from Dr. Ford. Bernard learns that he killed also Elsie. Meaves make a deal with Hector showing that she knows his past and his future. Dolores has entwined visions of her present and past.

"The Well-Tempered Clavier" is another intriguing episode with many twists and revelations of "Westworld". The confrontation of Bernard and Dr. Ford is maybe the most important part of the show. Arnold´s identity is finally disclosed. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "The Well-Tempered Clavier"