The first season of HBO’s thriller Westworld concluded Sunday with “The Bicameral Mind,” and it was a literal mind-blower. Fans took to social media to air their feelings, freakouts, and doubts about their own humanity.
https://twitter.com/CharisseMSRD/status/805613268471578625
https://twitter.com/JetSettersFlyIn/status/805599612119592960
https://twitter.com/AMikeBloomType/status/805601854570819584
But since we won’t get another new episode of the groundbreaking series for two years, this 90-minute finale had to wrap up a lot of loose ends ― and of course, raise a ton of frustrating new questions.
Dr. Ford’s (Anthony Hopkins) final, grand narrative had nothing to do with stereotypical savage hordes or even a return to the simpler times of that city swallowed by sand. Ever a thousand steps ahead of those scheming against him, Ford determined that the best story the Hosts can tell is the one they write themselves.
So, he plans for Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood) to make a decision ― the first real decision she’s ever made in her life: to shoot Ford in the head, as he toasts goodbye to the snooty Delos board.
And according to social media, it will go down as one of the best death scenes in the history of television.
https://twitter.com/Dskersick/status/805615461303889920
https://twitter.com/AuthorCryssyDee/status/805615430194921472
https://twitter.com/DrewSkywalker/status/805616545640706048
https://twitter.com/supertronicgirl/status/805617519721594880
https://twitter.com/TheGeekStrong/status/805618956039962624
https://twitter.com/lyssaloo626/status/805618460965433344
https://twitter.com/lorelei_jiju/status/805617573702332416
Of course, there are plenty of people who are already theorizing that murdered Ford was merely a Host ― because Westworld has taught us that we can’t trust anything we see on Westworld.
https://twitter.com/HaaMortaL/status/805619104585551873
https://twitter.com/mobprincess2714/status/805620663260221440
https://twitter.com/HarperMondays/status/805628622707027968
https://twitter.com/_RenMarie_/status/805627765168963584
https://twitter.com/BandanaTraining/status/805622288804675584
It also looks like Dolores’ trip to the center of the maze has given the Man in Black (Ed Harris) what he was looking for all this time: a narrative where the Hosts don’t play by the rules. But now that the Hosts are at the top of the pyramid, are they going to stop at taking control of their own world?
https://twitter.com/BadgrGrl21/status/805615203765415936
https://twitter.com/jonbrodo17/status/805621314841092096
https://twitter.com/callmejam/status/805612969975545856
https://twitter.com/JoannaLTorres/status/805599798644604929
https://twitter.com/tubamikebob/status/805615375639572481
https://twitter.com/JeffM27/status/805619067499507712
Speaking of the Man in Black, the finale finally confirmed what fans had suspected for many episodes, that he was in fact William (Jimmi Simpson) 30 years older in the present timeline.
https://twitter.com/_hellostarling/status/805603286317285376
https://twitter.com/ericmandl/status/805603092976766976
https://twitter.com/RogueCheddar/status/805602686766694400
But some fans appreciated the reveal nonetheless.
https://twitter.com/Ms_M_Fiction/status/805619581750571008
One of the most heartbreaking, if quick, revelations of “The Bicameral Mind” was that Maeve (Thandie Newton) was actually narrative this whole time, one that allowed her to awaken during analysis, recruit cohorts, and escape. Maeve had been a fan favorite since the beginning, and the idea that she was liberating herself, under the radar of Delos management gave hope to viewers. Not so anymore.
https://twitter.com/Miamisita/status/805606105103613956
https://twitter.com/njhill22/status/805614556038987778
https://twitter.com/callmejam/status/805606083037433857
https://twitter.com/byclarisse/status/805617708544983048
https://twitter.com/nealthea/status/805633726420021249
But there’s hope yet! Some suspect Charlotte Hale (Tessa Thompson) had programmed Maeve to escape with Westworld’s backed up data. If Ford had overwritten Maeve with the ability of free will, perhaps her choice to hop off the train and return to the park was not part of Charlotte’s narrative after all.
https://twitter.com/memprime/status/805620184455217153
https://twitter.com/CaitlinCarrigan/status/805620926662475776
Of course, it wouldn’t be an episode of Westworld without leaving a TON of open questions. What the heck happened to Stubbs (Luke Hemsworth) last week? Is Elsie (Shannon Woodward) dead or isn’t she? Was it Ford who gave Maeve the whole escape narrative – and will she ever actually be free? AND SAMURAI WORLD!?!
https://twitter.com/MarvelMorris/status/805621142891483136
https://twitter.com/brycecr/status/805605915655307265
https://twitter.com/VeryLovelyLJ/status/805634705299226625
https://twitter.com/tsunanymous/status/805633934931292161
https://twitter.com/bennjeff/status/805618838284931072
https://twitter.com/The_Sanintizer/status/805634121989025793
https://twitter.com/gettingsome/status/805624202002919424
https://twitter.com/Ben_thesoloman/status/805627153354227712
Needless to say, this supersized season finale has given fans a lot to chew on, and they’ll have plenty of time to digest: Season 2 likely won’t premiere until 2018.
