Chestnut (Westworld)
| "Chestnut" | |
|---|---|
| Westworld episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 2 |
| Directed by | Richard J. Lewis |
| Written by | |
| Featured music | Ramin Djawadi |
| Cinematography by | Brendan Galvin |
| Editing by | Mark Yoshikawa |
| Production code | 4X6152 |
| Original air date | October 7, 2016 (online) October 9, 2016 (HBO) |
| Running time | 59 minutes |
| Guest appearance(s) | |
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"Chestnut" is the second episode of the HBO science fiction thriller television series Westworld. The episode aired on October 9, 2016, but was released two days prior online by HBO.
The episode received positive reviews from critics.
William, a first time visitor to Westworld, is brought to the park by his friend Logan who wants to show him a good time. William is skeptical about the park, and due to his gentle nature, feels compelled to help any host that's in trouble, including an old man that trips in the mud. Logan reminds William that the hosts aren't human, and that interacting with them may trigger scripted stories and behaviors. At dinner, the old man approaches William to seek his help in finding hidden gold, and since William is too polite to refuse, Logan forces the old man away by stabbing his hand. Logan then has an orgy with several hosts while William refuses to sleep with Clementine out of loyalty to his fiancee. The next day, William comes across Dolores, who accidentally drops a few of her belongings. William kindly helps her pick them up and departs with a smile and a tip of his hat. Later that night, Dolores returns home and digs up a pistol hidden in her yard.
Elsewhere, the Man in Black follows information that Kissy had given him and tracks down the outlaw host Lawrence, who is set to be executed by a posse. The Man in Black kills the posse and leads Lawrence back to his hometown, with the former noting how thorough the Westworld staff have been in crafting detailed backstories for every host. The Man in Black then interrogates Lawrence by holding his wife and daughter hostage, demanding he tell him where the "maze" is. The townspeople attempt to intervene to save Lawrence, but the Man in Black kills them all and executes Lawrence's wife. Lawrence's daughter then gives the Man in Black a cryptic clue of where to find the maze. Satisfied, he leaves with Lawrence in tow.
Back in Sweetwater, Dolores begins to have disturbing visions of seeing the entire town dead. She then whispers Peter's words to Maeve, a prostitute host, as she passes by, causing Maeve to begin recalling memories of her past lives and hampering her functions. The Westworld staff observe Maeve, and seeing that she is no longer popular with the guests, they decide to decommission her and replace her with Clementine. Elsie intervenes and adjusts Maeve's intuition, restoring her effectiveness. Back in the game, Maeve has a conversation with Teddy, but is interrupted when a drunken guest suddenly shoots Teddy to death. Maeve is then taken out for maintenance, but begins having dreams of her life in a previous role as a rural homesteader with a daughter, where she is attacked by the Man in Black. Maeve then wakes up inside the maintenance room, to the shock of the technicians operating on her. Scared and confused, Maeve wanders through the halls of the facility and witnesses "killed" hosts being hosed down, before the technicians are finally able to subdue her. Believing they simply forgot to put Maeve in sleep mode, the technicians decide to cover up the incident rather than report it.
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