Westworld Season 4 Episode 5 Review: A Worthy Follow-Up to Episode 4?

Westworld Season 4 Episode 5 is out. After a rough start to the season, Westworld picked up pace in Episode 3 but it wasn’t until Episode 4 where the show felt like it was indeed carefully crafted and not another cash grabbing season. Episode 4 was indeed the best episode of the season. However, I expressed one concern that I had about the rest of the season in that review. Speaking of which, check our Westworld Review. The concern being will the rest of the season be equipped to follow through with the quality of the 4th episode? What I mean is when you have one crazy twist in your kitty and you have whipped it out you can’t keep reusing it. For the rest of the season, Westworld needs to present a strong compelling drama that is just as good as the twist we saw earlier.

Not every episode is all about mind-bending multiple timelines twists. The build-up to it can be great as well. So, now that another week has passed and Westworld Season 4 Episode 5 is here I can answer the ultimate question of last week- Does Episode 5 follow through with the quality of Episode 4?

Review Marathon – Episode 1 / Episode 2 / Episode 3 / Episode 4

Rating – ★★★

Westworld Season 4 Episode 5 – The Perfect World?

Once again this episode picks up where the last episode left us. Its important to know that this episode and parts of Season 4 are set almost 30 years into the future from Season 3. We see that Charlotte’s perfect world is not so perfect after all as the hosts are becoming like humans. They can’t fulfill their enormous appetite of lust and hunger even if they’re the superior being and that concerns Charlotte. We also learn that humans do break out of Charlotte’s spell and when that happens, the hosts kill them.

However, before killing one such outlier- the host engages in a verbal conversation with them. As the humans are questioning the nature of their reality, when they incept this idea into the host’s mind they too ask themselves who exactly are they meant to be. This existential crisis drives them crazy to the point where they kill themselves. Charlotte is concerned about this but couldn’t find the resolution to it. She questions William’s capability as well. So, when he goes to kill the outlier he too engages in a conversation and later seeks the same question.

He goes and asks who he is meant to be, to the real William. It seems like Charlotte seems to have freed all the hosts but they still aren’t aware of their identity. Apart from this most of this episode focuses on Christina and how Teddy makes her realize she is writing the lives of people and there are hosts in this world. She even seems to have gotten some of her abilities back at the end of the episode. There’s even a small track of Stubbs and the rebels entering the city and getting out an outlier to the desert.

The story of the episode is good. It even dives into some thematic pools that Westworld has always dipped its toes in. However, there is an issue with the episode. Not with all the tracks but with Christina’s track. Firstly, I think at this stage we all had guessed what she is doing. So it wasn’t like a huge revelation. I like how she learns everything but it feels too easy the way she learns. The way she is immediately able to control her boss and then find out how this entire world is the game.

The scene with Christina and Charlotte also felt a bit off as Charlotte was being pretty direct and she felt more ominous than your regular college roommate. Their conversation definitely discards my theory that Charlotte wants Christina to be happy and that is why she rebuilt Teddy. Teddy is clearly working against Charlotte. Is he alone or working with someone else is something to be seen. I like how the episode the ends with Teddy saying, “You did” to Christina.

Verdict

Its not a bad episode by any stretch of imagination but it is definitely an episode that feels they wanted to move in a certain direction and hence maneuvered everything. I’m not saying not to do that but the problem is everything with Christina everything happens too fast and too easily. The episode is a good follow-up to Episode 4’s story but doesn’t live up to the standards set up by it. Overall, the episode is a solid addition to the season. It is clearly a 3 out of 5 stars.

Let me know if you agree with my opinions. What did you think of Episode 5?

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