Westworld was created in 2016 by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy. The HBO show was adapted from the 1973 film of the same title. The series was an instant hit in 2016 and its 1st Season was highly praised for its truly mind boggling twists and multiple timelines narrative. However, the series took a major drop in its 2nd Second season when its over ambitious multi-timeline structure led to its undoing. Once regarded as HBO’s best show was now grilled by everyone for the quality drop. In the 3rd Season the show tried to fix what they did wrong in the 2nd season but faced a new problem of making the story too alien for the audience by setting it in the Real World. The audience was accustomed to all the action happening inside the Park until now. Westworld was always looking to bring back the magic it had in the first season.
However it seemed like those days were gone for good and start of Season 4 this made no efforts in changing that notion. After the first two disappointing episodes, the show picked up pace in Episode 3 and followed through with that momentum to Episode 4. Episode 4 titled “Generation Loss”, is one of the best episodes in the entire show and certainly the best Season 4 has to offer. Westworld finally found some of its lost magic back. It felt like the big reveal had finally redeemed the show of the mediocrity of the previous seasons. The following episodes of Season 4 especially Episode 5 and 7 kept up to the bar set by Episode 4. The unexpected rise in quality had increased my expectations of the season finale. Well it’s out now for us judge how does it fare to the rest of the season and most importantly what does it set up for the next season that is possibly Westworld’s last.
Review Marathon – Episode 1 / Episode 2 / Episode 3 / Episode 4 / Episode 5 / Episode 6 / Episode 7
Rating – ★★★1/2
Westworld Season 4 Episode 8: Qué Será, Será
The finale primarily focuses on Christina/Dolores and William. We understand that William’s plan is to actually bring the anarchy of this world to the Sublime. Hale is resurrected by one of the robotic workers, her body is stronger. She finds the video Bernard recorded in the last episode that paves her way to stop William and save the world from complete extinction. Caleb and Frankie try to get to the docks where her girlfriend is waiting for them. Clemantine kills Stubbs as she wants to get to the outliers so she can know her place in the world but Frankie kills her.
William and Charlotte get to the dam where the door to the Sublime is. Charlotte kills William for good with a little help from Bernard. She uploads a version of Dolores from the core of the city to the Sublime and soon after crushes her own pearl. Christina realizes that she is in her own pocket dimension at the core of the city, where she made people around her so she can make sense of herself that includes her flatmate and Teddy. Teddy is there somewhere in the great beyond but the Teddy we’ve been seeing all along is simply a version Christina created from her memory of his. She was a program at the core of the city that controlled everything.
When Charlotte pulls her out of it and makes her come to the Sublime she fully becomes Dolores as she once again chooses to see the beauty in this cruel world. Westworld has certainly followed through with its theme. “These violent delights have violent ends” this quote from the first season rings so true in this season. Dolores is here for one final test, as she chose to see the beauty in this world. The finale ends on another head scratching note where Dolores appears in Westworld again to find herself and conduct one final test. I’m happy that Westworld is once again “Westworld”. That means the next season will most probably be set in the park or a version of it.
Verdict
Westworld Season 4 is the best season of the show since the first. The start may not do justice to the show’s quality but the wait is worth it. Show sets up so much for the next season while simultaneously telling us a beautiful story that we were craving to see since the first season. If you were waiting until now for all the episodes to come out so you can binge watch it then start right away. Westworld Season 4 has redefined what robots vs humans conflict could be. It has taken to the deepest possible level much like Season 1.
While the finale was good, it certainly wasn’t the best episode of the season especially because of the extreme ambiguity of the show. The one part I loved about it was the relationship between Teddy and Dolores. She calls him her greatest love and her cornerstone which is a call back. I love the parallels to the 1st Season. I love how the ending sets up a Season 1 like park storyline that will talk about mature themes and have a gorgeous story of consciousness.
As you can see there are a lot of things to love about the finale. While it wasn’t the most interesting episode of Season 4, it was certainly one of them. Not to mention something, they’ve killed many characters this season, who could return as no really dies but the end suggests otherwise. I don’t think Caleb, William and Charlotte will be resurrected. Maybe at the end when the world has gained some sense of stability after this massacre. The title Qué Será, Será is based on a song by Doris Day. This is the same song Caleb sings to Frankie while sewing her wound. Caleb used to sing it to her in her childhood before sleeping.
Westworld Season 4 Episode 8 was certainly a 3.5 out of 5 stars While the entire season was a different thing altogether. Westworld Season 4 all 8 episodes included is 4 out of 5 stars. Certainly the best season since the first. It isn’t as good as the first and who can blame it, the first season is a TV masterpiece. It is very difficult to overthrow it in quality. Hopefully Season 5 that is probably its last season can do the impossible. If it is able to surpass Season 1 then Westworld would go down as one of the few shows in TV history with the best saved for last. Although, I’m worried. HBO isn’t exactly known for great final seasons. However, Season 4 has gotten my hopes high.
Ending Explained: Season 4 Ends on a Confusing Note, Lets Decode It!
Lets simply the end. William succeeding in upsetting the established order of this world. Both Hosts and Humans were massacred. If he believes that was always the game in Charlotte’s world- survival of the fittest. He simply bumped it up to the expert level. He wanted to do that to the Sublime but he was stopped. Charlotte listens to Bernard and gives Dolores a choice of one final test. Bernard must’ve seen all this in his vision that means this is the one way this world can be saved. He’ll return or not that is something to look out for.
Dolores is uploaded to the Sublime. She intends to test the future of humans and for the same she creates a copy of the original Westworld park in the Sublime. This test will determine to her whether humans have a future at all or was she wrong all along. Was she right when she was seeing the beauty in this world. As to how she’ll do this has to be seen. One thing to note is Frankie and her girlfriend have left the city and will join the rest of the outliers. That means some humans are still out there, off the grid.
However, according to Dolores’ description they too will perish in sometime as sentient life on Earth has ended. That includes Hosts as well. The next season of Westworld will be primarily focused on this simulation of the original simulation in the sublime where Dolores will conduct her final test. Westworld Season 4 certainly ends on a note where it sets the stage for a final season. Hopefully, another season is greenlit as the show getting cancelled at this time will certainly be heart breaking. The low viewership numbers are raising a lot of questions.
I’ll leave you with a quote from Dolores, ““There’s time for one last game. Survival or extinction. Maybe this time we’ll set ourselves free.”
When will Westworld Season 5 come out?
Ed Harris mentioned to The Hollywood Reporter that he expects the filming of the next season to start in April or May 2023. He seems positive of the show getting another season. He also mentioned that he expects Westworld to have “one more season”. Hopefully the low viewership numbers don’t act as a barrier for the show. If that is so then Westworld Season 5 will come out at the earliest around April or May 2025 however I think the wait would be much longer than that.
Westworld Season 4 Episode 8 is out on HBO Max or Disney+ depending on the region you live. All four Seasons of Westworld are available for streaming on HBO Max and Disney+
If you have any questions regarding Westworld Season 4’s Finale, feel free to ask in the comments below. For more content, stay tuned. As usual, like, subscribe and share our articles as we here are trying to build a community of people High on Cinema!
