Week in 'Westworld': Everything to Know About the Season 2 Finale
The Hollywood Reporter rounds up the past week's news, interviews and more about Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy's genre-bending HBO drama.
And just like that, another Westworld season is in the books. File it away in the digital library, alongside the rest of the digital consciousnesses seen there in "The Passenger," the season two finale from creators and showrunners Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy.
Before turning toward that virtual realm, however, there's our virtual realm to consider. Over the past week, The Hollywood Reporter has closed out coverage on the second season of the HBO drama, including interviews with stars Jeffrey Wright and Tessa Thompson, deep dives into the finale's biggest mysteries (including that post-credits scene), and much more.
Once more with feeling, here's what the week in Westworld looked like on THR.
"The Passenger" Recap: Dolores and Bernard have escaped the park, as have Teddy and Akecheta, while some future version of the Man in Black is doomed to wander the park forever. The season finale was as eventful as it was confusing, and our recap is your first line of defense in trying to unpack it all.
The Post-Credits Scene, Explained: The very last sequence of "The Passenger" stands out as the single most perplexing scene in all twenty episodes of Westworld. Here's what you need to know about the Man in Black's new circumstances, with some helpful hints from creator Lisa Joy.
The Valley Beyond, Explained: What is "the Sublime," exactly? It's the writers' name for the new world the hosts discovered in the season finale — one that fans aren't likely to see again on screen anytime soon, according to Joy.
Lisa Joy Interview: Speaking of the Westworld co-creator, Joy joined THR for an extensive breakdown of the biggest points from the season finale, not to mention some teases about what's ahead in season three. In short: just because Dolores and Bernard have escaped the park, don't expect Westworld to shy too far away from its Western roots.
Jeffrey Wright Interview: The man behind Bernard spoke with THR this week to meditate on his character's newfound freedom at the end of the finale. His biggest takeaway? It's time to see Bernard go on a date. Read the full interview for some significantly more serious and philosophical takes on the gentle-hearted host's future.
Tessa Thompson Interview: Charlotte Hale is dead. Long live … well, whoever Charlotte Hale has become! Speaking with THR, Thompson explains her process for inhabiting the mind of Dolores (or "Halores," as she prefers), and openly theorizes about her future on the show now that she could be playing literally any character moving forward.
Shannon Woodward Interview: The death of Elsie Hughes was quite possibly the most tragic fate in the finale, as it's one that doesn't feel easily reversed. If you're upset about the twist, you're not alone. Woodward spoke with THR about saying goodbye to Elsie, why she suspected Elsie's death since the very beginning of the series, and more.
Season 2 Death Watch: Elsie's dead, and she's not alone. Several characters were killed off in "The Passenger," including Lee Sizemore and Maeve Millay. Unlike Elsie, some of these deceased characters have a chance at a comeback. (Hint: it's probably not Sizemore.) Here's our updated list of where everyone stands heading into season three… or doesn't stand, as it were.
Burning Questions for Season 3: Is Stubbs really a host? Who did Dolores smuggle out of the park? When will we see the new version of the Man in Black again? These are just a few of the many questions we're asking in this piece, in which we speculate about the future of Westworld.
"The Passenger" Podcast: For anyone with a spare two hours and an insatiable appetite for Westworld finale content, look no further than the final edition of "Welcome to Westworld," our weekly podcast series from co-hosts Josh Wigler (THR's Westworld beat reporter) and Jo Garfein (co-founder of the non-profit Cancer Gets LOST).
Critic's Notebook Takes on the Finale: THR critic Tim Goodman takes on the finale, and states that "the idea that Dolores, Bernard and a side-swapping Charlotte will be out in the real world creating potentially new and interesting stories is the thing that will bring me back to see if that idea strikes gold like it seems it should."
Every Single Westworld Episode, Ranked: As we wrap up our season two coverage, we're looking back at every episode from both seasons of Westworld. Which one landed on the top of our list? No spoilers here, but feel free to agree or disagree in either that article's comments section or in the one below.
Check out all of our season two coverage by heading over to THR.com/Westworld.
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