Week in 'Westworld': Everything to Know Before the Season 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.
The Man in Black (Ed Harris) wants nothing more than to find "something true." The cruel gunslinger and audience members alike will see their wishes granted on Sunday evening, when Westworld brings its second season to a close.
What resides in the Valley Beyond? Is it a weapon, as Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood) predicts? Is it a new world, as Akecheta (Zahn McClarnon) has sketched out? What's next for Maeve (Thandie Newton), now that her core permissions are unlocked, and what's next for Bernard (Jeffrey Wright), now that he no longer has Robert Ford (Anthony Hopkins) guiding the way forward?
The answers to those questions and more are on their way. First, take one last look back at the week in Westworld as covered here on THR, including theories and interviews surrounding "Vanishing Point," and glimpses ahead at the season finale, "The Passenger."
• "Vanishing Point" Recap: The Man in Black's tragic past finally came into focus, but it paled in comparison to his tragic present. While so much of the episode focused on his relationship with his daughter (and specifically its ending), other major developments occurred as well, not the least of which was the apparent death of Teddy Flood (James Marsden).
• Katja Herbers Interview: It was a short and bittersweet ride for the Manhattan and The Leftovers alum, who played Emily starting with season two's third episode. Emily's time in the park was cut short thanks to her own father, driven mad in his search for "The Door." Here, Herbers opens up about how she found out about Emily's death, and what was involved in shooting the scene.
• Sela Ward Interview: The Emmy-winning actor arrived on the Westworld scene this week as Juliet, the Man in Black's ill-fated wife. How was she drawn into the HBO drama's orbit, and how did she tap into Juliet on the final night of her life? Those answers and more, in our interview from this week.
• Jeffrey Wright Interview: Speaking more broadly about the Westworld experience, the man who portrays Bernard Lowe (and occasionally Arnold Weber) opened up about the collaboration process with showrunners Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, the "mathematical" quality required for keeping track of the story, and why the birth of a cherry blossom was the most impressive thing he saw on set all season long.
• "Vanishing Point" Podcast: Is the Man in Black a human, or a host? The question is on the mind of the show at the moment, and it's one that we're batting back and forth this week on "Welcome to Westworld," the weekly podcast collaboration between THR and Post Show Recaps.
• "The Passenger" Preview: Looking ahead, the official preview for the season two finale reveals a surprising amount of information. Among the bigger reveals: the return of Logan Delos (Ben Barnes), at least in some capacity.
• "The Passenger" Photos: HBO released images from the season finale this week, which are considerably less revealing than what's contained within the preview. Still, Dolores on a horse! That's neat! Check them all out in our photo round-up.
• Season Finale Primer: Where does everybody stand heading into "The Passenger," as so many different players race to access the Valley Beyond? That's the question we're tackling in our last primer before the season finale's arrival.
Check back next Saturday for one final roundup of THR's week in Westworld, and in the meantime, keep following our daily coverage at THR.com/Westworld.
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