As if the pilot didn't convince you, I think 'Chestnut' just about guarantees that Westworld is the best new show of 2016. While much slower than last week, this episode proved Jonathan Nolan is in it for the long haul.
Nolan and his writers seemed to pay tribute to the 1973 movie here by giving one of the episode's main focus on two guests trip to the park, played by Jimmi Simpson and Ben Barnes. I'm pretty sure this won't be the last time we see them, but it was interesting addition to the already massive cast, even if the only thing they did was kill and have sex with the hosts.
As for Ed Harris' mysterious 'Man in Black' character, he's knocking more people off the board in the outer landscapes of Westworld in search of the park's deepest secrets. Is he actually a guest? Could he maybe be a host? I have no idea, but I'm intrigued nonetheless. Especially now that he has Clifton Collins Jr at his service.
This episode didn't devote as much time to Dolores as last week, as Thandie Newton's Maeve took that role. Dolores shared the now series tagline "these violent delights have violent ends" with Maeve and it seemed to trigger something in her mind. Which in turn, got her decommissioned, for the moment. I got a heavy "Ex Machina" vibe from her near escape which is major compliment. To me, this series still poses many unanswerable questions but I'm excited to see where it goes. Anything from the Nolan family has my attention
+Harris is relentless
+Tribute to movie
8.2/10