Spoilers ahead for the most recent episode of Westworld. If you haven't seen "Phase Space", then turn away!
After two long years of waiting, Westworld has finally retuned for its sophomore season, and it's not disappointing anyone. The acclaimed sci-fi series is greatly expanding the world of the show, while also providing an experience that is a bit less confusing narratively than the first season. One of the new twists of Season 2 is the introduction of the other parks, with Shogun World getting the biggest feature thus far with the past two episodes. While Maeve and company have finally moved on, actress Thandie Newton recently explained how the character's journey through a second park is so significant.
We're seeing how these characters are also breaking free from their loops. Movements grow because when one person speaks the truth, it then inspires others to come forward. In some ways, I feel like this is another wave to the feeling of revolution that lies within Maeve, seeing others who have been similarly abused and lied to, and are similarly desperate to break out of the trauma they're experiencing. It differs to Maeve's storyline, without a doubt, because in Shogun World, with Akane, it's [a parallel] with Clementine. She's not dreaming about the daughter she has, necessarily --- though maybe she is --- but it empowers Maeve to go forward and conquer in her own way. That's the big impact on Maeve: it's yet more reason to liberate not just her daughter, but others who have been similarly lied to.
It looks like Maeve's trip through Shogun World further helped to fuel the fires of her independence and free thinking. While still steadfast in her quest to reunite with her host daughter, seeing how cruelly the robots are treated throughout all of the parks has opened her mind and heart. Aside from gaining a better hold over her telepathic powers, Maeve now has an empathy that most hosts do not.
In fact, Maeve is probably a better choice for a host revolutionary than Dolores at this point. Dolores is all fire and fury, but Maeve seems to have feelings towards other hosts, as well as humans. As Thandie Newton told THR:
At the beginning of the season, she doesn't give a shit about liberating other robots. [Shogun World] definitely helps shift that perspective. You have Evan's character, Dolores, whose only interest in other robots is to serve her purpose. She's not interested in liberating others; she's only interested in liberating others if they will do what she believes is right. Maeve isn't into that. She's into self-realization and self-liberation, and if that happens to chime with others? Great. But hers is definitely more of the hippy strand.
While Maeve probably isn't going to be taking arms and facing down the battle against humans, she sees the meaning other hosts could have. Meanwhile, Evan Rachel Wood's Dolores is learning that her ambition and changes to Teddy's code may have graver consequences than she anticipated.
Westworld airs Sundays on HBO. In the meantime, check out our summer premiere list to plan your next binge watch. Plus our Amazon premiere list and superhero premiere list to ensure you don't miss a single epissode.
