Westworld Wiki
Register
Advertisement

I imagined a story where I didn't have to be the damsel.

–Dolores Abernathy

"Contrapasso" is the fifth episode of the first season of Westworld, and the fifth episode overall.

Synopsis[]

Dolores and William are recruited for a dangerous mission in Pariah, a city of sin and sex. The Man in Black makes an unlikely ally.

–HBO

Plot[]

What Next?[]

In Cold Storage as they have a drink together, an old grizzled host. Old Bill asks Ford if he has any stories to tell. Ford supposes he does and asks him if he wants to know the saddest thing he ever saw? He tells how when he was a boy his brother and he wanted a dog. So their father took in an old Greyhound When Ford asks him if he's ever seen a Greyhound, Old Bill seems to either mishear or misunderstand, responding he's seen a few 'Showdowns' in his day. Ford continues explaining that a Greyhound is a racing dog that runs in circles, chasing after a piece of felt that looks like a rabbit. One day they brought the dog to the park and removed its leash. His father had warned them how fast the dog was, but they couldn't resist. In the instant they took off the leash, the dog spotted a cat and chased after it. Ford recalls he never saw a thing as beautiful as the dog in full flight. Until, he finally caught the cat, and to the horror of everyone watching, he tore the cat to pieces. But then he sat there confused. The dog had spent it's whole life trying to catch what it was chasing. Now it had no idea what to do.

Old Bill tells him that was one humdinger of a story, and suggests they drink to the Lady with the White Shoes.

A Wretched Hive[]

Field of crosses overlooking Pariah

Field of crosses overlooking into Pariah.

Outside the city of Pariah, Dolores is standing alone in a field of crosses all strung with bells gently tinkling in the breeze. As she gazes at one she flashes back to her exiting the White Church she flashed to before, and the grave yard outside it, a male voice saying “find me”, and in her mind she replies “Show me how”. A moment later she is standing with William, Logan and Slim looking at Pariah in the distance, Logan speaking of the town and its "Outcasts, delinquents, thieves, whores, and murderers". Slim assures him that when they they enter the town they will reap the full benefits of El Lazo's gratitude for Slim's safe return. As Slim and Logan walk on ahead with their horses, William asks Dolores if she is all right. She cheerily replies of course, before more uncertainly asking if she did something wrong? He tells her he thought he heard her talking to someone. Must've been the wind she replies, but as he walks on she looks around her uncertainly.

Streets of Pariah

Streets of Pariah.

They pass a Union Army encampment outside the walls of the sprawling city of Pariah. As they enter through the gates, Dolores looks on at the number of carrion birds circling above the streets, and the chaos and hedonism on them. Drinking, fighting, casual sex and nudity everywhere. At the same time religious symbolism is everywhere, crosses, statues, lit candles and dozens of people with their faces painted in death masks. Logan tells William that the further they get from Sweetwater the bigger and more grandiose the narratives become. Dolores maintains her core coding, finding beauty in it...in its own way. For once Logan says back to her, he agrees! Logan tells William that a lot of the Park feels to him like it was designed by committee...and like the Man in Black said to Hector about Hector...by market testing. Everything in Pariah, he says, is more raw, but it doesn’t come cheap.

He informs William that the rumor is the Park is hemorrhaging cash, and Delos, is considering buying Westworld out. As Dolores listens, he recounts to William that supposedly the place was started by a partnership and that right before the park opened, one of the partners killed himself. It sent the park into a free fall. Logan says he doesn't know any of the details, or even the partners name, William comments he must have had a team of lawyers looking into the place, Logan nodding, saying they came up empty. Said dead partner is a complete mystery. Not even a picture. As a cart full of dead bodies wheels past them, William remarks that whoever designed the place he gets the feeling he didn’t think very much of people.

As a group of chained up women are led through the streets by a lot of drunken soldiers in ratty grey uniforms, William asks Logan who they are? The Army of New Virginia they call themselves, he tells him, but everyone else calls them the “Confederados”. Dolores tells William her father told her about them, ex Confederate soldiers who refuse to surrender after the war and now work as mercenaries below the border. Logan, goes on, saying they are key to the “game”, the biggest game there is: war. Supposedly it's at the far reaches of the park but Logan has yet to make it that far. This, he says, could be their chance. Dolores following them.

Bloodied and Boughed[]

Contrapasso man in black lawrence and teddy

Teddy, bloodied and barely alive, is slumped over Lawrence's horse. Lawrence back on foot and tethered, waxes lyrical. Talking about how he's known plenty of F***ed up individuals in his time, few who could hold a candle to the MiB, but in this case, he takes in Teddy's state...noting that Theodore Flood was Wyatt's "friend". His former associates is why they need him, the MiB replies. Teddy's going to lead him straight to 'the Big Bad Wolf'. Off of Teddy's increasingly laboured breathing, Lawrence notes "I wouldn't count on that." Looking back the MiB sees what he means and rapidly pulls the horses in under some trees.

As the MiB helps Teddy down, Lawrence comments that he didn't take him for the charitable type, and suggests he should have left him on the tree to die. Helping Teddy to the foot of a tree, the MiB asks Lawrence if he believes in fate? If the bitch exists, Lawrence replies, he'd like to kick her in the teeth right about now. Don't be so glib, the MiB tells him, he'll hurt his feelings...and then quotes Dolores, another 'old friend', saying there's a path for everyone and Lawrence's path leads him back to him. Getting himself a drink he asks Lawrence has he ever wondered why it is he has kept him with him the entire journey? The pleasure of his company, Lawrence replies sarcastically. Laughing, the MiB figures maybe he does, saying there's not a man in the (real) world that would take the tone with him that Lawrence does. In a past life perhaps. Looking over at Teddy he figures he doesn't look long for the world. There's healers in Pariah, Lawrence tells him, but there's no way Teddy will make it that far. He's lost too much blood.

Contrapasso boy

They're interrupted a moment later by the voice of a boy, asking if they are lost? Both of them looking over to see the boy that accompanied Ford on his walk around. A little taken unawares by this turn of events, the MiB points to Teddy saying their friend is a little worse for wear, and asks him if there's any water nearby. On the other side of the canyon the boy replies. He asks the boy to fetch them some, asking him to be quick as their friend is going to need some if he's going to make it. Looking after him, the MiB shrugs and comments "Too small." Prompting Lawrence to ask what that is supposed to mean? And why did he ask the boy to go for water, he's the one the MiB got to fill up the water bags that morning. As he says that, the MiB empties out the water in question onto the ground. Then sets it carefully on the ground underneath a strong bough of a tree, checking its positioning.

Man in Black kills Lawrence

Man in Black kills Lawrence.

Coming back to Lawrence, the MiB feels its a shame he always enjoys their time together. Lawrence wants to know what that means, and the MiB says it means, he was wrong. Taking the noose off of Lawrence's neck he tells him that the Path that brought Lawrence here wasn't for him, it was for Teddy. As Lawrence turns to look back at Teddy, the MiB draws his night and slits his throat from behind. When he falsl to the ground, the MiB puts the noose around Lawrence's feet and throws the rope over the bough of the tree, "Sorry Lawrence, guess I'll see you on the other side," he tells him, before hoisting him up, upside down to drain his blood into the empty water bag.

Little Bird[]

In the Hub, Felix and Sylvester are once again working on restoring Maeve, the two of them having divided the tasks, competing with one another to see who can finish first. Sylvester loudly declaring victory, saying he always wins. Felix complains Sylvester had the easier things to work on, while he had to deal with bullet wounds and a contained knife wound. Frowning a little he touches where it was, saying that it was almost like they were looking for something. He jumps in fright when Sylvester jerks the gurney. Sylvester laughing, teasing Felix at his fear that she was going to 'get him'. "It got off the table and ran!" Felix reminded him, sparking the his not putting her in sleep mode argument again. Only interrupted by the signal for their lunch hour. Sylvester says he has a ham sandwich and 'nubile red head loaded up in the VR tank' awaiting instruction. After he leaves, Felix takes off his gloves, and moves past Maeve, opening his locker to put his pad away on a high shelf...pausing to reach in further and gently brush the body of a small bird lying on a tray, before quickly closing the door.

The Magic Word[]

Teddy and MIB Contrapasso

Teddy, still looking deathly pale, his face a mass of cuts and heavy bruising, opens his eyes slowly where he's propped up against the tree. As he does, the MiB walks over to look down at him, and welcome him back. "Looks like a couple of gallons of Lawrence swirling about in you did you good." Still bleeding from open wounds in his side, arms, back, when the MiB asks him if he's ready to get back on the road, Teddy replies that the merciful thing would be to put a bullet in him. "Whoever said I was merciful?" the MiB replies, adding it's not his fault he's suffering. The MiB tells him "You used to be beautiful," meaning the hosts. When the place started, he recalls "I opened you up once. A million little perfect pieces. And then they changed you. Made you this sad, real, mess. Flesh and bone, just like us." He tells him they said they did it because it would improve the park 'experience', but why they really did it, was because it was cheaper. The host's humanity is cost effective, and so is Teddy's suffering.

Teddy, tells him that whatever it is he wants from him, he isn't worth a damn to him the way he is, and closes his eyes. That, would be a shame, the MiB tells him. Because after Teddy's misadventure, Wyatt killed a Settler family. Teddy's eyes opening slowly at mention of Wyatt's name. The MiB continuing that Wyatt made off with their daughter. A girl he *thinks* Teddy knows, asking "Name of Dolores?" Teddy's eyes move to him rapidly, "They have Dolores?" he asks fresh determination filling his face. "There it is...." the MiB's lips quirk, as Teddy visibly starts to gather himself., "The magic word." Offering Teddy his hand he helps to pull him up, Teddy limping towards the horses. The MiB stops as the boy hands him the canteen of water he went to fill for him, staring at Lawrence's strung up and drained body. The MiB telling him not to worry about Lawrence, someone will be along for him shortly. The boy remaining to stare in fascination at Lawrence's bloody face as the MiB mounts up and he and Teddy ride away.

Before the Parade Passes By[]

Night falls in Pariah and Dolores is staring at one of a long line of coffins that have bodies open and on display inside them. Staring at the dead face of the man in the coffin, she begins to have flashes of the town again. The little girl that is Lawrence's daughter running frantically amid dead bodies scattered on the ground, a woman in front of her being shot, and Dolores herself standing in the town's street, watching. She is interrupted from this by William checking on her. She nods and moves to walk and talk with William, saying that when she ran from home she thought it was the only way. Lately though she's wondering if in every moment there are many paths, choices, hanging in the air like ghosts, and if you could just see them you could change your whole life. Off that William asks her if changing her life is what she wants, Dolores answering doesn't everyone? He guesses they do and maybe that's why they come to the Park. William starts talking about how you can be anyone in the park, no rules, no restrictions no one to judge you, no one to even know in the real world. Dolores becomes perplexed, not understanding what he means about the real world. William states he thought Hosts weren’t supposed to notice things like that. Dolores says recently the whole world has been calling to her, as it never has done before. He takes her hand, reacting to her, before she's distracted by sounds from behind her.

Turning she sees a parade starting down the street of Pariah, made up of partying, skull and skeletal painted revelers. Logan calls out to 'Billy' who he's been looking for, drawing him away from Dolores, Slim telling him that "El Lazo" has agreed to have a meeting with them the following day, but in the meantime there is a brothel Slim recommends. William replies that he doesn't think Dolores would find that very interesting, riling Logan who reminds him again that she is 'a doll'. William asks him not to say that around her, he could swear she understands. Of course you do, Logan nods.

Dolores in Pariah

Dolores watching the parade pass by intently, suddenly sees herself among the parade returning her intense gaze as she walks past. Shaken, she walks into the parade, trying to push her way through those ahead to catch up to, but losing sight of herself. Increasingly frantic she looks around, but the faces, the voices, the drums all start to make everything more and more disorientating, and she hears yet more voices. One of them, Ford, saying "May you rest in a deep and dreamless sleep.", at which she falls backwards.

A Walled Garden[]

Ford and Dolores Analysis Mode

Dr. Ford questions Dolores about Arnold.

The scene resolves and she is sitting naked in the Behavior Lab and Diagnostics area with Ford. Greeting her, Ford asks “Do you know where you are?”, to which she replies, “In a dream”. Yes, he agrees, "You're in my dream," then asks her if she knows what the dream means? Dreams are just the mind telling stories to itself, she answers. They don’t mean anything. No, Ford answers, dreams mean everything, they are the stories we tell ourselves of what could be, who we could become. Then he asks her if she has been dreaming again? Imagining herself breaking out of her modest little loop? Taking on a bigger role? Taking her hand he supposes he can't begrudge her that. Examining her hand closely he recalls that his father told him to be satisfied with his lot in life, that the world owed him nothing. And so, he made his own world. He asks her if she remembers the man he used to be, but, apologizing she does not, saying she is forgetful sometimes. Hardly her fault Ford assures her. But he's sure she must remember ‘him’, “Arnold”, the person that created her? "I'm sorry," she replies apologetically again, "I don't think I recall anyone by that name." But Ford believes that she can, that somewhere beneath all those updates he is still there. Perfectly preserved. "Your mind is a walled garden," he tells her, "Even death cannot touch the flowers blooming there." He asks if she’s been hearing voices, if Arnold has been speaking to her. "No," she replies, before looking to her hand, Ford squeezing too hard. On her telling him he's hurting her, he quickly orders Analysis Mode.

Once in Analysis, he asks when her last contact with Arnold was. Her reply, 34 years, 42 days and 7 hours ago - the day Arnold died. Again, Ford asks if she has any record of contact with him since, and again Dolores answers no. Ford asks what the last thing Arnold said to her was. Dolores replies: “He told me I was going to help him.." Do what, Ford queries "To destroy this place”. Ford notes that she didn't did she, she's been content in her 'little loop', before wondering, if Dolores ever took on that bigger role for herself, would she have been the hero or the villain.

Bringing her back online he apologizes for bothering her, but there is no one else left that was there...that understands, as the two of them understand. Dolores looks closely at him and asks if she and he are very old friends? A tear forms in Ford's eye as he answers "No, I wouldn’t say friends. I wouldn't say that at all." Closing his eyes, the tear falls, Ford wiping at it, before he gets up to leave, leaving Dolores seated alone in the dark glass cubicle. As she sits in the dark, Dolores quietly speaks aloud saying, “He doesn’t know. I didn’t tell him anything.”

Know Your Place[]

Felix, alone in the Livestock Management lab, Sylvester still on his lunch break, is working hopefully on the bird he had in his locker, hopeful at the tiny sound of chirps coming from it. Encouraging it, his fingers moving rapidly over a Behaviour Tablet he succeeds in activating it but not correctly, it's movements and limbs jerky and uncoordinated it hops and flops around, managing to make a short flight to the floor, right as Sylvester re-enters. Felix alarmed gets Sylvester to grab it, but it pecks him. Felix, upset, picks up the non-moving bird from the floor as Sylvester wants him to tell him he's not 'that stupid'. That he stole a bird and a Behaviour Tablet?! Not stole, borrowed, Felix insists. Gently putting the bird back on the tray he tells him he hasn't got the code right yet, but is practicing. Sylvester demands to know if that's his plan? Fix the bird and get himself a promotion? Sylvester cruelly tells him he's neither an ornothologist *or* a coder. He's just a Butcher, and that's all he'll *ever* be. So unless he wants to get fired for mis-appropriating corporate property he better destroy the bird. Felix puts the bird back in the locker as Sylvester reminds him they have another body to work on, but as it wheels up on the gurney, he is stunned to see it is Maeve….again. Sylvester mocks his reaction, as he digs a bullet out of Maeve with his fingers, wondering how Felix got the job if he's so scared of the hosts. Saying that personality testing should've weeded Felix out at the embryo.

A Familiar Face[]

El Lazo Lawrence

El Lazo? Lawrence?

The following day in Pariah, as he, Logan, Slim and Dolores make their way to meet El Lazo, William asks if Dolores is alright, saying she seemed out of sorts the previous day. She replies that she had troubled dreams but feels more herself now, On entering his presence, Slim makes a flourish of presenting El Lazo, who, as he looks up from the table he's sitting at is revealed to be none other than Lawrence. Logan remarks he's a hard man to find, El Lazo replying most wanted men are. Noting that in return for rescuing Slim, Logan wants to be introduced to his Confederado friends. It's only fair, Logan suggests. There is no such thing as fair El Lazo replies, in Pariah he says Justice isn't just blind she's crooked, her scales always tipped. If you don't see how, then they're tipped against you. He offers Logan a night with some very amenable young ladies, but Logan says he's slept with enough prostitutes, drawing his gun he wants El Lazo to sweeten the pot. And is immediately struck across the face and disarmed by one of El Lazo's people. El Lazo suggesting he'll sweeten the pot by killing him quickly. As this goes on Dolores begins to dissociate again. Hearing whispering voices, seeing a train station in the bustling town, and it's White Church. Approaching El Lazo, she tells him, “There is something you are seeking, isn’t there. I know what that feels like. I’m seeking something too. If you let us, I know we can help you.” Gazing at her El Lazo wonders how all the Lunatics seem to find their way to him. Then again, he figures the Confederados have a few loose screws themselves and maybe they will suit each other.

El Lazo says a Union convoy is shipping a convoy of nitroglycerin. The Confederados would like that shipment, but El Lazo and his men are not welcome on that side of the border. However, a trio such as them would have no such problems. William queries El Lazo as to whether he seriously wants them to steal nitro from the Union to give it to the Confederados who are going to use it slaughter El Lazo's own people? El Lazo shrugging it off as profit taking prior consideration. Logan tells him they understand, being businessmen too. Striking the deal, El Lazo suggests Dolores is going to need a change of clothes before she heads out with them. A little startled, Dolores takes the hat he offers her.

More Bang for your Buck[]

Gang holds up union wagon

Holding up the Union wagon for Nitroglycerin.

Wearing said hat, and in a shirt, trousers and boots, Dolores draws out the gun from her saddle bag and checking the chambers walks towards William, Logan and Slim. Logan admiringly noting that she's packing, Dolores telling him she doesn't aim to use the gun. The men are Union soldiers, like her father was. William assures her they won't hurt them, they'll stick to the plan. Bandana's over their faces, they hold up the Union Wagon, the soldier on board trying to tell them they've been misinformed about what's on board. Slim telling them that, as he hears it, one shot from them and they'll all go sky high. The soldier riding (literal) shot gun informing them that they should understand then why they cannot surrender it. they are sworn to protect the people of the young Republic from 'reckless half wits' like them. Logan taking personal offence, points his gun at him. Dolores intervening, pleading with the soldier to do as Logan says, not wanting to hurt them. Slim and William disarm the soldiers at the front and back, William politely directing the two at the back away from the wagon, thanking them, and handing their guns over to Dolores. Heading to the back, Logan checks on the cargo, confirming its contents, before promptly heading back to the front, and dragging down the soldier riding shot gun, to the ground for lying about the cargo. When Dolores yells at him to stop, Logan kicks the man for calling him a half wit and once more for good measure. Smirking at Dolores he turns around to kick the man again, only for the solider to tackle him to the ground. Slim moves forward towards the fight, and the wagon driver pulls a hidden gun and kills him. One of the soldiers behind William moves forward and punches him, which he takes a second to recover from, until he sees the soldier pick up one of Logan's guns and aim it at Dolores. He shoots him reflexively in the back to protect her. But then, turns and kills the second, unthreatening, unarmed man, his hands up, behind him. A second later he turns slowly on his heel and coldly shoots the soldier still grappling with Logan. Dolores pulling down her bandana stares at him in shock, Logan however is exultant at William's reactions, saying he knew he would get into the Park. Dolores disgusted by Logan, moves past the bodies of the dead men, saying to William they told the men they'd live. But he turns away in silence.

They bring the nitroglycerin back to Pariah, El Lazo unperturbed by Slim's death, considering it the price of doing business. The Confederado Captain, Captain Norris, waiting nearby pays El Lazo in return for the goods, admitting he came through for them, and that they're going to blow their Mexican enemies out of the dirt hole they came out of. But before the soldiers can carry off the explosives, El Lazo coaxes them into a celebration away with three naked golden girls to a brothel. As they walk away with the girls, Captain Norris tells Logan he will be a real asset to their cause. Before she follows them, Dolores pauses taking in El Lazo patting Slim's dead body regretfully.

Hidden Depths[]

In the Behavior Lab Elsie is working with a naked, and prodigiously endowed, Host called Bart who has been misfiring in his role as bartender. As he misses the glass again with the water he's trying to pour into it, she slides, frustrated, alongside of him on her chair saying he's still miscalibrating by 4cms to the right. Sighing she tells him If he keeps pouring whiskey on the guests, she's going to have to reassign him to a narrative where his...'talents'...she observes admiringly, will go tragically unappreciated. As she prepares to try again with him, she sees the Woodcutter Host being wheeled by the window on a gurney. Sticking her head out the door she calls after them that that is the stray host that tried to kill her, wanting to know where they are taking it? Livestock one of the techs, Grilitz, replies they are taking him to Livestock and then the incinerator.

Elsie & Destin - Contrapasso

Elsie & Destin

Elsie, suspicious that there is a cover-up occurring, abandons Bart, and moves after them. As she enters Livestock, Sylvester and Felix catch sight of her, Felix panicking a little that they might have found him out. Sylvester telling him to be cool and dig in, she's not looking at them. Instead Elise walks in on another Livestock tech, Destin who she greets by his name pleasantly, then says she almost didn't recognize him with his pants on. Handing him her tablet, to his horror, she shows him video footage of him having sex with one of the Hosts in sleep mode. Casually she explains there's a common misconception that the hosts don't log sexual encounters when they're underground for re-processing. Blackmailing him, she tells him she needs access to the body QA just sent down, the Woodcutter from Sector 14. He refuses, saying he needs the job. Smiling a little she glances meaningfully over at Felix and Sylvester, then tells Destin that in a few minutes she will leave and his friends are going to wonder what her visit was all about. Now, she says, his answer can either be he's helping behaviour track a problem...or...he’s a creepy ‘necro perv’. Looking over at Sylvester and Felix, she gives them a little wave. Destin immediately takes her to where the Woodcutter is stored, and gives her 5 minutes before he's going in the incinerator. Elsie smugly suggesting he took a little more time for his 'examination'. Destin slinking off.

Lase sattelite in host

Elsie find's a laser based satellite uplink in a Host's arm.

Looking at the Woodcutter's body Elsie wonders aloud about what happened to him. Turning the headless body over, she uses her tablet to check his GPS locater and finds the data corrupted, useless. Slightly frustrated she then notices on markings on his finger tips, and going to examining his hand sees what looks like a skin tag on his palm. Taking a tweezers she tugs at it and pulls it up, Underneath, buried inside his palm, she sees a small red light. Following the wire the optical wire ends, she walks her fingers up the hosts inner arm, seeing the red lights travel up his forearm.

Elsie enters Bernard’s office claiming there is a big problem. Their big dumb friend having some hidden depths as she shows him a laser based satellite uplink that was found inside the Woodcutter's arm. You were right she tells Bernard, Orion’s Belt does have 3 stars not 4. The host wasn’t drawing stars, but a target. Someone has been using Hosts to smuggle data out of the Park.

Unravelling[]

The brothel in Pariah is unlike any seen so far in Westworld. Huge, grandly decorated and orgiastic. Logan watching on at several couplings, as he drinks before he wanders back to William and Dolores sat uncomfortably on a couch. Captain Norris seated on it's twin across from them. When Logan asks Norris if he's not indulging, the Confederado tells him that he has tasted a greater pleasure than any offered there. War. It's that good, William enquires sarcastically. El Lazo approaches offering them another drink, Norris taking it telling him "There's a place in Glory for a brown man who knows his rank." El Lazo's smile not reaching his eyes. Dolores continuing to watch him closely, something he notices. Norris tries to convince William and Logan as white men to join their war of 'Divine Provenance'. Logan is keen, but William pulls him aside and says while Logan may want to continue on the War game, he's not going anywhere with these psychopaths. Logan suggests that if William doesn't like them, he could simply betray and kill the Confederados in the War and join the Revolutionaries. William stands firm on not doing this, and Logan calls him out for being upset at killing an unarmed man after he's finally let loose, and not being able to call himself a hero anymore. Logan asks him doesn't he get it yet? There are no heroes and no villains.

Logan and william

When William tells him that he thinks that says more about him then it does about the world, Logan stops him. Telling him he probably thinks he's on this trip because he's some kind of 'contender' some threat to Logan. He tells William he picked him precisely because he feels William will never be a threat to anyone. His sister, Juliet, he jibes, probably picked him for the same reason. William asserts he earned his place, no one handed it to him. A lifetime of working hard, following the rules and he finally reached the pinnacle of his career trajectory "Executive Vice President, Upper Middle Management" Logan sneers. He asks William if he remembers the day he got the letters EVP, reminding him he walked into William's office and thanked him for the opportunity, saying that was the best day of William's life. In a sudden vicious rage, William throws Logan against the wall. Shocked at his own behavior, he lets Logan go. Logan smiles wryly at William and goads, “Right, Buddy. That’s what I thought.” William backing off and turning to find Dolores gone.

Maze card

Dolores pulls out the Maze card from the Fortune Teller.

Walking through the brothel taking in the hedonism in a disassociated fashion, Dolores suddenly breaks into a run in an attempt to get away, and moves through a set of red curtains, coming upon a black cloaked fortune teller in a room filled with candles and skulls. As the woman holds out a hand of Tarot cards, Dolores takes a seat across the table from her and picks a card. As she lays the card down, it shows The Maze.

Dolores Fortune Teller - Contrapasso

"What does it mean?" she asks the Fortune Teller, only to be startled to see herself in her blue dress, when she looks back up at the woman. "The Maze," The blue dress version of herself says, "We must follow the Maze,". Shaken and frightened, Dolores asks “What’s wrong with me?”, the blue dress version of herself says that perhaps she is unraveling, and looks to Dolores's arm..

Dolores wrist thread

Dolores begins to pull a thread from her wrist.

Dolores looks down to her wrist, following her other self's gaze and sees a small thread. Slowly she begins to flick then tug at the thread, drawing it back through her skin, until it starts opening up into a bigger gaping wound up along her inner arm, Growing more and more alarmed, she looks back up to see no one sitting in front of her, and the wound on her arm vanished. Panicked and crying, she gets up clutching her arm and exits the room rapidly.

Bursting into tears, Dolores runs down the stairs and exits the brothel into the streets of Pariah. As she makes it outside though she pulls back behind a pillar on hearing and seeing El Lazo's men with the crates of nitroglycerin. Peering around the pillar she sees El Lazo appear and tell his men to be careful pumping the nitro into him...seeing Slim's Body in a coffin, a line running into his neck, the men carefully compressing his chest, using his heart to fill his veins with the explosive liquid. He tells them to fill the empty bottles with tequila and seal them up. Looking down at Slim he tells him that his work for the Revolution isn't quite done yet. Taking a swig of Tequila as they seal up Slim's coffin, he tells them to be careful as they move to load his coffin up on a cart with others, telling them "Slim always had a bad temper." Turning, Dolores runs back into the brothel to get William whose been drinking. She tells him how El Lazo had been conning them the whole time, that he was never going to give the nitro to the Confederados, and they have to run.

Dolores William Kiss

Dolores and William kiss

William, drags her to a halt, looking oddly shaken "Of course we do," he says, "That's how this place works isn't it? They create an urgency. A sense of danger, so they can strip us down to something raw. Animalistic." As he speaks we see the Confederaods drunkenly playing catch with a bottle of what they think is nitroglycerin watched by a drinking Norris & Logan. "Primal," he continues, "Its a sick game and I don't want to be a part of it." Dolores urgently tells him this is not a game they will kill them, as the game of toss continues outside. Dolores feels together she and William can find a way out. He wants to know how she can be sure? She tells him that she has a voice inside her head telling her what to do, and it’s telling her that she needs him she says before she kisses him. Outside the bottle toss game ends when it falls by accident and breaks, everyone reacting to an explosion that never comes. As Norris moves forward he bends and tastes the substance on the ground, then looks back furiously at Logan, "Shit," he swallows knowing he's in serious trouble. As Dolores and William start to run, the Confederados begin to beat up Logan. As William and Dolores run out, Dolores stops him seeing that they have Logan, his hands now bound, the beating continuing. William takes a couple of steps towards him. Logan seeing, repeatedly asks him for help. Gazing at him, William impassively and calmly says "No," and turns his back on him. Taking Dolores hand he tells her "No more pretending," and draws her after him. Logan brutally punched again as he watches them.

Dolores kills them all

Dolores decides not to be the damsel any longer.

They make it through an archway into an alley, only to come to a halt as Norris and 4 of his men block their way, advancing on the duo. "I thought you had no appetite for war, boy." Norris says, holding out a bottle of the fake nitro, telling him that that is Declaration of War, pouring the tequila onto the ground. William tries to tell them that El Lazo set them up, and they can find him for them. But Norris is disinclined towards his offer telling him they can find him for them, by joining him in Hell. The soldiers go for their guns, William manages to get a shot off at one, before the others grab his gun arm and push it up. Yelling at Dolores to run, she moves to do that. And stops. Her head turning slowly. Each of Norris and his men methodically shot down. Her gun smoking, her features set and determined as William stares at her in shock.

As she holsters her gun calmly, William edgily asks her how she did that. Dolores replying “You said that People come here to change the story of their lives. I imagined a story where I didn’t have to be the damsel”. As she hears the train she tells him that is their only chance of making it out of Pariah alive, and grabbing his hand she pulls him after her. Making it to the tracks they race along them after the empty train and jump on the rear carriage, inside of which they find the coffins and El Lazo, holding a gun on them. Drawing on him in return, there is a stand off, until Dolores, knowing the bodies are full of explosives, puts her gun to one; El Lazo lifts his gun and his hands, saying if she pulls that trigger they'll all go up in a ball of hellfire William uncocks his gun and holsters it, but Dolores is not inclined to trust El Lazo. "Which is the first step to truly knowing me," El Lazo tells her. William asks for his gun, and after a moment he hands it to him. Smiling he decides that, now that they are all friends, they can call him Lawrence. He advises them to settle in, as it’s a long ride to the front. But while Lawrence and William share a drink, Dolores is clearly not inclined to relax around him.

As she holsters her gun, Dolores looks on top of the coffin and sees the symbol of the Maze once again, Suddenly alone in the train carriage, no sign of either William or Lawrence. quietly saying out loud "I'm coming,"

God, the Devil and a Man Walk Into a Bar...[]

Teddy and the Man in Black enter a run down bar where someone is playing Clair de Lune on the piano. The House Madam tells them the brothel girls are a little worn out but she could rouse them if they want some company. The MiB tells her just whiskey dropping a few coins on the counter. Teddy half falls into a chair, fully dressed again, but still struggling and obviously weak. The MiB taking him in figures that Lawrence's donation must be running low, but they're short on time, and tells him he needs to buck up, giving him two 'encouraging' slaps on the back, Teddy half glaring at him. The piano player stops, turning waiter, putting the bottle of whiskey they ordered on their table. Along with Three glasses. As the MiB reminds him he said 'no company', Ford reveals himself to be the pianist, and pulls up a chair, figuring he might join them anyway as he doesn't like to drink alone.

Teddy tells for Ford they're looking for Wyatt - Contrapasso

Genuinely surprised, the MiB notes the 'rare honour' and asks Teddy if he knows who it is has joined them? Teddy looking at Ford, remarks that he can't say that he does, as Ford pours him a drink.. The MiB tells him that "Everything good that's ever happened in your life, and everything rotten? This is the man you have to thank." As Ford and the MiB toast each other, the MiB asks him how he's doing? Is he any closer to finding what he's looking for? And what is he looking for exactly, Ford asks. "Looking for a man named Wyatt," Teddy answers for him, "Killed a Rancher back in Sweetwater. Took his daughter." Off of Teddy's quiet fretting over Dolores, Ford looks back to the MiB suggesting "That last part doesn't sound familiar." Chuckling the MiB tells him he figured his stories could use a little 'embellishment'.

The MiB says he always thought the park was missing a real villain, hence his humble contribution to the Park. Ford admits he lacks the imagination to even conceive of someone like the MiB. Robert adds that, however, the urgency of the Man in Black doesn’t quite fit his character, betraying a certain...anxiety. The MiB diverts the topic back to Wyatt, suggesting that he is something new. Asking if he is merely another 'stooge' Host for the tourist guest to hunt, or has Dr. Ford finally made him a worthy adversary. Someone to stop him from finding the center of the Maze? Ford asks what he’s hoping to find there? Grabbing the whiskey bottle he pours himself another drink, and diverts the conversation again to Teddy, saying "You want to know the reason you exist, Teddy? The world out there, the one you'll never see? Is one of plenty. A fat soft teat that people cling to their entire life. Every need taken care of. Except one. Purpose. Meaning. So they come here. They can be a little scared, a little thrilled. Enjoy some sweetly affirmative bullshit, and then they take a f***ing picture and go home. But I think there's a deeper meaning, hiding under all that. Something the person that created it wanted to express. Something true."

MIB ford and Teddy Contrapasso

Teddy protects Dr. Ford, showing that Hosts are programmed to defend him.

Ford answers that if he wants the moral of the story, to just ask. The MiB says he’d need a shovel, since the man he'd be asking, in his mind the true creator of the Park, died 35 years ago and almost took this place with him. Almost, but not quite. Thanks to him. Then he wonders if perhaps this creator left something behind? And wonders what he’d find if he opened Ford up...swiftly drawing his knife. But before his large blade can begin to reach across the table, Teddy's hands shoot out rapidly, one grabbing the Man in Black's wrist, the other grabbing the blade, slamming the point down into the table top and holding the MiB's arm in a grip of iron. Immovable, until the MiB removes his hand from the hilt. Even at death's door, the MiB notes, still a 'loyal pet'. Ford watches Teddy as he withdraws his hand looking at the wound on it from the MiB's blade, The MiB asks him if that's why he came there, to try and talk him out of the search? On the contrary, Robert replies, far be it for him to get in the way of a voyage of self discovery.

Finishing his drink, Ford pulls the MiB's knife from where Teddy embedded it, looks it over and hands it back to him. Getting up, he moves to Teddy laying a hand on his shoulder saying "Mr. Flood, we must look back and smile at perils past. Mustn't we?" Patting him on the shoulder, he departs, clicking his fingers at the piano which begins to play a rapid rag. Picking up his drink, Teddy knocks it back in one go. Checking the chambers in his gun, he rises up, reinvigorated , and tells the MiB they should get back on the road, time's wasting. Chuckling to himself, the MiB duly finishes his drink and follows Teddy out.

Taking Flight[]

Maeve wakes up again

Maeve wakes up once again.

Late at night, Felix returns alone to Livestock Management to work on his secret bird project. Pausing to glance nervously at Maeve's body on the gurney, he retrieves the bird from the locker and sits down at his desk to work on the borrowed tablet and bird. He is distracted for a moment by a noise but sees nothing wrong. After a few moments, the bird, a sparrow, wakes and starts to work properly; and to his delight it begins to fly around the room. Looking for the bird, with glee on his face, he slowly turns and finds the source of the noise. Maeve is sitting upright on the gurney, the bird perched happily on her finger. She is very much awake and alert. She says, “Hello Felix. It’s time you and I had a chat,” and smiles at the bird.

Trivia[]

  • Contrapasso the show's title, refers to Hell's punishment of souls for sin in Dante's Inferno, the first part of Dante epic 14th-century poem. Souls are punished either with the sin itself, or with its opposite. For example, in the 8th circle of Hell sorcerers, astrologers, and false prophets have their heads twisted completely around on their bodies, so that they had to walk backwards, because they could not see ahead of them. All of these people claim to be able to see the future, to see in front of them - so in Hell they are forced to walk backwards. Dante didn't invent this, he got the idea and name from Saint Thomas Aquinas' massive work Summa Theologica and other, older, literary sources.
  • Pariah - the name of the town means, in and of itself, an outcast or someone who's despised and avoided. So the town is not just full of Outcasts, but is regarded as one itself by decent people.
  • Evan Rachel Wood, cites one of the moments from this episode as her favourite from Season 1.[1]
The moment that always sticks out for me is in Episode 5, when we see her take out five Confederatos that are holding Jimmi Simpson’s character hostage. They grab him and pin him up against a wall, and he yells, “Dolores, run!” The first take we did, I ran — I’m not supposed to run. [laughs] Everyone was kind of looking around, confused, and then I slowly crept back onto set and they asked, “What happened?” And I said, “I’m so used to running. I’ve never been asked to stay and save the day.” I got a little teary-eyed and a couple of women on the set got a little teary-eyed, and I thought, “Wow. This character is really important.”

–Evan Rachel Wood[1]

  • When Dolores sits at the Fortune Teller's table there are no cards already on the red baize before her. But when Dolores plucks her first card 'The Maze' there are already two cards on the baize, indicating that the scene between Dolores and the Fortune Teller was probably truncated.
  • When Felix Lutz is reactivating the small bird, he echoes a famous line from Jurassic Park when he says "Come on, little one." Jurassic Park, of course, was written by the late Michael Crichton, as was the 1973 film of Westworld.

Music[]

  • Clair de Lune — Claude Debussy
  • Something I Can Never Have — Nine Inch Nails

Cast[]

Main Cast[]

Guest Cast[]

Co-Stars[]

Uncredited[]

Deaths[]

Quote[]

Your mind is a walled garden. Even death cannot touch the flowers blooming there.

–Dr. Robert Ford

I figured your stories could use a little embellishment. You know, I always thought this place was missing a real villain. Hence my humble contribution.

–Man in Black

Dreams mean everything. They're the stories we tell ourselves of what we could be, who we could become.

–Dr. Robert Ford

You used to be beautiful. When this place started, I opened one of you up once, a million little perfect pieces. And then they changed you, made you this sad, little real mess, flesh and bone, just like us. They said it would improve the park experience. But you know why they really did it? It was cheaper. Your humanity is cost effective; so is your suffering.

–Man in Black to Teddy

Logan: "Don't you get it? There are no such things as heroes or villains. It's just a giant circle jerk."
William: "I think that philosophy says a lot more about you than the world."
— Contrapasso

Gallery[]

References[]

Advertisement