Westworld S03E08 Crisis Theory Review

With Westworld S03E08 Crisis Theory the season has come to an end. While I do not believe this was a bad season it certainly did not end well. In fact, you could pretty much guess how it would end and you would probably be right. It is difficult to say where it went wrong. Too many side plots is one argument, unclear motivations as well several deus ex machina have been my personal pet peeve. Season 2 made the mistake of delaying plot events and making things convoluted. Season 3 may in the end have simply not been sophisticated enough. Dolores’s fight with Rehoboam was all there was. Bernard made no difference, neither did William or Charlotte – despite attempts to make it appear otherwise in this finale.

Recap of Westworld S03E08 Crisis Theory

So let me give you the general blows of Westworld S03E08 Crisis Theory. Caleb (Aaron Paul) manages to evade the Incite facility. Once back in LA he finds a Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood) backup host – with a weapons stash included. An argument ensues about Caleb’s role in their planned destruction of Rehoboam and whether Caleb is given any choice. It is a question that will be answered at the end. Caleb and Dolores fight their way to the Incite HQ using the chaos in the streets as cover. However, both end up being captured by Serac in separate incidents. Before long Dolores is hooked into Rehoboam to drag the information regarding Delos’s immortality project out of her. Caleb has to accept that with the loss if Solomon’s final strategy he won’t be able to destroy Rehoboam.

Yet, it is Maeve (Thandie Newton) who slowly starts to turn on Serac – predictably. She correctly concludes Rehoboam has no intention of letting her join the Sublime and be reunited with her daughter. What is more she discovers Serac is carrying an implant that allows Rehoboam to directly talk with him – and he obeys all of its commands. That answers one question that had been nagging me since we were introduced to Serac. Just how does he control Rehoboam?

The end is predictable

Slowly the tables start to turn on Rehoboam. Caleb discovers that the strategy from Solomon would have destroyed human civilization. Yet, as Dolores is overtaken by Rehoboam something of her makes her way into the machine. And with it an alternative scenario. The destruction of Rehoboam would cause chaos but not destroy humanity. Dolores ensures that her merging with the machine only one person has the power to switch it off – Caleb. And he does so, after Maeve kills the remainder of Serac’s men. In a flashback we see Caleb training with soldiers in a Delos park. His teammates are eager to rape the hosts, but Caleb prevents this. One of the hosts spared this fate is nonother than Dolores. She remembered Caleb, even if he did not.

The motive for Dolores’s reprieve of humanity is perhaps the sole meaningful conclusion of season 3. Despite all the times she was murdered and raped as a host she still remembered there was goodness as well. So when it comes to destroying humanity completely, as per Solomon’s strategy, or set the current world on fire with a chance to create something new she choose the latter option.

Final opinion on Westworld S03E08 Crisis Theory

All this makes the season finale an OK episode. The story is arguably far too predictable, using themes form I, Robot as well as Person of Interest. Dolores’s motive may have redeemed the story somewhat, but it is a shame we had to wait 8 episodes to figure out her game. And I am still not certain of how she became aware of Rehoboam. Her apparent desire to destroy humanity might have given her impetus to search out the most powerful entity, but that is not a guarantee she would have found Rehoboam. It feels the producers played a little loose with a lot of the plot to get to the good stuff.

Not another season I hope

That leaves season 3 open ended. Dolore is dead, permanently and Maeve accepts that she won’t be able to see her daughter again for a long time. And yet I am fine with that ending. What’s left of the story does not intrigue me. William redemption arc was mishandled in this season, as was Bernard’s. There is a after credits scene in which we see William being killed (not 100 % certain) and the Charlotte host running a Delos facility.

Yet, I don’t think there is enough there for a fourth season. Season 3 will be remembered for its design, fashion choices and the times when it was good fun, but the season finale feels like a series finale. So please HBO, let the show die. This was my review of Westworld S03E08 Crisis Theory. I hope you enjoyed reading it. If so, please fill out the subscription widget on the right!