The Atlantic

<em>Westworld: </em>Who Cares About the Man in Black?

Three <em>Atlantic</em> staffers discuss “Vanishing Point,” the ninth episode of Season 2.
Source: HBO

Every week for the second season of Westworld, three Atlantic staffers will discuss new episodes of HBO’s cerebral sci-fi drama.


David Sims: Well, after last week’s fascinating journey into the psyche and backstory of Akecheta and Ghost Nation, this week we got the same treatment for that dastardly Man in Black himself. That’s a little bit of a comedown. For one, this season has spent so much time on William—on his experiments on immortality, his ongoing obsession with Dolores, his quest across the park. Did viewers really also need a full explainer on his wife’s suicide, something that’s already been alluded to plenty by other characters? And did it serve much purpose as the penultimate episode of the year? I don’t think so.

If this is the start of William’s last hurrah on the show, then I’d be a little more willing to buy into all these flashbacks. But I remain unconvinced. Even though the man has been shot multiple times and left for dead, has now

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