Winners And Losers From Westworld's Season 2, Episode 8: 'Kiksuya'

CAUTION: This recap and analysis of Westworld’s “Kiksuya” contains spoilers.

There are a number of sections in a song’s structure. There’s the chorus and the verse. Occasionally, there’s a bridge. In the bridge, the timing doesn’t change, but the feel of the music diverges, often to an unexpected sound.

That’s what the Westworld show-runners have devised in season two, episode eight. They’ve written a bridge in “Kiksuya.”

It was masterfully done.

In the episode, we meet Akecheta, who appears to be the first host who gained consciousness. (Sorry, Dolores. Ake was a decade ahead of you.) His story was that of patience, wisdom, heartbreak and tragedy. But by boiling down his existence into one episode and, thankfully, a linear timeline, the show has finally created a sympathetic, relatable character. In fact, for the first time, I found myself empathizing instead of just sympathizing.

We can see his life, his loves and his ambitions. Turns out, if Arnold is the father of consciousness, then Ake is the godfather, who inherited Arnold’s mission accidentally. Ake did his best to spread consciousness and free thought through Westworld by putting the symbol for The Maze on the hosts’ scalps, among other places. He’s the unintended point of inception for Artificial Intelligence feeling emotion and finding memory.

Onto the winners and losers.

Winners

Arnold: By leaving behind the symbol, Arnold unintentionally passed on consciousness to Ake. Arnold seemed to be going after enlightening Dolores, but Ake was the initial benefactor. Regardless, Arnold has to be happy with Ake’s approach to enlightening others while waiting patiently to break free. In fact, from the little we know about Arnold, he might be more proud of Ake than he is of Dolores, who Ake aptly dubbed “the death-bringer.”

Akecheta: A truly likable character, whose storyline was a refreshing change of pace after a torrid series of episodes. While the episode at first seemed hugely divergent, it concluded with an explanation of why Ake is important: his time has come to free Ghost Nation from the confines of Westworld. Ford said as much in the chilling scene when the monster (Ake) confronted Frankenstein (Ford). Freedom might get complicated. As teased in the trailer for next week, the hosts may battle each other to get out of the park.

MIB: He’s alive. And because he’s alive, I can’t help but think he’s a host or a host/human hybrid. Ford said they haven’t quite figured out digital immortality (see: James Delos), but humans can’t survive that many bullets for that long.

Love: Is this the commonality for enlightenment? Must a host learn to love before they find consciousness? Is love a grounding force that can help the hosts remember? Dolores loves her father (and perhaps loved Arnold). Maeve loves her daughter. Ake loved Kohana. Love might be a driving factor to remember, and memory seems to contribute hugely to consciousness.

Losers

Dolores: Ghost Nation proved that, while painful, consciousness doesn’t necessitate outright rebellion and killing. Once a free thinker, Dolores chose immediate action, uprising and violence. Ake was just the opposite. After seeing Ake’s love and wisdom, Dolores continues to be less likable by the minute.

Security: Ake wandered without a storyline for 10 years. Then when they found him, he wandered around the bowels of Westworld for a half hour. How did that happen?

Maeve: We learned that she’s controlling other hosts by recoding them, and that she’s the only admin who has been in control. I’ve said this before, but I’l say it again: She’s Neo in the Matrix. But she’s barely clinging to life. Her code is now in the hands of Delos. It’s Maeve, so she’ll be fine (right?), but her situation continues to be dire.

Logan: He’s been sighted … strapped naked to a tree. Logan was mumbling and stumbling over his words, which left me to wonder: Is he an attempt at reincarnation? We know he died by suicide.

Sizemore: His tears were pathetic. Sizemore is a higher-up in the company. Shouldn’t he be able to get Maeve out of the butcher’s chair? Sizemore’s role in this episode was either a plot hole or a demonstration of how little respect he demands at Delos. (Also, is Sizemore falling in love with Maeve?)