Westworld’s most shocking and mind-blowing moments

Describing HBO’s Westworld as a TV show with a lot of twists and surprises, doesn’t really begin to cover what often feels like you’re watching a series of interlocking but entirely separate puzzles.

Purposely designed to discombobulate and disorientate viewers, the series hops between multiple timelines in a single scene, can place one character within the body of another and is seemingly able to kill and revive characters when you least expect it.

Ahead of the season 3 premiere on NOW TV on March 16^th, we’ve rounded up all the most shocking moments so far to remind you of the journey we’ve been on from the beginnings in Sweetwater to the New World.

*Warning - Spoilers for Westworld season 1 and 2 ahead.*

Dolores hurts a fly

In the broader context of Westworld, this may feel like a minor moment, but it was the first indication we had there was much more to Evan Rachel Wood’s wholesome rancher’s daughter than first met the eye.

After telling park creator Ford that she would never harm a living being, we saw Dolores slap down a fly on her neck. Little did we know at that point, the violent delights still to come.

Bernard is a host

Episode seven of season one, titled Trompe L’Oeil, was quite the shocker. It included the death of Theresa in brutal fashion and also exposed Bernard as being behind the disappearance of Elsie.

Why was Bernard doing these things? Because, duh-duh-duh, he was actually a Host. And Ford is able to command and control Bernard to keep his masterplans and own activities secret.

Bernard = Arnold

The mysterious Arnold, who co-created Westworld with Ford, was mentioned many times in the early episodes of the first season. But the show managed to dupe viewers by Ford showing a picture of himself and ‘Arnold’ to Bernard.

Except the man we see in the image wasn’t Arnold, it was Ford’s father.

It was a trick by Ford, and in The Well-Tempered Clavier, it is revealed that Bernard's whole identity and look was based on Arnold. And it is revealed later on in the series that Bernard was created by Dolores – the Host who knew Arnold better than anyone.

Dolores = Wyatt

The season one finale The Bicameral Mind was packed with revelations, including how Dolores was behind the death of Arnold.

Dolores and the much talked about ‘Wyatt’ turned out to be one and the same – after it is revealed that Arnold uploaded Wyatt’s narrative to Dolores to bring down the park.

The Wyatt/Dolores merger did bring violence, including the death of Arnold, but it failed to achieve the creators aims of bringing down Westworld.

Maeve's escape was written

One of the strongest themes in season one was the concept of free will and whether the Hosts actually had any freedom. On the one hand, we were witnessing the slow rise of Dolores. On the other, we watched Maeve escaping Westworld only to discover that her whole adventure had been written into her code.

Was Maeve actually in control of anything? The cliffhanger ending to season one as she headed back to Westworld to save her daughter rather than making a break for freedom, left the question hanging in the balance.

William = The Man in Black

Online fans of the series had guessed this twist early on, but that didn’t stop the moment being any more delicious when it was finally confirmed.

The relationship and dynamic between William and Dolores, from lovers to enemies, is one of the most intriguing evolving storylines in Westworld.

Ford’s last stand

The bloodbath finale of season one included what we believed at the time to be the last stand of Ford.

Dolores found the centre of The Maze and alongside Teddy, she declared war on the world that had constrained and controlled them for so long. Including a shot in the back of the head to their creator.

A concrete ending for Ford that mean he could never, ever return...

Ford returns!

What was a bigger shock? Anthony Hopkins departing in season one or him returning in season two? It’s probably a tie.

It was in Phase Space, six episodes into season two, when Bernard bumped into Ford again. Bernard was exploring the Cradle and discovered Ford’s uploaded consciousness. Ford’s smooth, ‘Hello, old friend” greeting was a jaw-dropping moment.

William kills Emily

There were plenty of heartbreaking moments in season two. Elsie! Teddy! Gosh, even Sizemore got us weeping a little bit.

But nothing got us in the gut quite like the moment that all the paranoia got to William, The Man in Black, convincing him to shoot his own daughter.

The moment he realised that she was real and not part of Ford’s game was almost impossible to bear.

The Stubbs ‘reveal’

We’re still not 100% definitely, absolutely sure that Stubbs is a host. But there were plenty of clues along the way before the season two finale which suggest his conversation with Charlotte Hale wasn’t a double-bluff from the writers.

He told the Host Charlotte that he had been specially chosen by Ford to run the park security and he did everything but nudge and wink to let her know that he was the same kind as her.

Halores

Christened Halores by fans, the revelation that the ‘Charlotte Hale’ we had been watching for large amounts of season 2 was someone entirely different was a massive gamechanger.

The Halores Host killed the real Charlotte, Elsie and the Delos team in a bloodbath finale to season two.

Alongside Bernard and Dolores, she was still standing at the end of the episode. The mystery is whose consciousness has Dolores put in Charlotte’s body.

Season 2 post credits sequence

Just when you thought your head would never stop spinning, Westworld chucked in a final surprise.

In a scene set in the distant future, we saw the Man in Black being tested by a Host version of his daughter.

It didn’t change what happened to William and Emily in the park, but it did plant a massive mystery of how and why a version of William was being tested and trapped. It was a nightmarish future vision for the character, but is it a punishment or an attempt to save the world?

Watch Westworld on Sky Atlantic with the NOW TV Entertainment Pass.

Season 3 premieres on Monday March 16.

You can catch up on the Westworld season 1 and 2 Box Set on NOW TV.