‘Westworld’ explained – season three episode six: whose body is Maeve re-printing?

**Spoilers for 'Decoherence' below**

After last week’s drug-addled chase through the city streets, Westworld returned to more classic fare this week: people charging about in the park unplugging people’s processing units and questioning who is real and who is a host.

Aaron Paul’s new character Caleb had a week off as did ‘black leather edition’ Dolores, episode six instead centring on the version of Dolores currently masquerading as Charlotte Hale. Hale-ores raced to stop Serac from torching Westworld and all of its hosts, pursued by Maeve and a returning Lee Sizemore (or at least a simulation of him).

In spite of the episode’s narrow focus it was still incredibly dense in terms of plot information, also being cut together with scenes of William undergoing an unorthodox (to say the least) new type of depression therapy. Let’s unpack the more confusing moments in episode six, ‘Decoherence’:

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Thandie Newton as Maeve in ‘The Winter Line’. Credit: HBO

Who is Maeve re-printing?

The Maeve we see in this episode exists in data form only. Reuniting with simulated Lee Sizemore in the simulated version of Warworld, she tells him that her body is being reprinted as we speak. Sure enough, she emerges naked and new in a lab near the close of the episode, but in a twist is seen watching another host body being printed. Having just been hanging out with Lee and Hector, it’s possible that she’s bringing one of these two along for the ride, though it’s hard to see how either of these bumbling sidekicks she has a fondness for would be of much use in the fight against Dolores.

More likely is that Serac has asked her to create an off-the-grid host while his team burns all the registered ones. A second Maeve perhaps? A spare Serac for use in one of his devious, moustache-twirling plans? A decoy Charlotte Hale? All these possibilities are on the table, along with the reprinting being part of some kind of secret rebellion from Maeve against her captor.

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Ed Harris plays William (The Man In Black) in Westworld season 3 episode 6. Credit: HBO

What was William’s self-discovery?

The Man in Black became the Man in White this week, both literally and figuratively, episode 5 finding him wearing all white robes in a rehab facility in Mexico, where he later vows to become a force for good.

We see him undergo ‘AR therapy’ – as in augmented reality – the world around him becoming first his childhood bedroom and then a therapy sharing circle attended by himself in different stages of his life. Slaughtering all the other Williams isn’t exactly an auspicious start on his road to redemption, but we do see him have the realisation: “I’m the good guy.”

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At least in this moment, he seems to have accepted all the wrong he’s done in the past and decided to focus on the good he can do with his remaining time. What will this look like? In a previous episode, William insisted that he didn’t care about Serac buying out Delos, but perhaps his renewed sense of purpose will lead him to try and help Dolores overcome the megalomaniac? Whether Dolores would accept the help of her former abuser is a whole other issue.

What is with that riot control bot?

These deadly machines have popped up a few times in season 3 now. It seems the hosts are able to control the non-sentient robots and the humans are powerless to stop this. Presumably the show will want to avoid becoming essentially Transformers, but these robots will surely play a major part in the war Dolores has promised.

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Tessa Thompson as Delos CEO Charlotte Hale in ‘Westworld’. Credit: HBO

Is Charlotte’s family dead? Should she care?

‘Dead’ is a word open to interpretation in Westworld, but for now, yes, Jake and Nathan Hale’s physical forms are no more. The pair are caught in a car bomb blast which Hale-ores escapes, the final shot seeing her drag her badly-burned robot body from the wreckage.

The real/main Dolores is going to be pissed when she’s what’s happened to her protégé, and Hale-ores will be out for blood too as she seems to have grown fond of Charlotte’s family. It’s unclear why Hale-ores feels for two people she has no relation to, and Serac remarks on this not long before he sanctions the car bomb. This unexpected mercy is likely to become a key element to season 3, serving to humanise the hosts and suggest that they are just as capable of emotion as their human counterparts.

Westworld season 3 episode 6 airs at 2am on Monday on Sky Atlantic. It is repeated at 9pm

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