In its fourth episode, “Westworld” has moved past establishing its macabre theme park and started moving towards tying character storylines together. Their common thread is The Maze, a mysterious section of the park where the Man in Black can fulfill his dream of playing the deadliest game the park has to offer and where Dolores could prove worthy of breaking free of the restraints that bind her to Westworld.
The show hasn’t shed much light on what lies within The Maze or what it looks like, but it may have revealed what its entrance looks like. In Sunday’s episode, Dolores encountered the young girl from whom the Man in Black got information on where to find The Maze. She showed Dolores the drawing of the Maze that she etched into the dirt and told her it was where she came from. That triggered some strange visions from Dolores’ past… including an image of a familiar church.
You may recall that Episode 2 ended with Dr. Ford showing Bernard the place where he will build the biggest storyline the park has ever seen. It was a mostly empty swath of land, but it did have the ruins of a church steeple rising from the earth. It’s the same church Dolores saw in her vision. Whatever this church is, it is connected to several themes.
For starters, we’ve seen religion play a big role in the series, as this week’s episode ended with Hector describing the park’s employees to Maeve as demons from hell who watch over their world. In another scene, Ford and Bernard discuss the bicameral mind — the idea that prehistoric humans viewed their own thoughts and conscience as the voices of gods speaking to them. Later, Ford remarks to Theresa that when he was creating the park with Arnold, they saw themselves as the gods of the world they had created.
Another example of religion in “Westworld” is the constellation engraving of Orion that the park’s employees found while searching for the rogue host that smashed in his skull. In ancient Greece and Rome, the constellations were connected to the gods and heroes of Mount Olympus. In this case, Orion was a great hunter known for slaying a wide variety of animals. Perhaps Orion became a similar figure to the rogue android, only the hunters he was worshiping were the guests who were hunting the hosts with reckless abandon.
It’s also been noted that Dolores is the oldest android in the park, which would match up with the church’s dilapidated condition. Dolores’ origins could come from a section of the park that has been left to ruin and which Ford is trying to bring back in a new form. What exactly that form will be isn’t clear yet, but signs point to all the characters converging at the site of Ford’s new project.
The big missing piece to the puzzle is where all the events of the series fit chronologically. We know that the scenes are being presented in a non-linear format, as we jump from Dolores’ conversations with Bernard backstage to her travels with Billy and Logan. What’s not as clear is where everything fits together when it comes to cause and effect. As Dolores, the Man in Black, and possibly other characters get closer to The Maze, the park’s past, present, and future should all become clear.
From 'Westworld' to 'Game of Thrones': 13 Shows With Elaborate Opening Credit Sequences (Videos)
"Westworld"
Eschewing the wild wild west in which most of the show is set, the sterile, monochromatic opening credits to HBO's latest drama focuses on the not-quite-real aspects of the park designed to fool its guests into believing everything is real.
"Game of Thrones"
Elastic, the company behind "Westworld's" opening credits, also created what has become the standard-bearer of prestige-show openers of the modern era.
"The Walking Dead"
Invoking dread and tension, the zombie-less opening to AMC's monster hit drama focuses on the decay and isolation of the post-apocalyptic world. It's also gone through some changes throughout its six seasons.
"True Detective"
Nobody really knew what this show was about or that it would become everyone's obsession for the next several months, but the moody, mysterious opening credits certainly helped make that happen.
"Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt"
Featuring one of the most addictive theme songs in recent memory, the opening credits for this Netflix comedy was straight out of a viral meme.
"Outlander"
Set to the iconic Scottish tune "Skye Boat Song," the opening credits to Starz's time-travel romantic drama are haunting and beautiful and seem to go on forever, not that anyone's complaining.
"Jessica Jones"
The highly-stylized and moody opening credits to the Marvel show starring Krysten Ritter pays homage to both the character's comic book roots and its detective noir aesthetic.
"Crazy Ex-Girlfriend"
Extending its hallmark original musical numbers to the opening credits as well, Rachel Bloom stars with some judgy, animated friends in an elaborate sequence.
"Manhattan"
The artistic, hand-drawn style opening credits to the WGN America drama won the Emmy for Outstanding Main Titles in 2014.
"Man in the High Castle"
This 2015 Emmy winner for Outsanding Main Titles uses typography, shadows and objects to depict an alternate history in which the Axis forces won World War II over the Allied powers, and America is controlled by Germany and Japan.
"The Borgias"
Evoking iconic fine art of the Renaissance but also the dirty underbelly running through it all, the opening credits for Showtime's period drama was developed with director Neil Jordan.
"The Simpsons"
As seen in this side-by-side comparison, there's been some changes made, but this long trek through the streets and inhabitants of Springfield remains classic and iconic for a reason.
"Daredevil"
Designed by the same creative director behind "Westworld," the opening credits to this Marvel Netflix series drips (literally) with tension, mystery and history, and is all red, which is pretty much how the titular hero "sees" the world.
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Whether it’s ”Outlander“ or ”Daredevil,“ TheWrap has gathered some of the most beautiful, epic and highly-produced main titles in recent memory
"Westworld"
Eschewing the wild wild west in which most of the show is set, the sterile, monochromatic opening credits to HBO's latest drama focuses on the not-quite-real aspects of the park designed to fool its guests into believing everything is real.