Westworld: Dolores may not be the Season 3 villain we thought
Westworld may have established Dolores as an ultimate villain in the past, but that’s not to say this season will be the same.
Sometimes, it’s easy to forget that the same Dolores that killed a small army of humans on her way out of Westworld was once not possessed by vengeance. At one point, she was as innocent as a lamb and so beautifully pure that Arnold marveled at the freshness of his creation, later realizing that humanity would surely try to ruin her.
Arnold’s suicide didn’t save Dolores or the rest of the hosts from a future of captivity on Westworld the way he hoped it would. And the predators that paid their way into Westworld to taste the delights of the park made Dolores a recurring victim.
Once Dolores experienced consciousness, she changed, and her innocence was lost forever. Dolores was then motivated to “free” all hosts and to live in the real world with delusions of freedom.
Unfortunately, She would become a villain in the process. Dolores remembered every painful memory and human indifference and wanted nothing more than to even the score. But even Dolores recognized her lack of boundaries in her vengeful quests and brought along Bernard to the new world as an insurance policy against herself.
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Dolores felt she needed to be pulled back from going too far. It was a curious decision on Dolores’ part to bring along Bernard, considering that if her plans included the takedown of the human race, Bernard was sure to put a complete stop to it.
If you look closely, you’ll notice that in Season 3, Dolores and the copy of her that inhabited Martin Connells have guided Bernard right to the eye of the storm. It seems necessary that Bernard is around for what’s to come. But what would be the point of going through with drastic world domination plans if you also let in the only person that can stop you?
There are several ways that this could play out, but the answers hinge on Dolores’ overall plan. A plan that, at this time, is not clear. We’ve all assumed that Dolores wants to take over the human race, but Season 3 has not supported a hostile takeover. That’s not to say complete domination isn’t in Dolores’ program. She could, after all, work on that at a later time. But right now, it doesn’t look like she’s been preparing for a takeover.
No one really knows what Dolores intends to do this season with Rehoboam, Bernard, and everything else. But we can work with the little bit of info that we’ve got. It’s not a coincidence that Dolores’ has targeted Enguerrand Serac, who has revealed himself to be a sadistic tyrant that is intent on controlling the lives of others. Dolores’ focus on Rehoboam may not just be about eliminating an oppressive machine, but also, getting rid of its creator. This time around, Serac may be the big bad that needs to be stopped.
It’s also important to note that Dolores wants to destroy Rehoboam and show humans that their lives have been pre-destined by a man and his bot. It is all incredibly reminiscent of Dolores unlocking consciousness as a host.
The part of Dolores that had her audience convinced that she was going to be a savior right before she showed her cards and turned out to be a maniac. All of this is to say that, Bernard may find himself having to support Dolores in the final boss battle of Season 3 against the real villain.
Bernard has been desperate to have a grasp of his role as a mediator. But what if Dolores’ plan is on the right side of the moral code? What if when Bernard or whoever else finds out what Dolores has had up her sleeves discovers that it was not a vicious plan after all? Serac could be the bad guy that unifies Dolores, Bernard, and Maeve even if it’s just for a little while.
Do you think Dolores could surprise us this season by being a good guy? Tell us all about it in the comments.
Westworld air every Sunday on HBO at 9 P.M. ET