Editor's Note: The following contains Westworld Season 4 spoilers.It will be interesting to see how HBO’s Westworld ages in this era of “peak television.” While Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy's bold sci-fi mystery series certainly has the scale of Game of Thrones and the complexity of Lost, its characters haven’t taken off in the same way. Part of Westworld’s magic is the J.J. Abrams “mystery box” nature of the seasonal arcs. The characters are ultimately chess pieces as the show explores themes of identity, free will, and consciousness.
Season 4 has attempted to re-engage viewers in the characters by establishing that the end is near. However, it's hard to invest in Teddy (James Marsden) and Dolores’ (Evan Rachel Wood) relationship when they’ve both had their minds wiped at several points. Caleb (Aaron Paul) seemed like he might have been the last “human” on the show, but this season, he’s become a host. Westworld’s status quo is constantly changing, and as a result, the character development has never been consistent.
One exception to this trend is the charming romance between Bernard Lowe (Jeffrey Wright) and Ashley Stubbs (Luke Hemsworth). Bernard and Stubbs have been paired together since Season 2, and they are both well aware that they’re both hosts. Bernard’s identity was one of the first major plot twists in Season 1, and Stubbs was revealed to be a host in the Season 2 finale “The Passenger.” It’s nice to have characters that are assured of what their purpose is. Bernard and Stubbs share a common goal; avoiding collateral damage to both the human and host populations.
RELATED: With "Metanoia," 'Westworld' Season 4 Undercuts Its Own Stakes
Despite being a host, Bernard has served as the audience’s avatar since the beginning. The revelation that he is based on the park’s co-creator, Arnold Weber, comes as big of a shock to him as it did to the audience. Bernard and Stubbs are both remnants of the world that Dr. Robert Ford (Sir Anthony Hopkins) created. Stubbs has been a skeptic since the beginning; he’s weirded out by Ford’s reliance on the hosts for even remedial tasks.
Season 2 saw Bernard and Stubbs teaming up in the aftermath of Dolores’ massacre. Chaos has swept the parks, and Stubbs is the first to defend Bernard. He doesn’t judge him based on suspicions, but what he has seen Bernard do. Stubbs knows that the violent host revolution was not Bernard’s doing. When Stubbs learns that Bernard is a host, he’s empathetic. He knows that he must have experienced extreme torture at the hands of Charlotte Hale (Tessa Thompson).
Similarly, we see Bernard’s protection of Stubbs in Season 3. After discovering the former security officer in an abandoned laboratory, Bernard gives Stubbs a new purpose as they investigate Dolores’ plot. Stubbs is a man on a mission, regardless of whether he’s programmed to be one. He’s someone who is comfortable following orders, and Bernard provides the foundation that he needs. Neither character is particularly expressive with their emotions, but watching them play “Holmes and Watson” made Season 3 more entertaining. Wright and Hemsworth are the type of actors that can elevate even the most expositional stretches.
Season 4 has done a great job thus far at reflecting on how Bernard and Stubbs’ friendship has grown. Bernard needs someone to rely on; he has control of the hosts in the Sublime, and he realizes that Hale intends to wreak havoc on humanity as well. The stakes are higher than ever, and even the smallest touches of humor add a lot. Bernard now had the ability to predict things before they happen, which makes Stubbs slightly paranoid during their stop for coffee in “Années Folles.” Stubbs catches Bernard up on everything that he’s missed in the years that have passed; Bernard informs him that although the future looks bleak, they could potentially “trigger a certain series of events,” that could save everyone.
However, Bernard’s foresight is played for a more emotional beat in this week’s episode, “Metanoia.” Stubbs is ready to lead Frankie Nichols (Aurora Perrineau) and the rebels against Hale’s tower, but Bernard stops him before he leaves to tell him that he won’t make it. However, it’s actually Bernard that perishes at the end of the episode at the hands of William (Ed Harris). Telling Stubbs that he was about to die was Bernard’s strange way of saying farewell. It shows how resilient both characters are as they each leave on a quest that they don’t think they’ll see the end of. They sadly don’t get to hug it out, but the mutual respect between them is clear.
Westworld is a fun series of mysteries. If the characters can at least spice up the plot when the opportunity presents itself, that’s a bonus. However, the apparent conclusion to this friendship shows that Westworld has the opportunity to let some characters age. If the series truly is headed towards its endgame, it may be a more emotional conclusion than we expected.
