Westworld

To put it mildly, the Season One finale of ‘Westworld’ saw all hell break loose. Between this and the fact that several characters have been notably absent from the trailers and other preview footage released to date, it’s been tricky for fans to get a sense of who they should expect to see in the second season, or indeed, which characters even survived the first. Thankfully, Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy are here to help! While the two showrunners are playing their cards close to the vest, they did shed some light on what to expect from some of the characters who left us on tenterhooks during the show’s lengthy hiatus:

  • The Man in Black / William: This enigmatic figure will definitely be back, both in the present day and in flashbacks (played by Ed Harris and Jimmi Simpson, respectively). This year’s flashbacks are said to explore the early days of the park and his growing influence over Delos.
  • Elsie Hughes and Ashley Stubbs: The programmer (who vanished late in the season) and security chief (who went in search of her, only to be abducted by Native American hosts) are both alive, though they’ve seen better days. Says Joy: “They’re finally getting to experience Westworld as guests and not in the managerial halls, but I’m not sure they’re enjoying their experience.”
  • Charlotte Hale: Tessa Thompson’s frosty corporate antagonist will be back. Like the others, she’ll be at the mercy of the hosts, but that doesn’t mean she’s through causing trouble.
  • Lee Sizemore: In an ironic reversal, the park’s head writer finds himself under the control of his characters when he is held hostage by renegade host Maeve.
  • Peter Abernathy: Dolores’ “father” was bound for a train leaving the park as part of Charlotte Hale’s plot to smuggle information out of Westworld. No word on whether or not he made it out, but the writers describe as simply “an important asset” in the coming season.
  • Clementine Pennyfeather: Westworld’s favorite brothel worker was lobotomized last season. That would seem to be that, save for the fact that she turned up in the closing moments of the finale. Joy and Nolan are tight-lipped about her role in things to come, though they have said that the events of the first season have changed her forever.
  • Dr. Robert Ford: Yeah, forget pining for the fjords, Ford has passed on, he is no more, he has ceased to be. He’s expired and gone to meet his maker. He’s a stiff, bereft of life, he rests in peace. He’s flagged down the curtain and joined the choir invisible. In short, he is an ex-parrot. He will, however, appear in flashbacks. This younger version, though, will not be played by Anthony Hopkins.

‘Westworld’ stars Evan Rachel Wood, Ed Harris, Thandie Newton, Jeffrey Wright, James Marsden, and Jimmi Simpson. The series is scheduled to begin its second season on HBO on April 22, 2018.