I should note that I enjoyed and found each episode each season to be engaging in some respect. Looking over the whole season though, this was probably the most forgettable one. The central action sequence at the Confedorado is pretty poor for the show's standards, the Dolores subplot has some good moments - her reunion with her father being one - but overall felt a bit too static, as did the Maeve and her cohorts subplot. Also, some of the sound mixing in this particular episdoe was just a bit iffy, not to the point of distraction but still noticeable. It's not a bad episode, just doesn't really do as much to stand out.
Best scene: Dolores reunites with her father
9. 'Akane no Mai' (2x5)
I could switch between these two as my bottom two, as I unfortunately felt slightly let down by Shogun World as a whole, though I did appreciate the diversity, the exploration of a new world, and its thematic parallels to the central park. It just all felt a bit too standard almost in terms of where the story moved towards without really pushing anything forward, which comes to harm the series a bit, though it does hit the emotional beats well enough thanks to Thandie Newton's consistently great work., and the design of the Shogun village is pretty stellar too. The Dolores and Teddy stuff in this episode was particularly dull, though.
Best scene: Paint it Black V.2
8. 'Vanishing Point' (2x9)
A disappointment in retrospect, as the more I think about it the more annoyed I am about what they've done to William. It seemed earlier in the season that they were going to explore William looking for his 'true' self in the park and finding something else altogether, and I thought this episode with the more emotional/aspect of this journey of self-discovery, instead it became something else altogether in exploring William's delusions, which did not feel as natural a progression not only from this season, but the previous season too. I could have ranked this episode lower, but I do think Ed Harris is great here despite being forced into a corner, the Ford-Maeve scene is fantastic, and the ending is actually surprisingly moving, powerful conclusion to a relationship I'd not been much of a fan of this season.
Best scene: Maeve and Ford
7. 'Journey Into Night' (2x1)
Very much a 'set-up' episode, but a very strong example of that, as it kicks everything off in a suitably efficient yet mysterious fashion. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting our beloved characters again, and seeing the establishment of new dynamics, particularly that between Maeve and Sizemore which ended up being one of the pleasant surprises of the season. It perhaps has less of a payoff than most of the other episodes, but that's not a bad thing at all.
Best scene: 'I wrote that line'
6. 'Phase Space' (2x6)
One of the most consistent episodes of the season. It technically is an episode where nothing, besides that fantastic cliffhanger ending reintroducing Robert Ford, is designed to 'astound', it's more to set up the next few episodes, yet it does a great job of having each subplot work against and with one another to create a forward thrust to the plot, missing in some of the previous episodes. Plus, there's great scenes in there like William's 'reconciliation' with his daughter Emily (which again hints at something I wish they'd explored a bit further), and Maeve's heartbreaking reunion with her daughter.
Best scene: Campire Reconciliation
5. 'Les Écorchés' (2x7)
Could go slightly higher with this one if not for an utterly ridiculous, stupid scene that actually acts as something of a fitting footnote to how incompetent the Delos mercenaries are. Otherwise, pretty much everything about this episode was great, from most of the attack on the Mesa, the confrontation between Maeve, Lawrence and William, Dolores menacing Charlotte Hale and her farewell with her father, and of course the return of Ford which, though I wasn't sure about at the beginning, results in some rather beautiful sequences, not just of Hopkins' performance but some rather elegant cinematography, and particularly great use of music.
Best scene: Beethoven's Symphony No. 7
4. 'The Passenger' (2x10)
I still need to think about this episode, there are flaws for sure in terms of the pacing - they probably should have moved some of the 'Maeve's group' plot developments to the previous episode just to let the crucial moments breathe a bit more, though the scenes themselves are great -, whatever the hell they're doing with William, and though I quite loved the ending sequence I do think it might cause problems for the third season. Overall though, a great episode. I loved the final switcheroo, which also allowed for Tess Thompson to really impress me, the deaths of some beloved characters hit the mark even if some were a bit rushed, and there were some genuinely heartwarming moments among all the chaos, The highlight is of course all the Bernard, and for that matter Dolores, interactions and sequences, which Jeffrey Wright and Evan Rachel Wood handled so brilliantly, and supplmented by some fantastic editing in those particular scenes, even if it was a bit lacking in others.
Best scene: A fucking nightmare
3. 'Reunion' (2x2)
A rather brilliant episode that actually set the template for the stronger episodes of this season, where the show provides both a thorough examination of multiple characters and storylines without feeling like it's rushing through any of them. The highlight is the exploration of William, as we watch the growing moral degradation of the man, and the strange journey to destruction of the present and his every-enjoyable rapport with Lawrence. That's the main focus, but at the same time we get insight into the hints of Dolores' growth into sentience in the past scenes with William, and in the present some nice, juicy moments like the inroduction of Jonathan Tucker's Craddock, the meeting between Maeve and Dolores, plus also helping to set up the brilliance that is...
Best scene: William reveals the stain
2. 'The Riddle of the Sphinx' (2x4)
Another great William-centric episode, and it's a shame that they somewhat dropped the ball with him later on, maybe we just needed more Jimmi Simpson. Anyway, where 'Reunion' set up the bond between James Delos and William, this episode exploits it to great effect n a series of 'interrogations' and experiments between the two that end up being at once, rather fascinating and heartbreaking. Then in the present day there's just that terrific series of scenes where William ironically seems to recover some sort of humanity through his trademark brand of violence, and a very welcome return of Elsie and reunion with Bernard.
Best scene: 'You think you know death...'
1. 'Kiksuya' (2x8)
My extended thoughts here. Just to reiterate, an astonishing episode with an astonishing central performance, and arguably the best Westworld's ever been.
Best scene: Heart-Shaped Box
The Cast/Characters: (I should note that I don't think any cast member is bad, just some have really poorly written/underwritten characters compared to others). All photos from John P. Johnson, HBO./
31. Fares Fares as Antoine Costa
I wouldn't have brought him up but he's apparently part of the main cast, so uh I guess he was there a lot of the time. Not bad, though, just barely even realized he was a character.
30. Talulah Riley as Angela
One of the few underwhelming 'upgrades' to the main cast this season. I just did not find Angela particularly interesting, especially compared to the first season where she was far more enigmatic and intriguing, in basically playing a less interesting Armistice to Dolores, and I found her last scene to be a bit underwhelming, as well as being very contrived. Kind of wished her duties had been given to Angela Sarafayan's Clementine, who had barely anything to do this season.
29. Gustaf Skarsgård as Karl Strand
Fine at fulfilling the requirements of the one-note jerkass, but frankly I didn't find that one note particularly interesting, and he was often part of some of the weaker scenes of the series. At best he was serviceable, and at worst he was a bit grating, which might've been the purpose of the character, but there was probably room for a bit of variation, and he's pretty much overshadowed by the other main characters he shares scenes with.
28. Angela Sarafayan as Clementine
She has some great moments, like when she encounters the new Clementine, and her general physical portrayal of the lobotomized state of her character is really good, the only issue I have is that they barely utilized her at all this season, which was a shame, even in the final two episodes, the rushed pace meant that she barely got any screentime despite her technical importance. Still, have to give her points for still being on of the best physical portrayals of being a host on the show.
27. Luke Hemsworth as Ashley Stubbs
I think my issue with his character is not so much the performance, which is pretty decent on the whole aside from maybe his last scene, which I still need to think about. My problem is that there really doesn't seem to be a point to his character besides being some muscle or used to have another character deliver lines to. And it's a shame that they couldn't pair him up with Elsie one last time, it could have been interesting to see him witnessing the latter's murder at the hands of Charlotte.
25. Leonardo Nam as Felix Lutz and Ptolemy Slocum as Sylvester
They have less to do then last season, but actually I think this helped their characters and performances become more consistent. Both are pretty good at portraying the fear and intensity of their situation, completely out of sync with everything going on around them, and individually, Nam showing the continuing care and growing courage that keeps him going, and Slocum the slightly toned down yet still abrasive nature of an asshole forced to shut up for once, and both have some pretty funny comedic asides.
24. Ingrid Bolsø Berdal as Armistice
I have to commend her once again for being so convincing in the action sequences and those great intimidating glances, and her fascination with her 'double' figure. She doesn't get as much to do as last season, unfortunately, but she's still good within her extreme limits.
23. Rodrigo Santoro as Hector Escaton
A somewhat toned-down Hector in contrast to last season's bombastic bandit, appropriately so given how Maeve has influenced him, and though his screentime is somewhat limited, I did enjoy what he did within those limits, as once again his chemistry with Thandie Newton is great, and he handles the action sequences well.
22. Sela Ward as Juliet
Though I didn't love everything about the episode, and I do think we could have spent more time on the problematic relationship between William and his family, and less on that 'fuck you Ford am I host' nonsense which I think is one of the weaker elements of the series (the plot twist last season with Bernard was great but trying to hint at it with everyone is a bit lazy), Ward is very good in her limited screentime in displaying that righteous anger and fear towards William and her warnings to Emily.
21. Rinko Kikuchi as Akane
Though I don't think she quite lives up to the expectations of a 'Maeve' foil, and Newton is certainly the highlight of all their big scenes together, she's still perfectly fine as the prim and proper Madam of the geisha house, with the underlying emotional current. And she's pretty good in her dance/murder sequence which is one of the highlights of a somewhat underwhelming Episode 5. I like Kikuchi as an actress, she's phenomenal in Babel, and this is another fine performance from her.
20. Hiroyuki Sanada as Musashi
Sanada bwas a really good foil to Hector, doing what I assume is his best Toshiro Mifune and actually doing a fairly decent job of it. His role is very limited on the whole, but I did like the gravitas he brought to it, and as with most things I've seen him in his screen presence carries him through a role that could've been forgettable. Wish he'd come back in the finale to team up with Hector, though.
19. Julia Jones as Kohana
Technically a very limited role as the love interest. But the chemistry she creates with Zahn McClarnon is so powerful despite the limited screentime, with particular highlights being her scene of realizing the man from her past, and though it's not the highlight of Episode 8 it is essential to its greatness.
18. Giancarlo Esposito as New El Lazo
A truly unexpected cameo and surprise little gem in Episode 2, and I've jut really grown to love seeing Esposito pop up whenever and where ever, after watching Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. He's rather menacing and surprisingly sympathetic as this bandit who has become utterly disillusioned with life, even after having attained everything he sought for, and despite only being in one scene makes quite the impact.
17. Louis Herthum as Peter Abernathy
I have to admit that despite having a bit more screen-time, he wasn't nearly as memorable as in his one big scene in Season 1. Which isn't to say he was underwhelming, and in his two scenes with Dolores I thought he was absolutely heartbreaking in showing the peculiar, warped state of Abernathy's mind, from which his love for his daughter and fear of both knowing too much, and not knowing enough emanated. Bit disappointed however that the upgrade to the main cast didn't mean all that much increase in screentime, or focus.
16. Shannon Woodward as Elsie
Like last season, a nice breath of levity, though this time laced with even more cynicism, and I really liked her anti-chemistry of sorts with Bernard, understandably suspicious at first and bridging it back into the bond between the two friends and co-workers in Season 1. Though a somewhat thankless exposition role at times she adds so much character to it. She's great as one of the more likeable characters this season, and I have to admit I was quite sad to see her go.
15. Tessa Thompson as Charlotte Hale
Still find her a bit iffy at times as the ruthless corporate executive, but an improvement over last season nevertheless as she does have some very effective moments showing the incisiveness of Hale, though she's at her best when hinting at the vulnerabilities of the character, particularly in her scene with Dolores, and is outstanding at literally becoming Dolores in her final scene, and earned the effect of the last minute 'switcharoo'.
14. Clifton Collins Jr. as Lawrence
Though used well, I still would have liked more of him as he's one of my favourite Westworld characters. I loved his chemistry with Ed Harris once more, darkly humorous as ever with a bit of natural progression towards a sort of equal understanding that unfortunately is somewhat wasted by the end, and his final scene is downright brilliant as he shows the horrifying memories of his mistreatment by William flowing back into him in such devastating fashion. And as always his delivery of 'motherfucker' is something quite special.
13. Jonathan Tucker as Major Craddock
The best straightforward 'villain' this season, Tucker is one of the highlights of the early episodes as this completely delusional, violent renegade zealot who believes himself to be on the same plateau as death. He doesn't have much depth beyond being just this despicable villain, but he plays it incredibly well, and I really liked his scenes with Ed Harris as he so swiftly brought his character from being so in control to completely out of his element so effectively.
12. Katja Herbers as Emily
I know some weren't a huge fan of her performance or her character, and indeed the way the series deals with her is a bit anticlimactic. Personally, though, I thought that none of the faults related to her plotline were related to her, and found Herbers to give a great performance as a character that could've been a stick in the mud, or just forgettable. She holds her own as a sort of 'action girl', with the right amount of sass and incisiveness when interacting with her onscreen father or other obstacles, and in the quieter moments of reflecting on their shared past actually created some very powerful moments with Ed Harris, particularly in their campfire scene, and in actual scenes of depicting the past was equally adept. Now I have issues with her final scene, but none of it can be faulted on her behalf as she makes her character's demise one of the series' greatest tragedies, and not just because of the awful turn the storyline takes afterwards.
11. James Marsden as Teddy Flood
In the first half of the season I'll admit Teddy was a bit uninteresting as basically a pawn in Dolores' hands. Though the writing was a bit uninteresting, though, I still thought Marsden brought his A-game in terms of going through the emotional wheelhouse of killing against his will. Once she turned him into effectively a soulless killing machine, I really dug his performance and that unqiue blend of the killing machine loyal to the Dolores, and although it took a bit of time getting used to his resentment towards her was equally compelling. His final scene in Episode 9 is fantastic as he brings some of that old Teddy we love struggling against his corrupted state in such a heartrending fashion. Honestly a performance that could easily go up in my rankings.
10. Ben Barnes as Logan Delos
I'll admit I'm a bit of a sucker for Logan in general, finding him to be a fascinating example of a character who's an asshole, but not a villain; and this season we find him utilized in a rather peculiar, but very interesting fashion. Barnes' performance is used in brief interludes across the episodes to facilitate not just the descent of the Delos family, but also a new hitherto undiscovered part of Westworld, the Forge. Barnes is captivating once again as the douchebag hedonist, surprisingly haunting as the hollow shell of a man trying to make people see the truth - particularly in his scene with his onscreen father (Peter Mullan) -, and an inspired choice as the virtual 'tour guide' to the Forge where he brings this unique gleam of pride and foreboding, with a certain inspirational quality beneath it, that carries a passion for Westworld in a similar yet dissimilar way to ol' Logan.
9. Evan Rachel Wood as Dolores Abernathy
I've noticed that Dolores has become a bit of a point of dissent. Personally, I think the writers' approach to Dolores this season has been flawed, starting out promisingly from last season as some sort of renegade rebel leader to the host's plight, before going into autopilot with Dolores doing evil villain monologue after evil villain monologue. I didn't hate these scenes as much as some, but I certainly didn't find them very engaging, though Wood, in the role I believe she was truly born to play, remained constantly good, and great in the 'past' Dolores scenes where we got a dose of Season 1 Dolores in different contexts. I will say that though her work in the first half of the season was a mixed bag, she's consistently great in the second half, with particular highlights coming in Episode 7 and Episode 10, from her cathartic breakdown of Charlotte Hale, to her interactions with Bernard.
8. Simon Quaterman as Lee Sizemore
Easily the weakest cast member in Season 1, in my opinion, Quaterman has made the biggest leap for me in terms of performance, and indeed the writing behind Sizemore has followed suit. While there was a certain pleasure to be had in the hammy and excruciatingly annoying Sizemore in Season 1 who seemed almost designed to be despised, I much preferred his role this season as the ostensible comic relief, particularly in his interactions with Thandie Newton where he was so effective as the hapless butt monkey; and equally a hoot whenever he provided commentary on how the narratives weren't going as they were 'supposed' too. Alongside that, I foun his journey from selfish prick to being sympathetic to the hosts was really well performed, if a bit rushed, and his last scene though a bit illogical, quite powerful.
7. Ed Harris as William/The Man in Black
Unfortunately for The Man in Black, the later parts of the season just didn't seem to know what to do with him, as contrived machinations led to the character both being put in a bit of a standstill in terms of development, while also being all over the place in terms of his motivations. Which is a shame, since he started this season brilliantly, as sort of the one individual in the park with an agenda beyond preservation and survival, or simple extermination. Harris goes further with the enigmatic creation of the last season and made for a very compelling figure to follow through the first half of the season in his quest to 'burn it all', standing out particularly well in the scenes where he encounters obstacles posed by Ford, the breathtaking sequence where he goes against the expected norm to save Lawrence's village, and his confrontation with Maeve. Unfortunately, after episode 8, the series really drops the ball with the character. Harris is still very good, particularly in the 'past' scenes, but the cumulative effect just doesn't hit as hard as it could've if they'd gone with the more expected route.
6. Jimmi Simpson as Young William
Despite less screentime and focus, I have to say that Simpson overall managed to make a more cohesive impact as William than Harris this season. He was only featured in two episodes, yet in those two episodes managed to make a very striking impact. In Episode 2, he somehow found a way to continue that downwards spiral into the MIB while still retaining that facade of good ol' Billy, and bringing such a chilling lack of empathy in his interactions with Dolores and his delivery of 'have you ever seen such splendour' is particularly commendable. The highlights, though, would be his interactions with Peter Mullan's James Delos, as the two characters create this somewhat antagonistic dynamic of two arrogant assholes who find an affinity with one another, which the subsequent fallout from is somewhat tragic.
5. Anthony Hopkins as Robert Ford
Since The Assasination of Robert Ford by the Host Dolores Abernathy, I've been somewhat anticipating the possible return of Sir Tony. Still, I was surprised by how far they went with it, as he's ended up not just being a cameo re-appearance, but playing a very pivotal role throughout the whole season. Now at first I was a bit worried they were just going to use him as a glorified exposition device, though to be fair few do exposition as well as Hopkins, but I loved the direction they ended up going with his character. His interactions with Bernard as this sort of subversive 'mentor' were one of the more consistently great elements of the latter half of the season, and few can do menace so unassumingly yet effectively as Hopkins, but his best scene was probably his scene with Maeve as he makes sense of a somewhat unexpected yet completely justified character element in terrific fashion. Great work,
4. Peter Mullan as James Delos
A welcome inclusion in all of his brief appearances outside of Episode 4, but that episode is easily his highlight reel. Mullan is a delight as the uncouth, ball-busting Delos IRL, effectively showing someone who pushes William the Younger to his full 'potential', and quite a hoot even when being rather despicable. As the host Delos, trapped in a cycle of reliving the same moment again and again with William, he's superb in gradually revealing this to the audience, and somehow creating sympathy for the devil and granting such humanity to the malfunctioning host. Terrific work that would've been the best guest performance on the show, if not for someone else.
3. Jeffrey Wright as Bernard Lowe/Arnold Weber
We don't actually get to see much of Arnold this season, which is fine since his arc was pretty much brought to a completion last season. But what of good ol' Bernard, possibly the most sympathetic character in the whole series and my personal MVP from last season. Well interestingly, Bernard has something of an expansion in terms of importance from last season, becoming almost the main character of this season even more so than Dolores and Maeve. He's also given the unenviable task of being an anchor for the audience through the two main timelines running through the season, as an avatar who has to piece together the puzzles while having some secrets of his own to hide, inadvertently or not. This leaves Wright in an interesting position in the initial stages where Bernard is left in a very reactionary role, like the first season, but with perhaps even more pressure on his shoulders. I found him to excel in every moment of learning/re-learning, and continuing to excel in the role despite the limits that were somewhat imposed on him. The highlight of his performance this season, though, was once Robert Ford got into his head, as Wright breaks out of the mould and becomes captivating in portraying his character's struggle, and in Episode 10 is yet again terrific in anchoring the emotional and intellectual beats of the episode incredibly well.
2. Thandie Newton as Maeve Millay
Well what more can be said about Newton than that she's consistently amazing in the role she was born to play. I think what's most remarkable about Newton's performance is how she brings out the best out of others. Her performance is so striking yet so generous, and when other characters share the screen with her they tend to shine, notable examples being Quaterman's Sizemore, and Wood's Dolores this season. She helps lift sometimes stagnant plotlines and makes them worthwhile just through her consistently entertaining and engaging performance, and can move from darkly humorous to movingly empathetic, badass to vulnerable within any given scene's requirements. Though the journey of Maeve to find her daughter and her role as the saviour to the other hosts may have had a few bumps in the writing, Newton's performance is consistently amazing, earning that somewhat Christlike position she's earnt over the course of the series, and creating an emotional investment for me throughout. Her story continues to be perhaps my favourite in the whole series, and I really hope when Season 3 comes she'll be back with a vengeance. Also, the online downvote brigade on anything involving her is the stupidest pop culture 'trend' in recent memory - the only explanation I can have is that she's a well-spoken and outspoken advocate of feminist issues and a POC, which makes her a target for so many veiled online racists.
1. Zahn McClarnon as Akecheta
One of the easiest choices I've had to make with regards to rankings like this. McClarnon's portrayal of the inquisitive Native American host unstuck in time and place by his gradual self-enlightenment is perhaps the most compelling Westworld arc to date, and all the more astonishing by how it was handled within one episode. Even though the season as a whole was rather uneven, this episode and this performance alone is enough for me to safely say that I quite loved it, warts and all. McClarnon's performance grants the expected sort of presence to the role, as he's an actor who can say so much without saying anything at all, see for reference Hanzee in Fargo Season 2. He goes further than just the intimidating, strong silent figure we'd be introduced to briefly beforehand in such elegaic fashion, from that beautiful narration of his that carries the episode, and his incredibly portrayal of how his character's journey of self-discovery both ascends him onto a higher status of understanding, while also creating a burden within him that is utterly devastating, whether it's his heartfelt reunion with his wife and the soul-crushing second 'reunion' with her within the Mesa. It seems almost an impossible feat for such a minor character to make such a huge impact in one episode focusing on him, but McClarnon manages it and more, and instantly creates an iconic character within an iconic episode. An astonishing performacne that deserves all the awards.
All in all, I know there are plenty of issues with the writing this season, especially when compared to the first. Nevertheless, I loved this season overall, and it is definitely still one of my favourite recurring television shows, so thank you Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy. And lastly, a shoutout to the other series MVP, Ramin Djawadai. His work as composer this season has been just as great as the last, with this piece perhaps being my very favourite.
Thus far, season 2 of Westworld has lived up to expectations, and then some. While not every subplot may have moved as seamlessly as the best, the technical elements have been consistently great and the recent few episodes have picked up the momentum on all fronts, throwing the viewer into crazy revelation after crazy revelation, thrilling interactions. The highlights being anything involving Young/Old William as the revelations surrounding him present him in an increasingly new light, Maeve's rather spellbinding ascension into higher 'wokeness', Dolores' initially somewhat dull turn into a callous killer that's been picking up some steam, Bernard's increasingly loopy travels back and forth in time (Jeffrey Wright, though taking something of a backseat, remains phenomenal as always).
As Westworld and its hosts and guests descend further and further down the chasm of chaos opened up by Robert Ford and Dolores last season, this last episode, 'Kiksuya', gives us something of a breather, so to speak. Some have called it a 'filler' episode, a term I don't think quite applies here. It's true that the exploration of Ghost Nation, the mysterious tribe of Native American hosts who have haunted the margins of the park across Seasons 1 and 2, capturing guests and for some mysterious reason setting them free, at first seems like it comes at a tangent to the other storylines this season. Yet as the episode progressed, and I became immersed into what in effect is a narrated visual backstory of Akecheta (Zahn McClarnon), I found not just narrative satisfaction, but something truly beautiful and moving within this astonishing hour of television.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Before Lawrence, before Maeve, before Bernard, before even Dolores, was the first truly 'woke' host, Akecheta. Written by Carly Wray & Dan Dietz and directed by Uta Briesewitz, this episode is possibly Westworld's ballsiest move yet. Led entirely by a respected but somewhat under-the-radar actor, featuring Lakotan characters and a Native American cast as its central focus, featuring only the briefest of appearances from the usual suspects, and repeatedly going over territory previously explored in the first season, this could have been a disaster if not executed well. Well far from it, this extraordinary episode only served to put everything that came before in an entirely different light. Not just the Native American hosts, but the park as a whole, and Ford's overarching plan finding another notch in it.
The highlight of the episode is of course, McClarnon's performance, which should sweep all the awards in his category come the Emmys. The focus granted to Akecheta's journey where he momentarily becomes the lead of Westworld, is one of great emotional potency and explores the host's place in the world in such a new light. I have so much respect for the show runners sticking to their guns on something that I'm sure must've caused studio executives to balk at first: an episode which such long extended stretches of silence, mostly spoken in a foreign tongue, resembling another Episode 8 from David Lynch's Twin Peaks: The Return. Like that episode, it is iconic from the very first frame. It is a great episode not just in conception, but in execution and influence.
In many ways it is a story about stories, as Akecheta tells his life story to Maeve's young daughter - though there's more to that, brilliantly revealed in the episode's finale. An inhabitant of the park before it even officially opened, Akecheta stumbles across the massacre of Wyatt and finds the symbol of the maze. I loved the construction of Akecheta's journey to sentience, where it begins as a deeply personal love story between himself and Kohana (Julia Jones), and progresses into an exploration of the wider world, the 'door' and its implications for not just himself, not just his people, but for all hosts and the abuse of their humanity. I loved the insight it gave into Akecheta even as he is modified into a violent killer, as we see the weight of his past memories continually return to him, and the brilliant inclusions of previous episodes like Logan's (Ben Barnes) return, the looming presence of the 'deathbringer' Dolores, and Anthony Hopkins' brilliant scene with AKecheta as Dr Ford and Akecheta discuss how to move forward into the Valley Beyond.
As expected for any Westworld episode, the cinematography is exceptional; those tracking shots of Akecheta prowling the landscape for his lost love are exceptional. And above all, the heartrending sequence of Akecheta in the Mesa. Set to a cover of Nirvana's 'Heart-Shaped Box', this sequence reminded me so much of Maeve's journey of discovery through the facility in Season 1 (set in that sequence to Radiohead's 'Motion Picture Soundtrack'). It is at once supremely moving and cathartic, a blend of perfect acting, and a brilliant way to fuse Akecheta's journey of self-discovery into his unique mode of saving the hosts, so different to Dolores.
It's extraordinary how what in effect is a newly introduced character could grant me such a strong investment in an hour-long exploration of his backstory, and as if that wasn't enough, we get a terrific performance from Simon Quaterman whose Lee Sizemore really has come full circle, and a further development of Ed Harris' William and his daughter Emily (Katja Herbers), which based on the preview for Episode 9 will be the basis for another great episode.
Note: I won't be including any of the very early 1930s/1940s Charlie Chan, Bela Lugosi etc. versions of this unfortunate tropes, mainly because I haven't seen enough to judge.
Jennifer Jones, Love is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955)
Context: Hollywood Golden Age star Jennifer Jones was nominated for an Oscar for playing Han Suyin, an Eurasian doctor in Hong Kong opposite William Holden's American correspondent, in this fairly formulaic 50s romance. How bad is it?: The makeup used on Jones isn't that heavy as far as 'yellowface' prosthetics are concerned, and to be fair the role of Han is given grace and dignity by the writing. On the whole, however, it is a fairly simplistic portrayal of an Asian character, the questionable casting is still questionable, and moreover the film surrounding it is just excessively bland. The Alternative: Given that William Holden, already a big name in Hollywood, was the lead, I'm sure they could've afforded to cast a slightly less known Asian actress in the role (though I doubt the film would've been any good regardless).
John Wayne, The Conqueror (1956)
Context: In the same year he made the racially questionable yet nevertheless critically acclaimed and iconic The Searchers, Wayne took on the even more questionable role in an altogether questionable film as he played Mongolian chieftain Genghis Khan in this ill-fated epic. How bad is it?: Hey, at least Wayne doesn't try doing an Asian accent. This is more or less just Wayne doing his usual thing with some casually thrown on yellowface, and much less comfort in the role than his usual Westerns. The Alternative: The film was a bad idea to begin with, probably best that it never got made.
Curd Jürgens and Robert Donat, The Inn of Sixth Happiness (1958)
Context: The first actually decent film on this list, following Gladys Aylward (Ingrid Bergman) a British missionary in China as she encounters a dashing Chinese military captain and a wise old Mandarin, played by the very German Curd Jürgens and the very British Robert Donat.
How bad is it?: I don't mind Donat's performance, plus it was the final performance of a great actor so I can't hate on it that much. He still dons the usual sort of makeup and facial hair associated with the stereotypes of the wise old Chinaman, but it's a dignified portrayal of a good and kindhearted, if simplistic, character that avoids any of the yellow peril tropes. Jürgens, unfortunately, is a bit of a bore in this, and I'd have much rather an actual Asian actor play his role.
The Alternative: Richard Loo would've been a good choice for Jürgens' role.
Mickey Rooney, Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)
Context: A side character in Truman Capote's source material exploited to full 'comedic' effect by Mickey Rooney and Blake Edwards.
How bad is it?: Absolutely dreadful. No words needed.
The Alternative: It would've been a bad character even if played by an Asian actor. Just excise it out, it's a shame because it does hamper an otherwise somewhat charming film.
Henry Silva, The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
Context: Pretty small role in the grand scheme of the plot, but the character of Chinese henchman Chunjin was played by the ery much Caucasian Henry Silva.
How bad is it?: It's basically a white guy playing a role that seems like it should have just cast an Asian character actor/stuntman in the role. It doesn't stand out too badly though and the rest of the film is pretty great.
The Alternative: As I said, it's such a minor role that surely just casting an Asian actor in the role surely wouldn't have hurt, especially considering that the film had Oscar-nominees Laurence Harvey and Angela Lansbury, and superstar Frank Sinatra, in the leads.
Peter Sellers, Murder by Death (1974)
Context: Basically a parody of the 30s/40s practice of having white guys playing Charlie Chan and an array of other Asian characters.
How bad is it?: It's a parody, not the most nuanced of parodies but a parody nevertheless, and Peter Sellers does a good job of selling it. I wouldn't consider this a bad example of yellowface as it's kind of taking the piss out of yellowface to begin with.
The Alternative: Honestly can't fault this, it's a spoof of a whodunnit and Sellers is basically doing a Chinese Clouseau. This probably wouldn't fly nowadays but for its time it's fine (I think).
Max von Sydow, Flash Gordon (1980)
Context: Emperor Ming is basically a parody of Fu Manchu, and this delightful if somewhat dated Technicolor cinematic frenzy amps it up several notches with the one-of-a-kind Swedish actor moving from his Ingmar Bergman roots, chilling villains and serious priests to play an extremely over-the-top VILLAIN.
How bad is it?: I don't mind this, despite technically being 'yellowface', as Ming is pretty much an Asian carciature in appearance only, which is in turn a reference to the original space opera comics. Sydow doesn't really do an Asian accent or anything, he's just really hamming it up as a villain, Raoul Julia in Street Fighter style, and it's entertaining and not really offensive I'd say since Ming is basically an alien entity.
The Alternative: John Carpenter's Big Trouble in Little China, a film I adore, rectified this a few years later by casting James Hong in a similar sort of over-the-top villainous role to great effect.
Linda Hunt, The Year of Living Dangerously (1982)
Context: Hunt won an Oscar for her portrayal of a Chinese-Australian dwarf and contact for Mel Gibson's journalist, Billy Kwan, who witness and cover the overthrow of President Sukarno against the backdrop of 1960s Indonesia.
How bad is it?: Ugh, this is the toughest one for me to cover. This is a great performance, no doubt, as Hunt grants such depth, pathos, humour and tragedy to a brilliantly written character and his plight. But I'd have loved for it to have been played by an actual Chinese actor. But considering how difficult the casting process must have been...I don't know. I really don't know. The quality of the performance, and the film, itself is unquestionably strong, even if the casting choice is somewhat questionable.
The Alternative: Eh, I can't speak for Peter Weir and his production team at all. They went with their gut feeling and it turned into an Academy Award-winning performance. Who's to say. And anyway, fast forward two more years and you had Haing S. Ngor winning an Oscar in the same category for a not altogether different kind of character and performance in The Killing Fields.
Eddie Murphy, Norbit (2006)
Context: In classic late 90s, early 2000s fashion Murphy took on multiple roles in this critical failure and box-office success, including a yellowface role as Mr. Hangten Wong, the kindly owner of an orphanage where the titular character (Murphy), his love interest (Thandie Newton) and his possessive wife (Murphy again) grew up in.
How bad is it?: Well this is certainly no The Nutty Professor as Murphy's multiple characters end up being fair more obnoxious than entertaining or endearing. Funnily enough, Mr. Wong is probably the least offensive caricature in the film, sure the yellowface is outrageous, but the character is far less demeaning than Murphy's career-low portrayal of the overweight, overwrought and mean-spirited Rasputia Latimore. So yeah, it's bad, but it's not even the most offensive case of racial stereotyping in the film.
The Alternative: Going off-topic a bit, I really hope Eddie Murphy makes a comeback at some point. Haven't been the biggest fan of most of his recent stuff but his 80s output involved some of my favourite comedies of all-time.
The Neo-Seoul Section, Cloud Atlas (2012)
Context: In this time-bending, genre-bending and sweeping epic, six timelines intertwine with one another with actors playing characters across a broad spectrum of personalities, ethnicities, and genders. I could write all day about the various facets of the film in this regard, but most notable is the use of 'yellowface' in the Neo-Seoul section on the actors Jim Sturgess, James D'Arcy, and Hugo Weaving, among others, to play Koreans.
How bad is it?: Okay, this film has something of a justified reason for this particular use. However, I have to say that I would personally have preferred that they cast an Asian lead for Jim Sturgess' character in this section (who could also possibly play the role of Adam Ewing in the first section). Having said that, I understand why they went the direction they did, and while the makeup was distracting in parts, I did think that on the whole it wasn't overly offensive, and James D'Arcy's is in particular rather decent. I do think it is one of the weaker sections of a strong film, though.
The Alternative: Casting an Asian actor in the role of Hae-Joo Chang and having him, like Doona Bae, play a wide range of nationalities across the other timelines.
Ben Kingsley, Iron Man 3 (2013)
Context: Sir Ben plays one of Iron Man's most (in) famous villains, a Chinese megalomaniac villain hell-bent on apparently taking over the Western World or something...who ends up being just a decoy villain, a terrorist persona used to mask the real mastermind and played by a drunkard Brit by the name of Trevor Slattery.
How bad is it?: It's a great stroke of writing by Shane Black, and honestly if the film had been backed up by a stronger villain I think it would've been much more acclaimed. I think this is an instance where Black rides the fine line brilliantly between being a caricature and being a menacing villain, as he is aware of his casting choice and uses it to subvert the racist notions of the original character. MCU did a similar thing with the character of Wong in Doctor Strange by changing him from a simplistic manservant to something more of a drill sergeant sort of character.
The Alternative: I mean, it'd have been quite something to see Kingsley play the full-blown villain we thought he'd be. Alternately, I think James Hong would have absolutely killed this role. Emma Stone, Aloha (2015)
A year before her acclaimed great performance in La La Land and a year after her acclaimed great performance in Birdman, there was this. Yeah, I don't think I'll ever see this Emma Stone portayal of a one quarter Chinese and one quarter Hawaiian descent woman. So uh...yeah. At least they didn't try to make her look or sound Asian in any way...but yeah. They could have, you know...yeah.
2017 was a very good year for film. My top 10 reflects the sheer diversity in types of films, in my opinion, that excelled within, and sometimes even transcending their stipulated genres. Two of them I'll discuss today - Logan, and Lucky (I should note also that Steven Soderbergh's Logan Lucky was a pretty good film too).We bid a fond farewell to the screen incarnations one of the most iconic pop culture characters ever, the X-Men universe's James 'Logan' Howlett/Wolverine, a role taken upon by Aussie unknown Hugh Jackman which propelled him into the spotlight.
Jackman was firstly seen in a negative light where fanboys expressed horror at the 6 foot plus fellow who'd mostly dabbled in soap operas and musicals up to that point playing the famously diminutive, violent anti-hero. Jackman's emboidment of the role, however, soon proved the naysayers wrong, and now he's pretty much synonymous with the role, and I for one can't see anyone else in it.
He established the brooding, quick-tempered beast with a heart in the first decent, if slightly workmanlike film and subsequently went on to star as the character in all of the succeeding X-Men films, from the good (X2, Days of Future Past, a cameo in X-Men: First Class)
the 'meh' (The Wolverine)
the bad (X-Men: Apocalypse)
the ugly (X-Men Origins: Wolverine and The Last Stand)
As you can see, there really wasn't much variation in terms of the portrayal of Logan in these films, but Jackman was always consistent in the role and more importantly, never at fault for any of their lesser elements. It took his last film though for them to grant him the right sort of material to give a truly memorable portrayal of the character. But more on that in a bit.
We also bid farewell to Harry Dean Stanton, one of the greatest character actors ever, in September last year at the age of 91. One of the most consistent staples of cinema over the past several decades, who began his career with bit parts in Oscar-friendly films like In the Heat of the Night and Cool Hand Luke, moving onto slightly more substantial, though still relatively minor, supporting roles in stuff like Straight Time, to his iconic run in the 1980s where he would steal the show in everything from loopy cult classics-to-be like Repo Man to a starring role in the fantastic Paris, Texas.
He also began quite the extensive collaboration with David Lynch, absolutely acing it in Wild in Heart, his Twin Peaks appearances as Carl Rodd (which he reprised to great effect last year), and in basically a few seconds in The Straight Story made tears well up for me. Stanton could make an impact with small, miniscule roles like any other - see Seven Psychopaths for another 'few seconds wonder' - and I for one can't think of a better presence to have in any film, whether it be a supporting role or in Lucky, a career-defining leading role. But more on that in a bit.
What both films do so beautifully is create a fitting love letter or farewell, one to the character and its portrayal, and another to the character actor. In Logan's case it is director James Mangold crafting a neo-western around the character of Wolverine, and applying this very particular type of vibe to emphasize the weary, downtrodden nature of this desolate individual, a man done with life who can't die, in a bleak future where majority of the mutants have been killed off, and he's forced to hole up with the somewhat useless Caliban (Stephen Merchant) and his mentor Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) who's suffering from a sort of dementia that renders his psychic powers extremely dangerous and uncontrollable.
Though funnily enough, at the outset Wolverine may be a bit less 'invested' and overtly 'angry' than in previous portrayals, the gory opening sequence shows that Mangold, Jackman and co. aren't messing around with this.
Lucky, of course, is an altogether more modest seeming film, also set by John Carroll Lynch in something of a Western landscape, a small desert town, and we see another man, the titular Lucky, going about his daily routine, living a life that has been lived, well or not. Before we see him react with the other townsfolk, Stanton and the film establish this very particular, yet also unfussy, sort of man who finds a certain ease in this humdrum sort of life, which some may criticise as being 'uneventful' but I find peculiarly fascinating, in the unassuming and quite hilarious way we see him grumpy yet not too grumpy dispoisition bounces off the other townsfolk he interacts with, whether he's doing a crossword puzzle at a cafe, buying cigarettes, going to the bar, watching old game shows on television, etc. This is not a portrayal of a dying man or overly cynical or miserable old man, this is instead a depiction of a content man who just happens to have lived a long life.
Logan, too, has lived a long life, and Hugh Jackman's physical portrayal of the character is quite marvelous. Just the way he shows how tough it is for him to heal his wounds, pushing his claws in, is outstanding in showing just how much the years have worn out his body and mind, and forced into a pattern where all he can do is care for the weakened professor and try to forget the somewhat happier days of the past. In the film, Logan is very much the old gunslinger of the Wild West whose best days are behind him, and who finds no pleasure in thinking back to the glory days, as well as contemplating thoughts of suicide which could only be attained by means of a single adamantium bullet. With Stanton's Lucky, the realization of mortality comes about when he collapses in his home one day. He treats it as no big deal, and indeed his doctor doesn't seem to think it's anything serious in terms of his health, but neither can he truly explain what's happening to Lucky except that he's, well, getting old. The frustrations in Lucky come not from a grief over what is happening to him, but rather not knowing what exactly is happening to him, or whether anything is happening to him at all. Whether he is simply existing, and will one day cease to exist.
Logan soon encounters a young girl, Laura (Dafne Keen), who at first just seems to be an exceptionally quiet orphan, but soon reveals herself to be a very deadly sort of 'clone' of Logan with similar adamantium claws, and a penchant for killing when necessary. After an utterly fantastic action sequence, where the two combine forces to protect Charles and escape from the clutches of the Revers, a bunch of nasty sorts sent to track her down for the facility she was housed in, the film turns into something of a road trip. The action sequences continue, of course, including a particularly great one in a hotel where Logan has to fight both henchman and Charles' uncontrollable psychic powers. Well it is here that Jackman's performance becomes a beautifully calculated bit of interactive work, where he brings out the rich history of Logan and Charles' relationship where the latter gradually finds inspiration in this new mutant, and encouraging Logan to take on a mentor, even fatherly role, to Laura, and Logan's gradually crumbling stoicism. The cynicism is still intact of course, in the scenes where he irritably tells his two travelling companions off, but in scenes like a dinnertable conversation with strangers where they ruminate over the past, this sense of a true friendship is beautifully drawn upon. With Dafne Keen, Jackman also finds something rather special in the gradualt development of his brutish insensitivity to her, to something of a genuine care and warmth that was always there, but which he tried to hide because those he cares about always get hurt.
Stanton, too, finds such a richness in his various interactions with the film's townsfolk, whether it's the more casual offhand conversations with the bartender or the bar owner, to his more deep yet never unpretentious philosophical musings about some higher ideas, his indifferent wisecracks to the doctor, to a truly haunting scene where one of the waitresses at the cafe comes to visit him at his home, where he briefly yet so hauntingly shows a real fear at life at some point ending, and him simply being gone from the earth. The interactions with his real-life good friend David Lynch, too, is remarkable, as Lucky's genially cranky nature plays off so well against his friend Howard's (Lynch) kooky and good-natured love for his tortoise. Lucky is a bit of a mess, not in a bad way, but simply a man just trying to get his bearings on what life, death, and the very nature of existence means, and means to him specifically. This frustration is released in scenes where he angrily confronts a lawyer seemingly trying to lynch off his friend (from Lucky's point of view), and the outburst of anger and sadness in this moment is rather amazing, as he finds a sadness in the plight of Howard's missing tortoise but an indignant, somewhat hilarious, anger at those trying to 'profit' off it.
This all builds up into one of my favourite scenes of the year, where as is requisite for Stanton he bursts into song, at the Mexican birthday party of one of his friend's son. It is an incredible scene just in its placement in the film, but also Stanton's vocal performance which is not just beautiful to listen to, but a beautiful development in the character's arc as he seemingly finds something, what we're not quite sure, but something rather special in the singing of the song.
There's another scene where he encounters a fellow WWII veteran in the cafe, too, where rather than being the one exuding something beautiful and extraordinary, he listens to a beautiful and extraordinary tale, brilliantly delivered by Tom Skeritt, and the film really makes you take it in the same way Lucky does, an unexpectedly moving sequence in a film which doesn't need dramatics to make you feel.
Things don't go all that smoothly for our characters as the film's pave their way to their conclusions, though. In Logan's case, some truly tragic events occur in the prelude to the third act, which lead to some absolutely phenomenal acting by Jackman in the scenes where he must handle a death and its fallout, as we get such a mesmerizing portrait of a man at the end of all things, unable to handle or contain his grief and finding it possible to express himself. With Laura, he expresses the sort of love one would expect from a father figure, but with the right amount of pain and anger at not her, but himself, in refusing to join her on her trip to escape across the border with her clone friends. The heartbreaking, haunting portrayal of Logan's grief in these scenes thus amplifies the subsequent action sequences all the more. These actually aren't the most imagintively staged action sequences ever, but they are some of the most memorable through Jackman's physical portrayal of the emotional and physical traumas he undergoes in making this final run, and clashing against a 'younger' version of himself in a battle to the bitter end.
With Lucky the stakes are not as high, but no less affecting, as Lucky comes into a confrontation with the bar he frequents when he lights up against the rules. This leads to the high point of his performance, the beautifully delivered monologue where he starts off by describing his life as having been leading to a point of utter nothingness at the end, yet the direction it takes of expressing something of a hope and comfort in this nothingness is outstanding. It's an incredible scene in his performance where you really feel the weight of his words on his back and yours, as he makes his deeply personal philosophy of embracing life as it is feel so specific to him, yet also so universal in its values, capped off by him hilariously, casually lighting up a cigarette after his work is done preaching to the masses.
Logan and Lucky both reach the high points of their spectacular characterizations and performances at their conclusions, in two truly mesmerizing farewells to them. In Logan, we bid a farewell to Logan the man as Jackman portrayed him, in an absolutely devastating final scene as he bids farewell to his daughter, encouraging her to stay away from the life he has led. I won't lie, every time I've re-watched the film, the power of this scene never leaves me dry-eyed, particularly in Laura's 'Daddy' and Jackman's final delivery of 'so this is what it feels like' when he feels death and accepts it with a certain calm and acceptance of what he's been searching for all his life, to be freed from its misery, and such a fascinating counterpoint to Lucky's final expression in Lucky, as he moves from a stoic, silent expression to a truly heartwarming smile, and Stanton then moves away from the camera, bidding farewell to us in his own customary, unassuming way. These are two of the greatest performances of 2017, in two of the greatest films of 2017, which make for such utterly absorbing goodbyes to one of our most beloved fictional characters, and one of the most beloved character actors.
