Episode 1x7 TROMPE L’OEIL

Dolores, William and Lawrence journey into treacherous terrain; Maeve presents her demand; Bernard considers his next move.

DOLORES: You must follow...
the maze.

Dolores run!

(GUNS FIRING)

How did you do that?

I imagined a story where
I didn't have to be the damsel.

DOLORES: Is there any chance
of making it out of here alive?

LOGAN: Settle in,
it's a long ride to the front.

BERNARD: I found some anomalies
in the park.

DR. FORD: These arе
the only ones' left

that Arnold built himsеlf.

This sort of thing troubles me.

Unmonitored hosts in the park.

The board will agree with me.

They'll be sending
a representative.

DR. FORD: Please...
don't get in my way.

THERESA: His leadership has
of late... been questionable.

ELSIE: I found the person
who was smuggling out our data.

It was Theresa, Bernard.

These modifications,
they're serious.

They could lie to us.

Maybe even hurt us
or the guests.

Despite what's in here,
we're not so different, are we?

Arnold?

(GASPS)

( theme music playing )

Charlie: Dad.

Dad.

Wake up.

Wake up.

I must've drifted off.

Where were we?

- The madman.
- Oh.

Of course. ( grunts )

The Hatter...

who says,

"If I had a world of my own,

everything would be nonsense.

Nothing would be what it is

because everything
would be what it isn't."

Everything would be
what it isn't?

Even me.

- ( monitor beeping )
- Hey.

You're perfect.

You're gonna beat this.

Hmm?

I promise you.

Now, let's skip
to something fun.

Dad.

- What is it, Charlie?
- Listen to me.

Listen.

Charlie?

- ( alarm beeping )
- Charlie!

Bernard: And finally, have you ever
questioned the nature of your reality?

No.

Good.

( beeps )

( sighs )

Now, then, I see you had

a blacklisted exchange
with a guest

in the course of your narrative.

Can you tell me what happened?

He said he wanted
to cut off a piece of me

to take home in his carry-on,

that he wanted to mount it
on the hood of his car

for his friends to see.

I told him
if he wanted a trophy,

I could cut pieces of him off and let
him fish for them in the Olvido.

And did this exchange make you
question anything about your world?

No.

This world is as doomed as ever.

And just for my peace of mind...

Anything about these images
that jumps out to you?

They don't look
like anything to me.

We're through
15% of the backlog.

As it stands, we should
be caught up by end of day.

- Good.
- And, uh, when you're done here, sir,

there's a priority request
for him from management.

Have you seen Elsie?

She was supposed to give me
a hand on something.

No. Uh, according to the system,

she started her leave today.

Is there something
I could help you with?

No, thanks.

( train whistle blows )

Raise.

I'll call.

You're calling with that shit?

Dolores, why don't
you play a hand?

You're wasting your breath.

Girl's harboring a grudge.

I don't blame you, sweetheart.

I did some ugly things
to you both.

But it wasn't personal.

Confederados and the government
like to call this thing a war,

but they're fighting
starving farmers

armed with rocks.

That ain't no war.

It's a slaughter.

If I had to do it all again,

I'd fuck you both over
just as hard.

Well, I guess we know
where you stand.

Don't pretend
like you're so innocent.

Way I recollect,
y'all came to me,

looking to join up with those crooked
assholes and their war effort.

Not our idea.

My friend wanted--

I guess he wanted to see what
was at the end of all this.

And yet, here you are.

Your friend
didn't make it this far.

Maybe you've got more of an
appetite for this than you think.

William.

What is it?

We're in Ghost Nation territory.

Most savage tribe there is.

Those are the folks who came
calling without an invitation.

You mean exactly what
we're doing right now?

( metal clangs )

The train's
the only way through.

On foot we'll be dead
in under an hour.

( rifle clicks )

As soon as we're clear of
their territory, we can stop.

You can come with me. Nothing
here on out but slaughter.

( line ringing )

Man's voice: The user you are
trying to access cannot be located.

Say "message"
to transcribe a message.

You wanted to see me?
Is everything okay?

You left rather
abruptly last night.

Was there something
you wanted to tell me?

No, I don't think so.

Hale is looking over
every department

and yours is running behind
on diagnostics.

It would be best if we presented

at least a semblance of professionalism
while the board is here.

We'll be fine.

My people know
how to do their jobs.

If they applied half as
much energy to their work

as they have to second-guessing
my team's investigation--

That's all over.

Are you sure?

Yes.

Good.

You doing okay?

I'm fine. Thank you.

( man and woman moaning,
grunting )

( thudding )

( both panting )

I'm sorry. I thought you
requested a meeting.

- My mistake.
- I did.

Come in.

( panting )

Get back here.

Bring your friend.

What about you?
What turns of fate--

- ( beeps )
- ( powers down )

I could come back later
if this isn't a good time.

This won't take long.

( door closes )

Theresa, you've always
been good at your job

and the board has been impressed
with your performance so far,

which is why we were so surprised
by this woodcutter mess.

A small setback.

He slipped on a fucking rock
and bashed his own head in

while basically on top
of a behavior tech.

Meanwhile, Ford is suddenly
using half the park's resources

to build some new narrative?

Can I bum a cigarette?

God, I see why
you took these up again.

Let me remind you of something.

This place, the people
who work here are nothing.

Our interest in this place is entirely
in the intellectual property.

The code.

The hosts' minds,
the storylines--

I don't give a rat's ass
about the hosts.

It's our little research project
that Delos cares about.

That's where the real value is.

And due to a lack of foresight

on part of one
of my predecessors,

35 years of information--

raw information-- exists here.

Nowhere else.

Ford has always ensured that.

Now, you are
a smart enough woman.

Tell me, why would we need
you to secure all of it?

Because you're
going to fire him.

You don't fire someone
who created an empire.

You ask him to retire politely.

And if that person has the
ability to snap his fingers

and erase the value
of that empire,

you have to make sure
you have a contingency.

So, you and I need to ensure

that by the time
the rest of the board arrives,

we are on course
for that transition.

Okay?

I like you.

Well, not personally,
but I like you for this job,

which is why I'm gonna
give you another chance

to get a handle on this
particular bitch of a situation.

But the gods...

they require a blood sacrifice.

We need to demonstrate
just how dangerous

Ford's creations can be.

No.

( chuckles )
No, nothing so obvious.

We need someone
thoroughly unexpected.

( piano playing )

( chatter )

( piano stops )

I told you never open
your mouth that wide

unless someone's
paying you for it.

Sorry, Maeve.

I didn't sleep much last night.

What are these nightmares
you have about?

Do you ever dream
you're someone else?

I don't think so.

Why?

You ever thought about whether
this is really the life you want?

I don't intend to make
this my life's work.

No offense.

Mm.

My family's got a farm.

Bad soil. Nothing grows.

I send money back to them.

They think I work in a dress shop.
( chuckles )

What's wrong?

I'm just doing
what you told me to.

A couple more years
of this and...

then I can have
whatever life I want.

I'm gonna get my family
out of the desert.

We're gonna go somewhere...

cold.

Someday.

( door opens )

Man: Which one is it?

Man #2: It's the one at the bar.
Go.

Quick, before the guests
upstairs finish up.

Whatever she did,
it must've been serious

if they're making us
grab her in broad daylight.

( tablet beeping )

Man #2: We got her. Let's go.

( chatter resumes )

You're supposed to be resting.

We're riding a train full with
explosives through scalping territory.

Not sleepy.

Can I ask you something?

This place you're looking for,

what makes you
so sure it exists?

I'm not.

My life before,
I was so sure of the world.

But now it feels like a lie.

Only thing I know is whatever's
out there, I'm never going back.

What is it you're looking for?

Lawrence is right.

You could've stayed in
Pariah or gone back,

but you're here.

With me.

( chuckles )

The only thing I had when
I was a kid were books.

I used to live in them.

I used to go to sleep

dreaming I'd wake up
inside one of them

'cause they had meaning.

This place, this is like I woke
up inside one of those stories.

I guess I just wanna
find out what it means.

I don't wanna be in a story.

All I want is to not
look forward or back.

I just wanna be...

in the moment I'm in.

Dolores,

back home,
there's a woman, Juliet,

and her father owns the
company where I work.

She's, uh, Logan's sister.

Yeah.

And when I get home,
we're getting married.

Oh.

The place you're after,
I will help you find it.

But I can't stay.

I have a life waiting for me.

I'm sorry.

Of course.

Dolores.

I've been pretending
my whole life.

Pretending I don't mind,
pretending I belong.

My life's built on it.

And it's a good life.
It's a life I've always wanted.

But then I came here

and I get a glimpse for a second

of a life in which
I don't have to pretend.

A life in which
I can be truly alive.

How can I go back to pretending

when I know
what this feels like?

( both panting )

( gasps )

Dr. Ford: Miss Hale.

I was not aware those
with your level of insight

needed any more reflection.

Dr. Ford. Always charming.

What is this?

Apparently, Miss Cullen
and Miss Hale

have a presentation for us.

What about?

Following the recent reports
of host malfunction,

we asked QA to check
the last abortive update,

which featured the reveries,

- as I believe they're called.
- Mm-hmm.

I'm sorry to report that
Miss Cullen and her team

uncovered some
worrisome findings.

In the course
of our code review,

we found something
quite disturbing.

Wake her up.

We set Clementine Pennyfeather
back to her previous update.

When we discovered
the build was buggy

due to a last-minute injection
of the reverie code,

we quickly rolled all the infected
hosts back to their prior builds.

Mm, you're new.

Not much of a rind on you.

( grunts )

( labored breathing )

- No!
- ( grunts )

No! No!

No, no.

( gasping )
No, no, no...

( gasps, grunts )

Please. Please.

Help me!

Please, please, please!

- No! ( screams )
- All right, that's enough.

Freeze.

As you've no doubt gathered,

our tech is, in fact, a host.

One that has been coded for the
purposes of this simulation

to read as a human.

And as you can see,
behavioral safeguards

are operating
exactly as you would expect.

Reset her. Wipe her memory.

( gasps )

Okay, let's do this again.

( inhales, gasps )

You're new.

Not much of a rind on you.

( grunting )

- ( bone cracks )
- ( screams )

( metal clanging )

( man groaning )

( screaming )

- Stubbs: That's enough, sweetheart.
- ( gun cocks )

That's enough.

Freeze all motor functions.

Freeze all motor functions.

Freeze all motor functions.

( sighs )

- ( gunshot )
- ( gasps )

In each case we examined,
the malfunctioning hosts

were not resetting properly.

The retention of data
that hadn't been wiped

overloaded their
decision-making apparatus,

eventually causing
a system failure

that allowed for override
of their primary rule set.

The concern with the reveries

is that the hosts will remember
some of their experiences

and act on them.

You're telling us
that these hosts

were responding to a grudge?

That's exactly what I'm saying, Mr. Lowe.

And funny you should use that
particular word, "grudge,"

since what was
most troubling to me

was that several techs
in behavior

voiced these exact same concerns

to the head of their department.

You put this code out
without proper vetting

and without reasonable understanding
of its ramifications.

So, either you didn't write it

or you're getting sloppy

to the point of risking
the lives of our guests.

Few things surprise me
anymore, Mr. Lowe,

but this level of negligence
is fucking breathtaking.

We are way beyond
rollback territory.

Within the next six months,

we'll need to rebuild the hosts

from the ground up.

You want us to lobotomize
them is what you're saying.

No, not you, Mr. Lowe.

After all, this was
your responsibility,

assuming that you have
nothing to share with us

in terms of your culpability.

No.

Then you're fired.

( chuckles )

William: Hey.

Morning, William.

I-- I didn't wanna wake you.

I know...

last night was unexpected.

If you regret it...

I don't regret a thing.

I know you have someone
waiting for you at home.

All that feels so unreal now.

I used to think this place
was all about...

pandering to your
baser instincts.

Now I understand.

It doesn't cater
to your lowest self,

it reveals your deepest self.

It shows you who you really are.

You remember the look on Logan's
face when we left him behind?

Do you know how long
I've wanted to do that,

to let him know
what I think of him?

And you, last night,

I've never felt that way
before, not with any woman.

You've unlocked something in me.

I'm not a key, William.

I'm just me.

What is that?

I don't know.

At home, I used to paint.

Landscapes mostly,
but I was always just...

copying the world outside me.

This morning,
I woke up and I thought...

"What if I drew something new?"

I imagined something beautiful.

A place where
the mountains meet the sea.

Everyone who comes here is longing
for excitement or conflict,

and you're just...

dreaming of the opposite.

Well, what about you, William?

What do you dream of?

- ( brakes screeching )
- ( William grunts )

( hissing )

( grunts )

Yah!

( horse neighs )

What is it?

- Ambush.
- Is it the Ghost Nation?

Worse. The Confederados.

( glass shattering )

( chuckles )

( latch clicks )

( horse snorting )

Fucking coward.

Vaya con dios, motherfuckers.

- ( grunts )
- ( horses neighing )

( gunfire )

They're making a run for it!
Come on, boys, get up!

- ( gunfire continues ) -
Lawrence: Come on, stay close!

( horse neighs )

Ah!

Ah!

( gasps, grunts )

( panting )

Confederado: Go, boys!

Yah!

William: Dolores!

( Dolores grunting )

Confederado:
Go, go! Take 'em down!

( Gatling gun firing )

Go, go!

( groans, grunts )

- ( arrows thudding )
- ( grunts )

Ghost Nation!

( natives whooping )

( horse neighs )

Ah!

Ah!

Let's go!

Stop, William! Stop!

( horse neighs )

It's real...

what I dreamt.

It's the place you drew.

Lawrence: You coming?

Once the Ghosts is done acquainting
themselves with those poor bastards,

they'll be coming after us.

My friends here are itching
to join the war effort.

Think I've had enough of war.

How about you?

You got a knack for killing.

I'm afraid this
is where we part ways.

Careful.

If you're heading west
across that river,

you may be leaving
the fighting behind,

but you're gonna be
in unclaimed territories.

What's out that way?

You're gonna have
to ask the dust.

Ain't nothing
ever come back from there.

( horse neighs )

( monitor beeping )

We're almost done here.

Why don't I close up?

Lutz: You've been topside
for less than 24 hours.

You keep coming down this often,
people are going to notice.

- Where's Clem?
- I don't know.

I haven't seen her. Why?

Find her. Now.

What?

Where is she?

I don't know.

She's here. Let's go.

We can't.
The brass will be there.

You don't want
to fuck with me, Felix.

Take me there now.

Slow down.

Tilt your head back,
please, Clem.

- Is there a problem?
- No.

( drill whirring )

Sylvester: Sorry.

Theresa.

May I have a word?

Sure.

( drill stops )

I appreciate
your professionalism,

but you really don't
need to bother with this,

given the change
in your employment status.

The test was a sham.

The little show
you and Hale put on?

Completely transparent
from a technical perspective,

clumsy to the point of
making me embarrassed for you.

- Embarrassed?
- If I saw through it,

I can only imagine
what Ford was thinking.

There were glaringly
obvious markers

of human intervention
in the code.

If your programmers were any
good, they'd be working for me.

And I know you and your team
were responsible for the stray

and its satellite transmission.

- Bernie--
- I don't care.

40 years ago,

Ford's partner wrote half the
code this place was founded on.

What you said in
the lab was right.

We don't know
how the hosts work,

and I think there's
something wrong with them.

Ford's explanation
only bolsters my hunch.

The ability to deviate
from program behavior

arises out of the host's
recall of past iterations.

You're thinking there's a
connection between memory and--

And improvisation, yes.

Out of repetition
comes variation.

And after countless
cycles of repetition,

these hosts, they were varying.

They were on the verge
of some kind of change.

You have to know
my chief concern

has always been the well-being of
this park and the people in it.

I know.

Which is why I need
to show you something.

( elevator beeps )

- Sylvester: Talk to her.
- Lutz: You first.

Look, I didn't want
to retire her.

I know she's, like, your friend,

or-- I guess.

( sighs )

But-- but if I didn't do it,

they-- they'd just
get someone else to,

and then they'd be
suspicious of me, so...

so I said yes.

But I did it for you.

Always doing things for
other people, aren't you?

Time to do one more thing.

What?

All my life, I've prided
myself on being a survivor.

But surviving
is just another loop.

I'm getting out of here.

You two are going to help me.

( scoffs )

No. Do...

Do you know how far
these people will go

to protect their IP?

Every part of this building,
including the skin on your back,

is made to keep you here.

( sighs )

It-- it'd be a suicide mission.

At first, I thought you
and the others were gods.

Then I realized you're just men.

And I know men.

You think I'm scared of death?

I've done it a million times.

I'm fucking great at it.

How many times have you died?

Because if you don't help me...

I'll kill you.

( chuckles )

If there's a problem
in the park,

should we bring a security team?

Who would we trust?

Thought I could trust you,
for instance.

I'm not going to explain
myself to you, Bernard.

I was charged with safeguarding
the park's intellectual property.

Why would it be in danger?

You were the only one
who was stealing it.

Delos owns the hosts' minds,

the storylines, decades of work.

Ford never allowed any of it
to be backed up off-site.

All of this
could've been destroyed.

In the event of what?

Ford is done, Bernard.

The board has indulged him
for long enough.

He is done.

The corporation was concerned

he'd destroy all of the park's
IP on his way out the door.

You think I would've let him destroy
all of the hosts, all of our work?

There's far more at stake here
than the hosts' profiles.

Do you really think the
corporation's interest here

are tourists playing cowboy?

The longer I work here,

the more I think
I understand the hosts.

It's the human beings
who confuse me.

( crickets chirping )

This building isn't
in any survey of the park.

That's because we use hosts
to do most of the surveys.

They're programmed
to ignore this place.

They literally couldn't see it

if they were
staring right at it.

And these unregistered hosts
you told me about?

I don't know.

He may have moved them.

What's behind this door?

What door?

Theresa: What is this place?

Bernard: It's a remote
diagnostic facility.

Ford and his partner used them
when the park was in beta.

I had no idea this one was here.

The cottage must've
been built on top of it.

But this equipment.

This is newer.

Slower than our machines
back at the mesa,

but it will render a host
in a few days.

So, Ford's been making his own
hosts out here and telling no one.

What's the matter?

Um...

Have you seen these?

What is this, Bernard?

Doesn't look
like anything to me.

Dr. Ford: They cannot see the
things that will hurt them.

I've spared them that.

Their lives are blissful.

In a way, their existence
is purer than ours,

freed of the burden
of self-doubt.

No, no, no, no.
I don't understand.

You're a fucking monster.

Am I?

Well, you were the one who would
so blithely destroy all of them,

even him, I suppose.

After everything
you have shared.

What the hell
are you talking about?

Is that why...?

Did you tell him to--?

Dr. Ford: The intimacies
were your idea,

if you will recall.

I think Bernard
was glad of the company.

Bernard: I'm not one.

I can't be.

My wife.

My son.

The burial.

I was a father.

My poor boy.

( labored breathing )

That's enough, Bernard.

( powers down )

You mustn't get
yourself worked up.

I read a theory once

that the human intellect
was like peacock feathers.

Just an extravagant display
intended to attract a mate.

All of art, literature,
a bit of Mozart,

William Shakespeare,
Michelangelo,

and the Empire State Building--

just an elaborate mating ritual.

Maybe it doesn't matter

that we have
accomplished so much

for the basest of reasons.

But, of course,
the peacock can barely fly.

It lives in the dirt,
pecking insects out of the muck,

consoling itself
with its great beauty.

I have come to think of so much
of consciousness as a burden,

a weight, and we have
spared them that.

Anxiety, self-loathing, guilt.

The hosts are the ones
who are free.

Free here under my control.

But he's not under your control.

He brought me here
to show me this.

No. He brought you here
because I asked him to.

He's been very loyal
for many years.

Your time running this place

like your insane little kingdom

is over.

You've been playing God
for long enough.

I simply wanted
to tell my stories.

It was you people
who wanted to play God

with your little undertaking.

Do you really think the
board will stand for this?

( chuckles )

The board will do nothing.

Our arrangement
is too valuable to them.

They test me every now and then.

I think they enjoy
the sport of it.

This time, they sent you.

Sadly, in order
to restore things,

the situation demands

a blood sacrifice.

See, Arnold and I designed
every part of this place.

It was our dream.

Did you really think

I would let you take it from me?

This is what happened to Arnold?

Did you have Bernard
take him out into the woods?

No, he wasn't here
in those days.

Were you, Bernard?

( beeping )

Like I said,

I built all of this.

I'm afraid our guest
has grown weary.

Perhaps you can
help her, Bernard.

No.

"And in that sleep,
what dreams may come."

Bernard.

No. No!

Please! Please! ( crying )

- ( screaming ) No!
- ( thuds )

( thuds )

Dr. Ford: We should be
getting back, Bernard.

We have a great deal
of work to do

on the new storylines.

( music playing )