“Kiksuya”—the Lakota word for “remember” and the title of Sunday night’s Westworld episode—was a devastatingly beautiful change of pace, giving us some answers where questions are normally posed, and providing us with subtle (but not confounding!?!?!) clues to the direction of where this whole romp is headed.
Helmed by German director and cinematographer Uta Briesewitz, who took full advantage of the glorious red clay ground and epic horizons of Castle Valley, “Kiksuya” follows the awakening of Ghost Nation leader Akechuta (Lakota actor Zahn McClarnon), who seems to have come to consciousness before any other host even dreamed of it (including Dolores, ominously nicknamed “Deathbringer”). What spurred him was something as simple and relatable as love, and the cruelty of humans removing hosts who built lives with one another, only to replace them with “ghosts” who resemble them, but are not.
Spoilers.
On this week’s Westworld Conspiracy Corner, Senior Editor Joanna Rothkopf and I will break down what it means that Ake was woke before Dolores, what it means that Ford knew he was retaining his memories, whether Ford HAS ACTUALLY BEEN CONTROLLING DOLORES THIS WHOLE TIME (AHHH!!!), whether Logan is gonna croak and (gulp), whether or not they’re going to allow Maeve (the best host ) to die. Ugh! Also, whether the frick the door is actually really just the passage to the downstairs labyrinth? They’ve been looking for this stupid elevator the whole dang time? Come on, y’all.