8) William Is The Man In Black
Confronted by the Man in Black, Dolores proclaims that her beloved William is coming to save her. He, however, tells her no one is coming for her and reveals what really happened to William. After Dolores ran away from him, he explored every corner of Westworld – and the darker edges of himself in the process. In an effective sequence, we see a hardened William, decked in some new togs, put on the black stetson… and age up into Ed Harris in an instant.
After last week’s episode heavily hinted at just this outcome – as William snapped, murdered a load of hosts and then threatened Logan – most viewers guessed who the villainous Man in Black really was. It’s a testament to the writing and performances of this show, then, that even though many of us saw it coming, the reveal of the MiB’s identity was still a shocking and effective moment when it finally occurred.
What’s even more satisfying is Dolores besting the old man in a fight soon after – even dragging him through the church just like he dragged her to the barn to rape her back in the first episode. Despite – or perhaps because – we now know he was once the kindly William, it’s hard not to cheer as Dolores finally gives her oppressor his comeuppance.