Westworld season one ended with a lot of uncertainty. Is Maeve still being controlled? How many parks are there? When will Dolores kill all humans? But the biggest question is one that lingered over the entire season: is [fill-in-the-blank character name] dead? (This question also applies to Game of Thrones.)
Characters dropped in and out of the narrative over the 10 episodes, while some, like Logan, were last seen tied-up naked on a horse, going who-knows-where. Thankfully, with less than two months left before the show returns for season two, the Westworld gang, including co-showrunners Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, cleared up any confusion about the fate of certain characters.
The Man in Black is, as expected, alive and “he gets a bit of damage done to him” in season two, according to Ed Harris. Poor Elsie (Shannon Woodward), who’s been missing since episode six, and the worker who came to rescue her, Ashley (Luke Hemsworth), are also still kicking. “They’re finally getting to experience Westworld as guests and not in the managerial halls,” Joy teased, “but I’m not sure they’re enjoying their experience.” The same goes for Delos honcho Charlotte (Tessa Thompson, who really needs more screentime). “She is back and causes trouble,” Joy said. “She went from this controlled person playing this chess game with Ford. He takes out her king and queen in one fell swoop. Now she’s left at the mercy of the hosts like everyone else.”
In fact, almost everyone from season one will be back — including “host” Clementine (Angela Sarafyan) and Dolores’ data-smuggling father Peter (Louis Herthum), who’s been bumped to series regular — with one major exception: Anthony Hopkins. We might see Ford again, but only a younger version in flashbacks “played by another actor at some point.”
Westworld returns to HBO on April 22.