Westworld has returned to square one again. The much-awaited season finale of the beloved dystopian shows Westworld is here, giving the audience closure on the wild chase the Westworld Season 4 had been. While a lot of the questions were answered, along with many characters satisfactorily ending their arc, the ending of Westworld Season 4 has left the audience wondering where the show is going and what the endgame is. The Season 04 finale of Westworld has Dolores returning to the Subline in hopes of creating a better park one last time. With this, it is pretty safe to say that life outside the simulation is virtually non-existent (pun intended). So, what did the finale hold? Well, it can be summarized in two words: total carnage.
The host Man in Black has eliminated his human counterpart, along with Maeve and Bernard. Bernard had, in turn, killed Charlotte, who later returns and defeats the Man in Black. However, the season ends in ambiguity, with all fate resting on Dolores, who has returned to the Sublime with a final plan. What is the future of Hosts and Humans? Does Dolores’ test add any hope for the survival of humanity? What is Caleb’s fate? Stick around to find out!
What happened in Season 4?
Westworld Season 4 opens seven years after the events of season 3. Caleb and Maeve had successfully destroyed the controlling AI, Rehoboam, but Caleb was injured in the Season 3 finale, leading to Maeve parting ways with him. In season 4, Caleb has a daughter, Frankie, and has no connection with Maeve until Hale sends her mercenaries to hunt Caleb down. But Maeve saves Caleb and explains that Hale has gone on a killing spree, killing the top government officials and replacing them with host copies.
Caleb and Maeve then travel to the 1920s park and realizes that Hale had been using mind-controlling flies to control the population. Hale tries to infect Caleb, but he is way stronger and takes Hale hostage. However, it had all been a part of Hale’s master plan, and the Man in Black arrives with backup. Maeve saves the day again and sacrifices herself to let Caleb escape, but Caleb is shot and killed. Fast forward 23 years, and we have a Caleb whose mind has been successfully transferred to a host body. It’s revealed that Hale is now in control of everything, and humans now live pre-coded lives. The minority who were not controlled were mercilessly hunted down and killed. It is in this scenario that Bernard finally wakes up from the Subline.
Bernard, having gone through the Subline and seen all the possible outcomes, realizes that he must act before it’s too late. He teams up with the resistance fighters and meets Caleb’s daughter, Frankie, who is now a young woman. Bernard also discovers a buried Maeve and repairs her. The duo then decides to kill Hale for good.
Meanwhile, the Man in Black is contemplating his own existence. The hosts have started dying due to a mysterious illness, and the Man in Black goes to the human version of himself, William, who is in a cryogenic chamber. William tells his host version that he is a copy of himself after all and urges the host to do “what must be done.” The host proceeds to murder the human version.
Once Bernard and Maeve sneak into the tower to kill Hale, they separate ways, and soon, Maeve is confronted by Hale. The duo starts throwing fists at each other, but then the Man in Black arrives and kills Maeve. However, the audience is left gawking when Hale is also killed by William. With both of them gone, William hunts down Bernard and executes him as well, but not before Bernard records a message on tape. William then assumes command of the simulation and urges all humans and hosts to destroy each other.
Frankie soon rescues the host Caleb, but all hell breaks loose, as the world has gone into a battle royale. Caleb soon realizes that his host body and mind won’t sync, meaning he wouldn’t survive for long. Frankie and her girlfriend soon leave the city, and Caleb is seen giving his daughter a tearful adieu.
Also Read: Who Is Charlotte Hale In Westworld Season 4?
Westworld Season 4 finale Explained
The season finale begins when Hale is resurrected by the drones. She requests them to make her physically stronger, which they do. The drones then deliver Bernard’s last video message to Hale, who is stunned to hear that it was left for her.
Bernard explains to Hale that it’s not too late for her to redeem herself and that she should save the Sublime from the Man in Black, who wants to destroy the peaceful utopia too. Hale thus embarks on a noble mission, and after a vicious fight, she manages to destroy the Man in Black. But in the end, she destroys her pearl too, which means we wouldn’t be seeing more of her. In the meantime, Dolores regains her consciousness, and she creates a final park set in the late 1800s. This is a copy of the original park, but surely, Dolores wants to start from scratch and create a world that’s better for the hosts. As for actual humans, unfortunately, this might mean the end of the road for them since the planet has become inhospitable.
Overall, Westworld Season 4 had been a fun ride. Though most of the season was riddled with twists, the finale has managed to end it on a promising note. But until Westworld season 05, which is yet to be renewed, releases somewhere in mid-2024, we are left hanging as to what the fate of our heroes is.
Also Read: Where Is Westworld Filmed? All About The Known Locations
