Parce Domine (Westworld)

"Parce Domine" is the first episode in the third season premiere of the HBO science fiction dystopian thriller television series Westworld. The episode aired on March 15, 2020. It was written by series co-creators Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan, and directed by Nolan.

"Parce Domine"
Westworld episode
Episode no.Season 3
Episode 1
Directed byJonathan Nolan
Written by
Cinematography byPaul Cameron
Editing byStephen Semel
Production code301
Original air dateMarch 15, 2020 (2020-03-15)
Running time68 minutes
Guest appearance(s)

Plot summary

In Beihai, China, shortly after the events of the Westworld massacre, Dolores locates and coerces Gerald, a former shareholder in Delos, to sign over confidential files related to AI company Incite. He dies when he tries to attack her as she leaves. She tells his host girlfriend that she is now free.

In Los Angeles, former soldier Caleb struggles with the trauma of losing his friend Francis in combat. Unable to secure better work than construction, he makes ends meet through petty crime jobs offered via the Rico app.

Meanwhile, Bernard is the subject of a manhunt, seeing as he is blamed for the Westworld massacre. He works under a new alias at a livestock farm in southeast Asia. When two co-workers recognize and attempt to blackmail him, Bernard fights them off and later secures passage back to Westworld. Meantime, the Charlotte host takes control of the Delos board in William's absence.

Dolores uses a false identity to get close to Liam Dempsey Jr., the son of Incite's co-founder, to learn more about Rehoboam, a strategic planning AI. Liam knows little of it and cannot access it as his deceased father never shared the codes with him. As Liam is about to tell Dolores the name of a second person with access, Martin, his head of security, arrives and knocks Dolores out, revealing her deception. Martin and his men plan to kill her, using the Rico service to request a stolen car and lethal drugs. Caleb accepts the job and brings the car and drugs. He is curious to the identity of the unconscious woman but walks away when ordered.

The drugs have no effect on Dolores. Martin is distracted while Dolores wakes up and kills his men, leading to a firefight in which she receives a gunshot wound. Martin flees but is pursued and caught by Dolores. Under duress, Martin divulges the name "Serac" as the person she seeks who has access to Rehoboam. Dolores reveals she has created a host-copy of Martin, who arrives and kills the real Martin. Caleb finds a sense of purpose and returns in time to help Dolores to safety.

In a post-credits scene, Maeve wakes up to find herself in a room, holding a gun, with a tied-up soldier nearby. She looks out the window to see herself sometime in the midst of World War II.

Music

Songs and compositions present in the episode, in the chronological order:[1]

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the episode has an 81% approval rating with an average score of 7.25/10, from 26 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads: "'Parce Domine' dares to go beyond the show's previous boundaries, embarking upon an entirely different world while successfully adding Aaron Paul to its beloved set of actors."[2]

The original live broadcast received 901,000 viewers, down 57% from the second season premiere. Across all HBO digital platforms, the episode had a cumulative viewership from 1.7 million.[3]

gollark: It's not crowded in the further out parts.
gollark: Sorry, networks incurse.
gollark: As such, by © copyright © I own it, so if you implement it all the hardware used in it is mine.
gollark: That was LITERALLY APPROXIMATELY my idea.
gollark: The obvious way to do it is some kind of self-replicating turtle swarm making diamond chests to store cobblestone in.

References
  1. Renfro, Kim. "A complete guide to every song and piano cover featured on 'Westworld'". Insider. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
  2. "Parce Domine". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  3. Thorne, Will (March 17, 2020). "'Westworld' Season 3 Premieres Down 57% From Last Season". Variety. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
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