Chestnut (Westworld)

"Chestnut" is the second episode in the first season of the HBO science fiction western thriller television series Westworld.

Logan Delos brings his friend William to Westworld, and encourages him to take in the more carnal delights of the park.

The next morning, William helps return a dropped tin of food to Dolores and leaves with a tip of the hat.

After Dolores leaves, Maeve's performance with the guests declines, which is noticed by the park staff, and Elsie suggests increasing her intuition to compensate.

Later, Maeve is witness to a drunken guest killing Teddy, which triggers her own flashback to the Man in Black chasing her and her daughter.

Dr. Ford takes Bernard into the park to show him a Christian shrine he found earlier that will serve as the basis for this narrative.

"Chestnut" was written by series co-creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, based on the premise of the 1973 film of the same name by Michael Crichton.

[2] In an interview, The composer of the show Ramin Djawadi spoke about the piano interpretations of Radiohead's "No Surprises" used in the episode.

The site's consensus reads "Aided by its excellent ensemble cast, Chestnut deepens and expands Westworld's captivating mythology by revealing the park through the eyes of a first-time guest and diving further into the lives of its robotic residents.

[7] Scott Tobias of The New York Times wrote in his review of the episode; "Creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy have made some big conceptual changes in adapting Crichton’s film for television, most notably the attention they've given to the androids' perspective.

Club wrote in his review, "'Chestnut' isn't as effective a mood piece as 'The Original'; it's functional in necessary ways, settling down to the business of being an actual TV show and not just an evocative one hour film.

[9] Liz Shannon Miller of IndieWire wrote in her review, "What's most intriguing about Westworld is that the imperfections of this world are profoundly tied up in its mysteries.