The Stray (Westworld)
"The Stray" is the third episode in the first season of the HBO science fiction western thriller television series Westworld.
Teddy's programming is updated by Dr. Ford to seek out and kill his old Union army sergeant Wyatt, now the leader of a cult that terrorizes the countryside.
When he brings Dolores into the Mesa for a checkup, he gives her a copy of "Alice in Wonderland" to read, Charlie's favorite story.
Bernard asks Dolores if, given the choice, she would question her own existence or stay safe, and she replies she would want to be free.
Elsie and Ashley track down a stray host in the park, finding he had carved constellations in rocks despite not having been programmed with that knowledge.
[2] The scenes in which Elsie and Ashley track down a stray host who then self-destructs were filmed at Corriganville Park in Simi Valley, California.
[3] In an interview, composer Ramin Djawadi spoke about the hosts playing piano in the episode instead of the humans.
The site's consensus reads "The Stray furthers character evolution while providing juicy backstory and twisty plot progression.
[8] Scott Tobias of The New York Times wrote in his review of the episode; "The slight hiccups in Dolores' routine are beautifully handled here.
By now, we've seen the shot of her finding the wandering cattle on the ranch and saying 'Father wouldn't let 'em roam this close to dark' several times.
When it strikes her again in a confrontation with her parents' attackers, she recognizes the loops well enough to slip her grim fate and head for the hills.
[10] Liz Shannon Miller of IndieWire wrote in her review, "The last 20 or so minutes of 'The Stray', in general, are probably the most violent and grotesque of the show to date—between the battle with Wyatt's marauders, the Stray bashing his own brains in and Dolores shooting Rebus dead after an attempted rape.
There's also, frankly, more drag than in the previous two weeks, thanks to some exposition dumps that do bring a new level of enlightenment to the show, but don't move as briskly as they might.
