Maeve Millay's Best Westworld Episodes Ranked By Toughness
HBO's "Westworld" transports audiences to a not-so-far-off dystopian future where humans and hosts alike are subjected to a world filled defined by control. This sci-fi drama has twists and turns in every season, with a very clear concept that examines what it means to truly be free.
The series begins by showing guests visiting Westworld, a park-like experience that's filled with what are referred to as hosts. Hosts are essentially robots that humans can interact with and treat however they see fit, as they aren't truly alive — or are they? At the very core of "Westworld" is the concept of what's real and what's not.
Luckily, the series brings together a collection of strong characters to guide you through this world. From Dolores to Bernard, "Westworld" presents plenty of personalities that audiences can get behind. Of course, such a diverse field brings up the argument of which character is the true savior of the series. However, one character has stood out to fans from the beginning — Maeve Millay. Portrayed by actress Thandiwe Newton, Maeve has become one of the most fascinating and capable characters in the show. She has the ability to control not just other hosts, but technology in general, making her a huge threat to those that oppose her.
Let's take a look at 10 of Maeve's best "Westworld" episodes ranked by her toughness!
10. The Winter Line - Season 3 Episode 2
Season 3 of "Westworld" sees Maeve navigate life as a host in the human world. However, before she joins humanity, she must first break out of her confinements — again. In Episode 2, "Reunion," Maeve finds herself trapped inside another simulation. However, this one is designed to make Maeve believe that she's in another park called Warworld.
Fortunately, Maeve quickly catches on. She deduces that nothing there is real and that she's in a simulation, soon devising a method of escaping. She does so by choosing to push the boundaries of her new prison, forcing the simulation to destroy itself. As if that isn't enough, Maeve then taps into a security robot in the real world and uses it to extract herself from the simulation. The best part? She does all of this without stepping one foot outside of Warworld.
Ultimately, this episode showcases the sheer will of Maeve's survival instincts. When you match that with her power to control technology, it becomes clear that Maeve is a character who can become virtually unstoppable.
9. Trompe L'Oei - Season 1 Episode 7
Towards the end of Season 1, Maeve becomes fully aware of her reality and is determined to change it — especially in regards to finding the daughter that she once had. Prior to becoming a madam at a brothel in Westworld, Maeve's storyline revolves around being a mother living with her daughter peacefully on a farm. Now that she remembers her past life, she wants it back. She wants to find her daughter, keep her safe, and be free.
In Season 1, Maeve uses that drive to persuade two Westworld lab technicians, Felix (Leonardo Nam) and Sylvester (Ptolemy Slocum), to help her escape the park. She tells them "At first, I thought you and the others were gods. Then I realized you're just men, and I know men. You think I'm scared of death, I've done it a million times. How many times have you died? Cause if you don't help me, I'll kill you."
According to many fans, this is one of the greatest moments for Maeve's character development, as it shows her strength and determination to succeed. She is not someone to mess with, and her delivery of this line solidifies her as one of the best characters in "Westworld" — period.
8. Les Écorchés - Season 2 Episode 7
Throughout Season 1 of "Westworld," Maeve becomes aware of her life in the park. She realizes how humans treat her kind, the so-called hosts, as less than themselves. It's what brings her to the unfortunate conclusion that the hosts are ultimately trapped in a loop of pain and suffering. After all, as multiple characters observe in "Westworld" — these violent delights have violent ends.
At first, Maeve sees William — aka the Man in Black as portrayed by Ed Harris – as the person who is responsible for most of her pain. She recalls how he once visited her and her daughter and murdered them both, an event that showed Maeve that she wasn't able to protect her family as a host. In the Season 2 Episode "Les Écorchés," things are much different. Maeve is able to defend herself against the Man in Black, and it's pretty epic.
She tells him that she's not a part of any park narrative before shooting and severely wounding him. She then takes control of the hosts he's with, causing them to turn on the Man in Black. Unfortunately, one of the hosts he's with is awake, which means that Maeve's unable to control him, which leads to the Man in Black surviving the encounter. However, this isn't the last time their paths would cross in the series. When it happens again, Maeve is ready. However, this episode is a massive demonstration of strength on Maeve's part, as she's able to break the cycle of violence and stand up to one of the biggest villains that "Westworld" has ever introduced to audiences.
7. Contrapasso - Season 1 Episode 5
In "Westworld" Season 1 episode "Contrapasso" Maeve has finally found a way to beat the system. After she goes through one too many violent experiences, Maeve begins to remember her previous lives. Not only does Maeve remember her daughter, but she also remembers all the violence and death that she's been subjected to. She begins to recall all different ways that she has been killed in the park by humans. She even manages to become cognizant during her time outside of the park, during the time when lab technicians fix her wounds to send her back into Westworld.
Throughout the episode, Felix, one of the lab technicians, shows concern over Maeve's continued presence in his lab. He experiences flashbacks as he and his partner Sylvester work to fix Maeve. During his off hours, Felix finds comfort in a side project he is working on to fix a host bird. At the end of this episode, Felix finally sees his bird flying and alive, just in time for a fully awake Maeve to get off his lab table and say, "Hello Felix. It's time you and I had a chat" as the bird comes and sits on her finger.
This episode is the first time audiences see a host who is truly awake and in control of her actions. She is aware of her surroundings and is interacting with humans outside of the park. Beyond that, this provides the audience with their first glimpse at Maeve's true technological power.
6. Generation Lost - Season 4 Episode 4
Season 4 sees Maeve develop a close relationship with Caleb (Aaron Paul), a human veteran who suffers from a traumatic past. Caleb and Maeve have built a friendship based on mutual trust and respect.
After a time jump from the Season 3 finale, audiences see that Maeve has chosen to live a life of solitude in order to protect Caleb and his family from being found by Hale (Tessa Thompson). This version of Hale has been taken over by Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood), who has turned Hale into a host and put her consciousness inside Hale's body. However, host Hale gets corrupted by the original Hale's memories, and she breaks away from what Dolores wants to achieve. This new version of Hale takes all the bad qualities of Dolores and the original Hale, making her an impressive villain for the series.
A curious Maeve plugs in to check on how Caleb has been doing after all of their years apart, which allows Hale to find them both and bring them right back into the fight. The two find themselves back where it all started — in Westworld. Unfortunately, Hale is ready for them, and Maeve makes an ultimate sacrifice in the hopes of saving Caleb. She squares off once more with the host version of the Man in Black. Maeve goes out in a blaze of glory to take him down. She triggers an explosion, putting herself at risk in order to save her friend. While this ultimately doesn't stop Caleb from being captured, it shows just how far Maeve is willing to go to protect the ones she loves.
5. The Well-Tempered Clavier - Season 1 Episode 9
One of the biggest twists in Season 1 of "Westworld" comes when the park's creator Ford (Anthony Hopkins) reveals that his partner Bernard (Jeffrey Wright) is a host rather than a human. What's more, poor Bernard has no idea about his true nature. He and everyone around him all assume that he is human.
In the Season 1 episode "The Well-Tempered Clavier," Bernard is tasked with taking a look at Maeve, as she's been behaving strangely in the park. Although Maeve is completely aware of what's happening to her, she decides to play along rather than bring any unnecessary attention to herself. She complies with Bernard's questioning, but he's not convinced and digs deeper into her coding. Bernard discovers that Maeve has made edits to her code. He attempts to flag these changes to those higher-up when Maeve grabs his arm. Bernard is shocked that he is unable to control her, but that's nothing compared to the information that she later reveals to him.
Maeve says the iconic words "Freeze all motor functions" to Bernard, which locks him in place just as so many humans have done to her and other hosts in the past. She expresses pity towards Bernard's realization that he's not aware of what he is. She then commands him to clear her for return back to the park. This is a huge moment for Maeve, as she's using her powers to help bend the world to her will. Beyond that, she finally reveals to Bernard the truth about what he really is.
4. Reunion - Season 2 Episode 2
Although "Westworld" is a story built around incredibly engaging characters, the main power struggle has seemingly always been between two powerhouse women — Maeve and Dolores. Both are hosts that break free of their confinement in Westworld. However, while Maeve fights for freedom and her family, Dolores wants to conquer humanity at any cost. The difference of opinions between these two women leads to some much-needed tension. It also allows viewers to question who's right and who's wrong and, as Observer writes, examine the best and the worst aspects of humanity.
In Season 2, Maeve and Dolores meet in a long-awaited confrontation. Both women have their loyal men standing by their side as they talk. Dolores has Teddy (James Marsden), while Maeve has Hector (Rodrigo Santoro). These are two men that both women love but ultimately lose — at least, for now.
Dolores asks Maeve to join her on her crusade to escape Westworld and make humans pay for all the pain they've caused. She sees Maeve's strength and knows that it would be an asset. However, Maeve wants nothing to do with her fight. Maeve questions her idea of freedom, pointing to Teddy and asking him if he's truly free. This is something that Teddy struggles with right up until the end of Season 2 when he destroys himself to escape the hold Dolores has over him. Maeve sees that by joining Dolores, she is ultimately exchanging one prison for another.
3. Kiksuya - Season 2 Episode 8
The Season 2 episode "Kiksuya" is not just a standout moment for Maeve, but for another character as well. Up until this point, Maeve has mainly been driven by the idea that she can find, protect, and save her daughter. However, in this episode, she's been severely hurt and is back with the lab technicians for repairs. While she is being fixed, she connects with another host in the park, Akecheta (Zahn McClarnon).
Akecheta reveals to Maeve that he has been awake for quite some time. He also explains that he owes his consciousness to her daughter, as she is partially responsible for helping him see the truth of Westworld. He shares with Maeve that he will defend her daughter while Maeve can't. Additionally, he states that he won't stop fighting for the protection of the hosts who want it. As he shares his story with Maeve, she sees the beauty in a person that she once regarded as violent and dangerous, truly detailing that you can't judge a book by its cover. Or, in this case, by the story that has been given by the humans who are in charge of Westworld.
This episode allows audiences to see that characters like Maeve and Akecheta are more than just their programming. That their need to protect and to love isn't just code, it's a choice that they have made. It argues that hosts are just as alive as humans.
2. The Passenger - Season 2 Episode 10
Once Ford realizes that the hosts are more than just machines, he sets things in motion to create a safe haven for them. He calls it the Valley Beyond, which is also known as the Sublime. Maeve works with Akecheta and his people to save as many hosts as possible, allowing them to reach the Valley Beyond. Ford created it with the intention that hosts could live together freely and safely away from humanity.
Unfortunately, Hale attempts to stop them from reaching this paradise, and Maeve makes the ultimate sacrifice to allow her daughter, Akecheta, and the other hosts to cross over. Hale uses a reprogrammed host to cause fighting and chaos within the other hosts. In order to stop the fighting, Maeve uses her power to stop them all so that the others can cross over. While she does so, she is shot down by Hale's human security. She seemingly dies knowing that her daughter will be safe, even if it means that she's likely to never see her again.
Luckily, once Season 3 picks up, audiences are relieved to discover that Maeve has survived the battle. However, she's trapped inside another maze and must use her wits to fight for her freedom. Luckily, she's driven by the comfort that her daughter is safe and by the knowledge that Akecheta would always look out for her, as he promised her in Season 2.
1. Akane no Mai - Season 2 Episode 5
Actress Thandiwe Newton spoke with Inverse about her character Maeve in "Westworld." She told the magazine that while she's happy with the character development she's been given over the years, she believes the original season of the show is its strongest. And while many fans may be inclined to agree with Newton, her character's toughest and greatest moment from the show isn't from Season 1, but from Season 2.
In Season 2, Maeve finds herself in Shōgunworld, a park that's influenced by Japanese history but holds similar storylines to Westworld. While Maeve and her team are held captive in this park, she's unable to use her power on the hosts as she's been attacked and choked, which results in the loss of her voice. Luckily, she taps into her power by using her mind, which ultimately gives her the ability to control hosts without uttering a word. She tells her team that she's found a new voice, symbolic of how she's grown away from being the complacent character we saw in Season 1.
Maeve uses her newfound power to control a ninja army that holds her and her team captive. By the end of the episode, Maeve has truly stepped into her own power as she picks up a katana and prepares to fight.