We’ve been eagerly awaiting a visit to Delos’s samurai park Shogun World ever since Westworld‘s season one premiere teased us with its existence, and in season two’s fifth episode, titled “Akane No Mai” (“Dance of Akane), we’ll finally experience the more gory park in all its glory. And based on new images from the episode, Maeve might find some very valuable and dangerous allies there–if she can survive.
Last week’s post-credits teaser let us know we were finally ready to make our journey to the most anticipated park on the premises.
But somehow that didn’t quite capture the grandeur (or the HBO budget) of Shogun World the way these images do. First, we see how Maeve and her crew arrive there, with the recently returned (and awesome) Armistice bound and being led by someone on horseback in a Japanese robe. You can also see Lee in his adorable outfit in the back.
That animosity will at least partially abate at some point, as we see both Maeve and even Hector assimilating into their fellow hosts world.
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But it’s the images of the hosts from the park that are truly quite stunning, including looks at Akane herself, Rinko Kikuchi (Pacific Rim), as well as Hiroyuki Sanada (The Wolverine).
It’s not clear from these photos why Maeve is seen covered in blood in the teaser, but it certainly looks like some of the Shogun World hosts are preparing for battle. That could be as part of their narrative (it’s not clear whether they have truly realized their own freedom yet), for their own uprising, or to square off with one another the way Dolores has been killing hosts back in the Old West.
Speaking of “Wyatt,” we won’t be spending the entire episode fighting with katanas, because we also see her looking…concerned? surprised? angry?…while speaking to Teddy. Every strained interaction between them takes on added meaning since the season two premiere showed he ends up dead in the river.
But we expect most of this episode will have us dancing in Shogun World. Depending on how much Maeve can convince the hosts their to help her rise up and claim their freedom could determine on whether or not any of them return to Westworld with her.
What do you make of these photos? What do they mean for the episode? Tell us in the comments below.
Images: HBO
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