Season 2, Episode 8 of Westworld, “Kiksuya”, was a powerful hour of storytelling that featured Akecheta revealing how he gained consciousness and telling his very long journey. The episode started with a struggling Man in Black fighting for his life while crawling to water, until Akecheta came and took him as a prisoner to the Ghost Nation campsite—where Maeve’s daughter was. Meanwhile, Maeve was also trying to survive in the Mesa, and the stories intertwined and led to one of the better episode endings of the series.
The events in “Kiksuya” really put the present events of Westworld into motion, starting nearly 35 years ago. There could have been some hidden misdirection, but “Kiksuya” appears to be a straightforward timeline explanation of Akecheta’s journey:
Nearly 35 years ago
-Akecheta is in the park with a “warm, easy life” as a member of native tribe. He had the love of his life (likely his wife), Kohana, and lived a peaceful life he was content with.
-Akecheta’s life is changed when he is the first host to discover the Escalante massacre, in which Arnold set himself up to be killed by Dolores. Both Arnold and Dolores, along with many others, were all dead. At a nearby saloon Akecheta found Arnold’s Pigs in Clover toy (the maze).
-Akecheta was obsessed with the maze pattern and began drawing it everywhere. He says the maze caused him to “hear a new voice inside.”
-Dr. Ford’s new narrative ahead of the grand opening of Westworld to the public caused Akecheta to be reprogrammed as the leader of Ghost Nation, separating him from Kohana.
About 30 years ago
-Akecheta remained on a loop, killing his enemies with his other Ghost Nation members, though knowing he could not harm the guests.
-One day, Akecheta basically followed his voice inside and rode to the outskirts of Westworld, where he discovered an incoherent Logan, who was abandoned by William and just looking for a way out of the park. William asked Akecheta, “where’s the door? This is the wrong world,” which haunted Akecheta.
-Akecheta returned to Ghost Nation and then eventually to his old home to trade items, but he saw Kohana and instantly recognized her. However, Kohana did not recognize him.
-Akecheta said “the past was calling” him, and he returned to the edge of the park to look for Logan to find out more. Logan was gone, but Akecheta found “The Door” that William had shown Dolores (back in Season 2, Episode 2).
-He knew the outside world, through “The Door”, was better, and that his memories would be safe there. But he would not leave Westworld without Kohana.
-After going back to his old home and capturing Kohana during the middle of the night, Akecheta took her to the outskirts of the park, in search of the door. Kohana did not recognize Akecheta, but he then wiped off his Ghost Nation war paint and calmly said: “Take my heart when you go.” This triggered something in Kohana, who replied, “take mine in its place” and remembered Akecheta.
-They both planned to get out of Westworld and into the real world. However, “The Door” was gone, and Kohana was discovered by QA and taken back to the Mesa.
The next 9 years
-Akecheta again went back to his old home, hoping to find Kohana. But when he went into the tent in the middle of the night, she had been replaced with a “ghost.” It was a new host in Kohana’s place.
-Over the next nine years, Akecheta remained in Westworld, going to different places in search of Kohana. He avoided getting into conflicts because he did not want to die and potentially lose the memory of his love.
-Once, Akecheta was on the edge of death after an attack by a group of park guests, but Maeve’s daughter gave him water—and the drive to keep going on his journey. He made it a mission to protect Maeve and her daughter for what the daughter did for him.
-Akecheta again visited his old home, where his old friend Wichipi (who didn’t remember him) talked of her son also being replaced.
-Finally, after nine years, Akecheta decided to die and see if he would find Kohana on the other side of death.
21 years ago
-Akecheta allowed a guest to finally kill him after nine years.
-The techs were stunned that Akecheta hasn’t died in nine years, and he needed a four-hour update.
-After the techs left him during the update, Akecheta snuck away and found cold storage, where out-of-commission hosts were kept.
-Akecheta spotted Kohana, and he was happy at first. But he then realized she was a host not being used anymore. He also spotted Wichipi’s son behind Kohana.
-Back in the park after the update, Akecheta went back and presented Wichipi with a braid of her son’s hair.
-Akecheta now made it his mission to put the maze symbol wherever possible with the hope of planting the seed of consciousness into other hosts—including by putting it into his men’s scalps.
About 1 year ago
-Akecheta tried to tell Maeve and her daughter about the maze, but Maeve thought the Ghost Nation warrior was trying to hurt them. So Akecheta drew the maze outside Maeve’s home for them to discover.
-The Man in Black kills Maeve and her daughter, who end up in the middle of the maze drawn in the dirt.
Within the last year
-Akecheta discovered Dr. Ford cutting the scalps of frozen Ghost Nation warriors, who had the maze carved into them. Ford performed analysis on Akecheta and forced him to tell why he was sharing the maze. Akecheta explained he was trying to lead the hosts to the outside world. Ford helped forward Akecheta’s plan: “When the Deathbringer returns for me, you will know to gather your people and lead them to a new world.”
About 11 days ago
-Akecheta found Ford dead in another massacre, so he again began searching for “The Door” to get to the real world.
End of “Kiksuya”
-Akecheta captured the Man in Black and began telling Maeve’s daughter the story of his journey.
-Lee Sizemore told QA that Maeve has the ability to control other hosts with her mind.
-Emily arrives to Ghost Nation camp, and Akecheta allows her to take the Man in Black.
-It’s revealed that Maeve (through her daughter) and Akecheta have been communicating the entire episode. Akecheta vows to protect her daughter and tells her to find them if she stays alive, or to “die well.” Maeve responds: “Take my heart when you go.”
Other thoughts
-After discovering the maze in a scalp during Season 1, the Man in Black has wanted to get to the end of it. So he apparently does not realize the maze is something for the hosts to find consciousness, which Akecheta has been planting around the park, and it was presumably purposely set up by Arnold nearly 35 years ago. This could mean the Man in Black is actually a host, as the hosts the are “awaken” are on the same path he is: to the end of the maze and “The Door”.
-She had the Wyatt narrative uploaded into her, but Dolores was seemingly triggered by the maze when she discovered it in Season 1. And there’s also the fact that Arnold was very close with Dolores, as was William, who showed her “The Door” in the first place. It’s not entirely clear which of the factors are most responsible for setting her on this path. Oh, and “Deathbringer” is a pretty awesome nickname.
-Emily said that “we” want the same thing as Akecheta—i.e. to have the Man in Black hurt before he dies. Who exactly is the “we” Emily is talking about? We might find out next week in what looks like will be an emotional episode centered around William.
Season 2, Episode 9 of Westworld, “The Passenger” airs this Sunday at 9:00 PM ET on HBO.
Good episode! I don’t think it was the best like others are saying though.
Some like it because it features non white people so naturally they think it’s twice as good because they are SJW
True.
This season is terrible. What was that last night?