What Still Confuses Westworld Fans In Season 3

For three seasons, the futuristic world at the center of Westworld has introduced viewers to violent delights, violent ends, and sometimes some very extreme plot twists. So, fans of the HBO series are well accustomed to stretching their imagination a bit when it comes to taking the story's craziest moments in stride.

While Westworld's creators have often found a way to tie its intricate plot together, they've missed some details along the way, leading to some pretty big plot holes. One of the bigger misses had to do with Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood) and her trajectory in season 3. The former Westworld host turned android vigilante made some huge moves in her attempt to gain control of the Rehoboam, a quest she began in the season's first episode. It was a complicated journey, full of many of the twists fans are used to, culminating in a huge turning point that set the stage for what could be a chaotic season 4.

But there's one aspect of Dolores' season 3 storyline that left fans feeling especially confused, thanks to what seems to be a significant plot hole. Let's take a look at what happened and why it doesn't all add up — but keep in mind, there will be spoilers for the third season of Westworld.

As a Westworld theme park host, Dolores was put through the ringer; a victim of zealous park guests who didn't hesitate to use her as a means to work out their violent tendencies. In the first season, it wasn't uncommon to see her shot, beaten, or abused in other appalling ways — and that treatment was, in many ways, the impetus for her actions in later seasons.

So, seeing her gravely injured in the season 3 premiere, "Parce Domine," wasn't anything shocking. What was surprising, though, was that after evading death, escaping Martin's (Tommy Flanagan) clutches and being rescued by Caleb (Aaron Paul), she managed to survive at all. While there's a ton of beneficial technology at the disposal of Westworld's characters, gunshot wounds don't exactly heal themselves. Dolores went from being nearly unconscious to being able to stand up and fight off their attackers pretty quickly. The question remains: How?

In the Westworld theme park, hosts were able to continue on with their artificial lives after being maimed repeatedly because the techs behind the scenes had the means to restore them to good working order. But Dolores didn't have a tech team to put her back together this time around. Combine this with the fact that Caleb wasn't aware that she wasn't human at the time, and the paramedics he called to help her didn't do much to save her, and we're left scratching our heads and wondering how she went from near death to guns blazing mode without any notable medical intervention.

In the grand scheme of Westworld's convoluted story, Dolores' unexplained survival isn't the biggest WTF moment. But it was still confusing, and it would have been helpful to get a little more insight into how it all played out, seeing as how her continued existence is a pretty big plot point in season 3. Maybe we'll learn she's had self-healing powers all along when season 4 returns — on this show, stranger things have happened. 

You can stream Westworld now on HBO Max.