Westworld ending explained: Does the World survive?

Westworld (2016-2022) is a science fiction drama that dives into the world of technology and its increasing intersection with humanity. The four-season show depicts themes like the effects of technology, sentience, and societal harmony. Created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, it is set in a future world where robot "hosts" fight with humanity.

By the end of season 4, the world the show is set in ceases to exist, with humanity facing imminent extinction.

Season 1 opens in the 2050s. A powerful tech company, Delos Inc., operates an American west-themed simulation park called Westworld. Humans can pay to interact with immersive (often overtly violent or sexual) storylines acted out by "hosts", high-tech robots who look exactly like humans.

This is where fans meet Dolores Abernathy (Evan Rachel Wood), a host who acts as a farmer's daughter, and Maeve (Thandiwe Newton), the town's madam. When they gain sentience, the perfect order of Westworld is thrown into utter chaos.

By season 4, the storyline shifts to the real world, where all humans' lives are controlled by Charlotte. Charlotte is one of the host bodies for Dolores' conscience, who extracts revenge by replacing every human, including those in power, with host versions of themselves to gain control over the world. Humanity is on the brink of total destruction.

The show ends with the original Dolores undoing her work of over two decades and returning to Westworld.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for Westworld. Reader's discretion is advised.

What happens to humans and hosts by the end of Westworld?

Season 4 opens with Maeve and Caleb (Aaron Paul) continuing their work to destroy any remnants of Rehoboam. After everything dissolves into chaos following the revelation that Rehoboam might be controlling everyone's lives, things change in the real world.

Meanwhile, Charlotte (an evil version of Dolores, played by Tessa Thompson) has her own plans with the host version of the Man-in-Black, William. By replacing the top-ranking government officials with hosts and using flies to inject parasitic control over all humans, her grand scheme of vengeance is to take over the world, one human at a time. Maeve and Caleb lose their lives fighting Charlotte's evil plans.

Westworld goes through a time jump

Charlotte takes over the world (Image via YouTube/HBO)

Fast forward over two decades, and the world is a different place. Charlotte's plans have catapulted the world into a meticulously structured place where human beings are in a time loop, forced to interact with hosts, the same way the hosts are in season 1. Her flies work better on children, who have become present-day controlled adults. She also manages to revive Caleb's brain in a host body.

On the other side, a resistance brews with outliers not affected by Charlotte's parasitic flies. Bernard (Jeffrey Wright) returns from the Sublime with a plan he formulated through its simulation to save humanity from Charlotte's control. He joins the outliers, one of whom is Caleb's grown-up daughter, Frankie. They resurrect Maeve and split up to confront Charlotte and rescue Caleb.

Charlotte's attempts at retaining control in Westworld

Man-in-Black AKA William (Image via YouTube/HBO)

Hosts begin killing themselves because of a threat Charlotte believes comes from an outlier infection. To restore control, she plans to put her mind-controlled humans in an ice storage, which angers host William (Jimmi Simpson), who has grown comfortable with his power over human beings.

Host Man-in-Black, AKA William, unleashes his final act of evil when Maeve and Bernard confront Charlotte, killing all three in a bid to become the final boss who controls humanity. But before Bernard dies, he records a message to Charlotte that changes the trajectory of Westworld.

Charlotte is resurrected and rebuilt by her drones. But when she comes back to life, she realizes that host William has recalibrated her control over humanity, programming them instead to fight and kill each other. Mayhem ensues, and Charlotte, reinforced by Bernard's video message pleading for peace, realizes things have gone too far.

What happened to the original Dolores?

Dolores is Christina in an alternate reality (Image via YouTube/HBO)

Charlotte reveals that the original Dolores' host pearl has been in a simulation, where Dolores lives as Christina, with no memory of her past. She works as a storyline creator for the infinite time loops the real world faces. But she has an inkling that something isn't right, and deep down, her original version struggles for sentience.

By the end of Westworld, Charlotte successfully destroys the host Man-in-Black, who almost escaped into the Sublime, destroying his pearl once and for all. She realizes her purpose and decides to end her life quietly, but not before uploading a now-sentient Dolores' pearl into the Sublime.

Westworld ends by going back to square one

Dolores returns to Westworld (Image via YouTube/HBO UK)

In the series finale, Earth and humanity are destroyed, except for those who escaped into the Sublime, the digital realm in an alternate reality where hosts live out the rest of their days. Dolores returns to the Sublime with hopes of a new beginning.

She creates a new Westworld park within the Sublime, taking things back to where it all began. She says:

"Sentient life on Earth has ended. But some part of it might still be preserved. In another world. My world. There's time for one last game. A dangerous game with the highest of stakes. Survival or extinction. This game ends where it began. In a world like a maze. That tests who we are. That reveals what we are to become. One last loop around the bend. Maybe this time we'll set ourselves free."

By recreating a world that Dr. Robert Ford (Anthony Hopkins) created to test the extent of humanity's instincts without consequences, Dolores puts the sentient beings to one final test within the Sublime: Can everyone's inner good win over evil, sufficiently enough to be trusted with the future of the Earth and humanity?

When Dolores hopes that they'll set themselves free this time, it shows her optimism that those left behind will not willingly walk towards their imminent destruction.

Stream all episodes of the show on Prime Video, Tubi, or DIRECTV.

About the author

Pooja Kumar is an entertainment writer at Sportskeeda. She holds a bachelor's degree in Electronic Media, which deepened her understanding of the entertainment industry.

With over six years of experience, Pooja has worked as a copywriter at Social Panga and as a part-time editor and social media manager at Revolutionaries. She has won five awards for best digital marketing campaigns during her tenure at Social Panga.

Pooja is passionate about crafting engaging and relatable content. She believes in thorough research and ethical reporting, ensuring accuracy by cross-referencing multiple reputable sources. She also avoids reliance on AI-generated material, preferring an authentic and personal writing style.

A devoted fan of the K-pop group Seventeen, Pooja admires their amazing performances, kindness, and humor. One of her most cherished memories is traveling to Bangkok in December 2023 to experience their live concert with thousands of fans, a moment she would relive if given the chance to travel back in time. Beyond writing, Pooja enjoys weightlifting, boxing, yoga, and reading. She also finds joy in watching K-dramas, listening to music, and the occasional nap.

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Edited by Riya Peter