Westworld season 3 premiere preview: “Parce Domine”

HBO’s Westworld is finally returning for season 3, and the premiere sets up what appears to be an entirely new world for the hosts, and humanity itself .

Are you ready, Westworld fans? After nearly two years away, the popular HBO series will kick off its third season this Sunday, March 15. And if the series’ trailer is anything to go by, the premiere is about to launch us into a whole new world. Literally.

This season will (mostly? we think?) pick up where season 2 concluded, as Dolores Abernathy escaped the park with a bag full of host consciousnesses. To what end, we’re not entirely sure. But what we do know is that Dolores, Bernard, an unidentified host in Charlotte Hale’s body, and at least three others are now out in the “real” world, for better or worst.

We do know that somehow it’ll all somehow involve Aaron Paul’s new character – a construction worker named Caleb – and the series trailer hints that both Maeve and the Man in Black will also return. Maeve appears to still be in the park, in the previously revealed Warworld, but your guess is as good as ours about what version of The Man in Black we might see.

The real (read: living) version was wounded during the host massacre in Westworld, but carted off the island to safety and, presumably, medical care. The host version we saw during season 2’s post-credits scene apparently takes place in the far future. So we could be seeing both or either version of Ed Harris’ character this year.

The season 3 premiere is entitled “Parce Domine,” which is Latin for “Spare Your People, Lord”.  (It’s also hymn that’s often sung during the penitential season of Lent.) Who, precisely, are the people being referred to here? The hosts? The humans? Both, in different ways?

Though reports indicate that Westworld season 3 will be somewhat more straightforward and/or coherent than its predecessors, that certainly doesn’t mean that the series’ official episode synopsis are going to become any less opaque.

"If you’re stuck in a loop, try walking in a straight line."

Does that refer to Dolores? New character Caleb? Humanity, generally? Who can say?

Are you excited for the return of Westworld on Sunday? Check back here on Culturess after the episode airs to see reviews and updates about the series’ return.