WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Season 3, Episode 6, of Westworld, "Decoherence," which aired Sunday on HBO.
On even-numbered episodes, we do Maeve. At least, that seems to be Westworld's Season 3 philosophy, as the other host out in the real world has only appeared in Episodes 2, 4, and 6 thus far. The good news is that her return to the story confirms what fans suspected — her death was only a temporary set back. But it also reminded everyone how not in control of the situation Maeve is. In fact, she's dependent on Serac to print her new bodies to continue her mission, and this time, she's not getting another chance if she dies.
But Maeve at least refused to go it alone a second time. Knowing there are multiple Dolori who she has to face, Maeve demanded backup. If there are multiple Dolori, then she needs a crew to help her, and she wants her old friends back. Serac complied, or at least he made something of an effort to try. Unfortunately, things did not work out as anyone had hoped.
Moreover, the problematic nature of Maeve's partnership with Serac started to become clear this week. Like Dolores Prime, she's no more a heroine than she is a villain, just a complicated woman who has found herself on the other side of the fight. And unfortunately, the actions of the Dolori this week have forced her to stay there.
The Virtual World
After Serac threatens Maeve that one more failure will result in termination, Maeve woke up back in her chair, in the middle of War World once more. Thankfully, this time there was no process of discovery. Instead, Maeve simply goes down to the town square and starts training by kicking Nazi butt. At least, she does until Lee convinces her to come away and talk to him in the canteen.
As much as one would hope Lee might be part of her crew, there's no physical body mold to print for him, and no host control unit to implant anywhere. Instead, Serac brings Maeve her right-hand man, Hector. His people break into the Delos vault and rip the stem out of his head. Next thing Maeve knows, Hector, her real Hector, is suddenly hanging out with her in the virtual world, and this time he knows who she is.
The Dolores Factor
But Hector's host control unit isn't the only one Serac's people bring into the lab and hook up. They also bring in one that looks like it's been through a war. It turns out to be the one from inside Connells, a Dolores for Maeve to pick apart and study. But all Maeve learns is the Dolores inside Connells is not a Dolores who can help her. She's changed from her experience, and in a way that does not help Serac. This Dolores is one smooth talker.
Moreover, Dolores has an excellent argument for switching sides. Serac is not on the side of the hosts, he's hell-bent on destroying them. Whatever he may be claiming to Maeve, all he wants from the Forge is the ability to feed the data to Rehoboam and then destroy it so no one else can have it. As Dolores talks, footage of Serac's people melting all the cold storage hosts into goo plays. All those hosts, like Armistice and Akane, who could have helped Maeve, now gone.
Alone Again, Naturally
At least Maeve has Hector? But not for long. While the Dolores in the virtual world is making progress, the one outside in the real world, walking around in Charlotte's body, is undoing all that goodwill. Her instructions from Dolores Prime are to keep Maeve from being remade and to keep anyone from helping her. Though Charlotte does not manage to halt Maeve's printing, she shuts down the creation of Hector and crushes his marble to dust.
Much like Serac made an enemy of the Dolores Charlotte by killing her loved ones, Dolores Charlotte has made an enemy of Maeve for the same reason. It no longer matters Maeve is acting against her own best interests by siding with Serac. The enemy of my enemy and all that. And now Maeve's enemy is Dolores until she can have revenge for taking Hector away and leaving Maeve alone in this cold, cruel, real world.