Predicting Westworld: waking up inside a dream

Of course the eighth episode of Westworld would be an hour of expository table setting. In this holy age of binge-friendly dramas, the next-to-next-to-last episode is an opportunity to tie up loose ends, clarify stakes, and put the characters on a path toward meaningful change. Which is to say that for a season of television to end on a high note, we get two episodes of all killer, preceded by one episode of all filler.
This episode sure delivered on the filler. Bernard’s “brain&rdqu