Having taken multiple bullet hits, the Man in Black (Ed Harris) is ‘rescued’ by an unlikely saviour who has his own story to tell.

After the epic Episode 7 we wondered just how the show could possibly top it, and it responds with narratively the most satisfying episode yet. When it comes to the Hugo nominations next year, this is the one they’ll be shortlisting, a heartbreaking tale of love lost, won, and lost again, while also filling in essential jigsaw pieces around the origins and meaning of the maze. Even Lee gets to do something more than snarl and wisecrack.

Akecheta (an excellent Zahn McClarnon) is a Ghost Nation warrior in terrifying, crumbly warpaint and takes William back to his camp – he knows him and won’t give him the release of death. Maeve’s daughter is also at the camp and becomes the listener as the brave shares his life story. As is very much the case in Westworld, people (synthetic or human) are seldom who they first appear, as we are deliberately wrong-footed by their actions. Akecheta was one of the first hosts and lived a peaceful existence with his wife before Ford and the scientists reprogrammed him to become a stereotypical ‘red Indian savage’.

Following a chance meeting with Ben Chaplin in the wilderness, the warrior also appears to be one of the first synths to realise he’s playing a role in a game, and then uses the maze symbol as a map to draw focus towards a door out of the place. Maeve aside, who’s undergoing some major surgery now that her mind powers are evident, the regulars all take time out from the spotlight so that this fascinating tale can be told uninterrupted.

Unlike some ‘bottle’ shows that exist to save money or allow double-banking on filming, this episode serves as a reward for our patience. Instead of being tricksy it adds a lens of clarity, giving away more secrets than you’d imagine, teeing us up for the last two episodes.

Verdict: The most beautifully-written, satisfying and heartbreaking hour of the show yet, Westworld continues to engage, nourish and spellbind in equal measures. 10/10

Nick Joy