‘Westworld’ Spoilers: Why Creator Lisa Joy Feels A Special Connection To Dolores

“Westworld” co-creator Lisa Joy shares a special affinity with host Dolores Abernathy (Evan Rachel Wood), and she believes everyone who watches the show feels the same way for the hosts or its guests.

“For instance, with Dolores and her plight, I really empathize with Dolores personally. That doesn’t really matter for the show. It will be received by different people in different ways. They will feel different connections with different characters. For whatever it’s worth, I felt a real connection with her character,” she told Salon.

In the pilot episode, it was learned that Dolores is raped almost daily by the Man in Black (Ed Harris). Joy said that even though Dolores is a robot, it does not make the act of sexual violence any more acceptable.

“That’s not the point we want to make, that it’s okay if they’re a robot,” she said. “In the world of our show, they have created a space in which people can go and behave however they want with no consequences. We’re asking this question…at what point does this become problematic? At what point does this become abhorrent? You don’t feel any guilt.”

For the upcoming episode called “The Stray,” Dolores’ character will be undergoing some emotional changes. The synopsis, which has been shared by CarterMatt, reads: “Elsie (Shannon Woodward) and Stubbs (Luke Hemsworth) head into the hills in pursuit of a missing host. Teddy (James Marsden) gets a new backstory, which sets him off in pursuit of a new villain, leaving Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood) alone in Sweetwater. Bernard (Jeffrey Wright) investigates the origins of madness and hallucinations within the hosts. William (Jimmi Simpson) finds an attraction he’d like to pursue and drags Logan (Ben Barnes) along for the ride.”

In the trailer, Dolores was even described as “not like the others.” In the end, Dr. Robert Ford (Anthony Hopkins) questions Dolores in his lab: “Tell me, Dolores. If you did take on a bigger role for yourself, would you have been the hero or the villain?”

“Westworld” airs every Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.