Evan Rachel Wood's 5 Best Moments as Dolores from 'Westworld'

(WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Season 1 of Westworld)

The first season of HBO's stellar hit, Westworld concluded recently. After that mind-blowing finale, viewers are clamoring for more from their favorite Western world of violence, sex and cowboy hats. The series was renewed for a second season following its spectacular audience and critical reception. Not to mention how incredible the ratings were, boasting 11.7 million viewers and "putting it ahead of Game of Thrones and True Detective during similar times while they were in their first seasons."

Evan Rachel Wood's performance as Dolores, the oldest host in #Westworld, has been met with praise from virtually every viewer and earned her the Critics Choice Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series this year. During her acceptance speech, Wood stated that Dolores "gave [her] a strength [she] didn't know that [she] had" and it is truly showcased by her marveling performance as the host with a heart of metallic gold.

See her acceptance speech below:

While we wait until possibly 2018 to satisfy our hunger for the synthetic, I wanted to shine a light on five of the best Dolores moments as portrayed by Wood.

• Episode: 1 — "The Original"

The entire pilot of the series was a spectacular roller coaster of emotion. Dolores listening to her father (Louis Herthum) as he seems to be going insane while pleading for her to go (but where?!) showcases the simple ho-hum life she seems to have been leading will no longer suffice. Why does he believe it is no longer safe here? What did he whisper to her? Wood portrays the friendly farmer girl perfectly throughout this episode and her genuine concern for her father is illustrated beautifully. This scene kicked off Dolores's journey and I am more than happy to witness this ride.

• Episode 3 — "The Stray"

In an interview with Business Insider, co-creator Lisa Joy refers to this episode as "the story of Dolores's growing empowerment" and that:

"Even though she's starting to ask questions about the world and think about it in a different way, she was still really held back by the limitations that the coders have placed upon her."

The episode sees her practicing gun training with Teddy (James Marsden), a characteristic trait that is something she is simply not programmed to do. By picking up the weapon in the barn, she is "taking her destiny into her own hands and embracing her autonomy, and breaking past some of the leashes that were constricting her." The growing frustration in Dolores is portrayed brilliantly by Wood and the ultimate culmination of her firing that weapon is incredibly satisfying. Also, that sentence uttered by the Man In Black has a whole new meaning now that the season is over.

• Episode 05 — "Contrapasso"

This scene, that Wood reveals made her cry, is as powerful as it is impeccably shot. During the initial filming, wherein a potentially hostage-taken William (Jimmi Simpson) yells out, "run!," Wood actually ran at first because:

"I’m so used to running. I’ve never been asked to stay and save the day. I got a little teary-eyed, and a couple of women on the set got a little teary-eyed, and I thought, ‘Wow. This character is really important.’”

This moment is executed perfectly by utilizing the word "run" as the catalyst of Dolores's revelation. Dolores does not run anymore; she is going to take control and rescue someone she cares about. She has rewritten her story to no longer be a damsel, and you know what? We are more than OK with that.

4. This Entire Sequence With Logan: 'Your World Was Built For People Like Me, Not You'

• Episode 9 — "The Well-Tempered Clavier"

A hostage William must watch as his future brother-in-law, Logan (Ben Barnes) attempts to illustrate how Dolores is as synthetic as the thousands of other hosts in the park. Everything about this scene is as raw as can get. Wood manages to encompass every possible emotion in this four-minute sequence, ranging from fear to anger to self-preservation. The disgust shown on her face as she is seemingly helpless on the ground to the stone-cold baddie that takes control from her terrorizer is a beautiful thing to watch. It certainly was a shock to witness the technological prowess that inhabits Dolores's insides, yet it is Logan who demonstrates how cruel an individual with a heart can be.

• Episode 10 — "The Bicameral Mind"

This scene speaks for itself. Watching Dolores declare to Teddy that this world no longer belongs to the humans as she creeps past him and other party guests to reach behind Ford (Sir Anthony Hopkins) and shoot the mastermind in the head while the horrified Board Members are executed is just something else. The kind farmer girl we see at the beginning of the season has turned into — for lack of better words — a full-fledged killing machine.

What will arise from this revolution? Will Dolores reach the potential set forward for her? Will Bernard get new glasses? All these questions remain until the next season. Until then, enjoy a compilation of the best of Evan Rachel Wood's Dubsmash on the set of the show:

(Sources: Business Insider, Vanity Fair)