'Westworld' went to imperialist India this week and we didn't really need it

Westworld Season 2, episode 3 didn't begin in any place we've seen. The episode opened on what appeared to be colonial India, which we immediately realize is another Delos park: The Raj.

It's certainly a twist in what fans expected of Season 2 – namely a clamoring for Shogun World – and an interesting choice, to say the least.

The purpose of introducing The Raj – which we may not ever see again – is twofold: First, to see that hosts in other parks are revolting, just as they are in Westworld, and to learn where that monstrously large Bengal tiger came from in episode 1.

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The Raj operates under the same white fantasy as Westworld, a nostalgia for bygone eras in which people of color were subjugated by white people in power. That may not be the cause of the nostalgia, by it's an inherent byproduct; while one person wants to play dress-up in period clothing, another sees their ancestors pouring the iced tea.

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In an episode recap, Entertainment Weekly suggests that colonial India is a more compelling setting than the Roman empire or Medieval Europe – but the difference between The Raj and feudal Japan or the wild west is that India was under imperialist rule until literally 60 years ago. My grandparents lived through the era Delos distilled for this park, and the entire Indian subcontinent is still largely coping with aftereffects of British rule (history: not as removed as you'd think).

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EW also points out that Delos parks aren't exactly known for their moral fortitude – if anything, Westworld and its neighbors reveal an ugliness in humanity and in those who enjoy these "violent delights."

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If Westworld does return to The Raj, I'd be happy to see more South Asians on screen, but this little vignette was squarely about two white guests. I also have minimal faith in Hollywood to execute this, so, shrug. I won't waste energy on preemptive outrage, but I'm not interested in this park unless we experience it through POC or its equivalent of the maze is Lagaan IRL.

Westworld airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO.