‘Westworld’s Vincent Cassel on Season 3’s Mind Tricks & Serac’s Motivations
Spoiler Alert
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Season 3, Episode 4 of Westworld, “The Mother of Exiles.”]
Westworld‘s third season delivered its most pivotal episode so far on April 5 as the truth behind the pearls Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood) took from the Delos park was revealed. It all culminated in a showdown between Maeve (Thandie Newton) and Dolores, who has embodied Shogun host Musashi (portrayed by returning guest star Hiroyuki Sanada).
Viewers saw the mysterious Engerraund Serac (Vincent Cassel) send Maeve on a suicide mission in this episode, offering fresh insight into his character. Peeling back layers, viewers saw Serac’s brutal side as he searched for Dolores, using Maeve as his pawn. He also shared some information about his past, revealing a catastrophic event that destroyed Paris.
Below, Cassel opens up about Serac’s motivations, what he may or may not know about Dolores’ plans, if we’ve seen the worst of the character yet, and whether he can be called a “bad guy.”
(Credit: John P. Johnson/HBO)
Engerraund Serac is super mysterious. We know he’s likely the world’s richest man, he doesn’t have a digital footprint and he’s in charge the system Rehoboam. What else should we know?
Vincent Cassel: What is he exactly doing and why is he doing this? That’s the main [question], so it’s all about the purpose. How does he manage to make something for humanity, really? I mean, the big question that is raised here is it seems like nowadays private datas are the most expensive thing in the world. If you can have that information, some people are ready to pay a crazy amount of money for it. So, why should we be scared to have those private datas running around?
When you think about it, most of the time you say, “Well, I’m not doing anything special, really.” You know? But, the thing is that through everything you do, we can know exactly who you are and all the little details of your life. This is scary, because obviously you can use it.
Yes, especially when it comes to how that data’s used the in the show. We know it determines what jobs and advantages people are afforded in life.
But, it is like that already, a bit.
That’s definitely true.
Let’s face it. I mean, there are some ways to escape, but most of the time you very defined by where you come from and things, and there’s always a little a trail ready for you.
(Credit: John P. Johnson/HBO)
We learned a bit more about Serac’s past and that something devastating happened in Paris. Will we learn more about why the real world is the way it is now?
Definitely. I mean, the thing that happened in the future is not so far [off] it seems… I don’t want to say too much, but it seems like a lot of things have changed. The pulls of the world have changed too and some places are not what they used to be.
Serac tells Maeve he’s been waiting a long time for her, Dolores and the others to arrive. Do you think he’s aware that Charlotte Hale’s (Tessa Thompson) not human anymore, let alone one of Dolores’ copies?
Honestly, it’s not quite clear for me neither , but the interesting thing with the character is that knowing that he knows everything, how can something so [major get past him]… It’s like who’s tricking who? This is the whole idea of that season. Some people pretend they are somebody else, and sometimes you think Serac is here and he’s not. You never know if the person is actually here. That’s why it becomes such a mind trick at certain points. It’s like you really can’t trust anything that you see.
We saw a more ruthless side to Serac with his harsh interrogation methods and we know he’s controlling Maeve against her will. Have we seen the worst of him yet?
Well, we haven’t seen much of him, really. We barely heard about him, we slowly understand who he might be. But no, you haven’t seen anything of him, really. There’s a whole backstory, and the purpose of what he does, and the extent, and the magnitude of what is he actually doing. And, that he’s been doing for a while too. So no, we didn’t even see the tip of the iceberg.
During Maeve and Dolores’ fight in the distillery, it’s implied that Dolores is building an army of sorts. Is Serac aware? Will that play into his story?
I think he’s totally aware of it, but his goal is above that. This is just the industrial aspect of it. You have to get to the core of the whole process.
(Credit: John P. Johnson/HBO)
And would you call Serac a bad guy?
It’s kind of complicated because the truth is that it’s really a question of perspective. History has told us that many people have killed for a good reason and right cause. Knowing that, who’s good, who’s bad? I can tell you that his intentions are beautiful and positive. It sounds like a game.
Westworld, Season 3, Sundays, 9/8c, HBO
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