‘Westworld’ Season 2: Why Is The Back Of Dolores’ Dress Wet?

After the revelation in Season 1 of Westworld that Bernard (Jeffrey Wright) was actually a host living among the humans, viewers have since sat up and taken note of every little change in subsequent episodes. Now, a scene showing Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood) with a wet dress has fans wondering what it really means.

In Episode 6 of Westworld Season 2, when the concept of The Cradle was introduced, a scene showing Bernard and Dolores talking indicated that it was a memory within The Cradle, thanks to its different ratio aspect (you can find out more about The Cradle in this Inquisitr article). While the ratio aspect was enough for fans to sit up and take notice, there was something else within that scene that viewers also noticed: the hem of Dolores’ dress was wet.

At the very beginning of Episode 6, Bernard is questioning himself about his own choices. Dolores interrupts him to say that Bernard would not question himself in that way. As viewers have since found out in Episode 7 and explained further in this Inquisitr article, Dolores is actually running tests on Bernard and comparing him to Arnold, the human of which Bernard is a replica. As Dolores freezes all of Bernard’s motor commands, she stands up and walks around her chair. It is at this point that viewers can catch a glimpse of her wet dress. The water line is clearly seen at the back of her dress, running around the hemline.

Now, considering Westworld is a show that runs with narratives quite often only distinguishable as a result of what the humans and hosts are wearing, viewers are sure this small detail is important.

As to be expected, the question has already been discussed extensively on Reddit.

Already, some plausible reasons for Dolores’ wet dress have been found.

There are two occasions within the narrative seen so far in Westworld Seasons 1 and 2 that could explain Dolores’ wet dress.

In the first episode of Season 2, it was shown what appeared to be all of the Westworld hosts floating in a giant lake. Bernard then admits that he killed them all, without explaining how or why. It is possible, then, that Dolores was involved with this event but separate from it. Perhaps she and Bernard instigated the event and then returned to the room in which Dolores is seen speaking to Bernard at the start of Episode 6.

The second instance of Dolores and water happens in the Season 1 finale of Westworld. Dr. Robert Ford (Anthony Hopkins) is showing humans the new narrative called “Journey Into Night.” In this scene, Teddy (James Marsden) and Dolores are seen alongside Dr. Ford and they are all at the edge of the water. So, it is possible the scene involving Bernard and Dolores in the wet dress could have occurred after this event in the Season 1 finale. However, as viewers can see from the image of the Season 1 finale above, Dolores is not actually wearing her blue dress when near the water.

Redditor AuntieKittie also points out that it has been shown in Westworld that the level where all the deactivated hosts are kept is sometimes flooded.

“The lower level in which all the deactivated hosts were kept was flooded to about ankle-level the last time we saw it… just a thought.”

However, another Redditor, burritoman89, also points out that because this scene has the ratio aspect difference that indicates it is taking place within The Cradle, the event might not even be real. After all, while The Cradle holds all of the hosts’ memories, it can also be used to create virtual realities as a testing point.

“How can her skirt be wet from the flood? This is supposedly happening in The Cradle, a virtual simulation. Not sure how her skirt could get wet in the ‘real’ Westworld and be wet in a simulation. As they are, for all intents and purposes, two separate Dolores’.”

So, it seems there is no definitive answer yet as to why Dolores’ dress is wet. However, it seems likely the answer will be revealed at some point in Season 2 of Westworld.

Season 2 of Westworld returns with Episode 8 on Sunday, June 10, at 9 p.m. ET. According to Elle, this episode will be titled “Kiksuya.”