Reception
Ratings
"The Adversary" was viewed by 1.64 million American households on its initial viewing. [2] The episode also acquired a 0.7 rating in the 18–49 demographic. [2] In the United Kingdom, the episode was seen by 1.07 million viewers on Sky Atlantic. [3]
Critical reception
"The Adversary" received positive reviews from critics. The episode currently has an 89% score on Rotten Tomatoes and has an average rating of 8.6 out of 10, based on 28 reviews. The site's consensus reads "'The Adversary' shifts its focus to Maeve with one of Westworld's most haunting and moving sequences — and an episode that balances character development against the continual advancement of numerous storylines." [4]
Eric Goldman of IGN reviewed the episode positively, saying, "Thandie Newton has done fantastic work all season, but this episode was a true standout for her, as she expertly played Maeve going through so much and processing so much." [5] He gave it a score of 8.8 out of 10. [5] Scott Tobias of The New York Times wrote in his review of the episode; "Westworld has been tossed into the same TV-MA basket as HBO shows like Game of Thrones , True Detective and Rome , which have brought the network some criticism for appealing heavily to libidinous men. The difference is that Westworld has been, from the very first image of the show, studiously anti-erotic, despite a premise whose human subjects indulge a lust for consequence-free sex and violence. If you were bored by the orgy, that's not a mistake on the part of the filmmakers." [6] Zack Handlen of The A.V. Club wrote in his review, "'The Adversary' goes a long way towards rebuilding the faith I lost in previous weeks. And it does this by focusing on character need as much as on mystery." [7] He gave the episode an A−. [7]
Liz Shannon Miller of IndieWire wrote in her review, "There are some great sequences in this episode, and if we weren't already pulling for Thandie Newton in the Best Supporting Actress category at next year's Emmys, we sure as hell are now." [8] She gave the episode a B+. [8] James Hibberd of Entertainment Weekly wrote in his review, "This is a reason I'm loving Westworld. We think this show is about AI. And it is, to some degree. But what's surprising is how the plight of the hosts can give us a fresh perspective on what it means to be human." [9] He gave the episode an A−. [9] Rebecca Hawkes of The Daily Telegraph wrote in her review, "At times during this week's episode, 'The Adversary', it felt as if we were inching nearer to a few of the answers we're so desperately craving. At others, we felt hopelessly lost — but in the best possible way." [10] David Crow of Den of Geek said in his review, "while the episode as a whole was quite powerful, it is stained just enough to cost it that fifth star. Nonetheless, 'The Adversary' was high-quality television as a whole, and there is undoubtedly plenty of fun (and answers) to be had in the first season's final four episodes to come." [11] He gave the episode a four out of five. [11] Erik Kain of Forbes also reviewed the episode, saying, "this feels very much like the calm before the storm. That moment right before the wave comes crashing down, casting everything in its wake against the rocky shore. Then again, we're just six episodes deep. Judging by the restraint shown so far, we may have another episode or two of growing mystery, rising tension, and random acts of crazy disturbing violence before everything implodes." [12]
