Reception
Ratings
"Trompe L'Oeil" was viewed by 1.75 million American households on its initial viewing. [2] The episode also acquired a 0.8 rating in the 18–49 demographic. [2] In the United Kingdom, the episode was seen by 1.05 million viewers on Sky Atlantic. [3]
Critical reception
"Trompe L'Oeil" received critical acclaim from critics. The episode currently has a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes and has an average rating of 8.79 out of 10, based on 22 reviews. The site's consensus reads "'Trompe L'Oeil' confirms a major fan theory with a chilling episode whose narrative shocks are further fueled by a bevy of standout performances." [4]
Eric Goldman of IGN reviewed the episode positively, saying, "As notable as the ending to "Trompe L'Oeil" was, there were a ton of other events going on beforehand that contributed to another standout episode." [5] He gave it a score of 9.2 out of 10. [5] Scott Tobias of The New York Times wrote in his review of the episode; "Although Bernard's true identity is the episode's big twist, the most enduring revelation may be Ford's resistance to Delos's plans for his creations. Last week, that off-the-grid cottage seemed like Ford’s nostalgic attempt to revisit his childhood, using older models of his machines. But there's another level to that, literally and metaphorically." [6] Zack Handlen of The A.V. Club wrote in his review, "Seven episodes in and Westworld finally delivers both its first human death, and its first truly shocking surprise." [7] He gave the episode an A−. [7]
Liz Shannon Miller of IndieWire wrote in her review, "There’s been an awful lot of set-up in weeks past, which was relatively essential given the complexity of the world being slowly unfurled. But this episode finally built up some major momentum for the season's endgame — rewarding our patience and getting us in gear for one hell of a ride to the end." [8] She gave the episode an A. [8] James Hibberd of Entertainment Weekly wrote in his review, "The story was always on the side of the hosts, and now the writers have doubled down on their gamble that the audience will accept robots as protagonists." [9] He gave the episode an A−. [9] Catherine Gee of The Daily Telegraph wrote in her review, "Well, that escalated... perhaps not exactly quickly, but escalated it certainly has. And one of the big fan theories about this series has been proven true." [10] David Crow of Den of Geek said in his review, "Yes, 'Trompe L'Oeil' was where at least some of the cards were placed on the table" [11] He gave the episode a four out of five. [11] Erik Kain of Forbes also reviewed the episode, saying, "Sunday night's episode of Westworld was perhaps the first in the show's opening salvo to give us as many answers as it did questions. In a very real and very chilling way, the seventh episode of the first season pulled back the veil, confirming one of the biggest fan theories out there. But it also gave us answers about some of the other mysteries we've been hunting, and that's exactly what it needed to do at precisely the right time." [12]
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Golden Reel Awards | Best Sound Editing in Television, Short Form: FX/Foley | Thomas E. de Gorter, Matthew Sawelson, Geordy Sincavage, Michael Head, Tara Blume, Rick Owens, Mark R. Allen and Marc Glassman | Won | [13] |
