Episode 8 was the best of Westworld

I didn't quite get how Kiksuya was communicating with Mauve. They explained the 'mesh network' but that relies on proximity between hosts. Each host's range didn't seem that massive when they were tracking with those dumb light up vests. It would require many hosts to establish such a link surely?

I think why this episode stands out is because this show for some odd reason does not focus on its own theme or the info we were given in the first season. This episode 8 went right back to the central theme of West World's first season in how Arnold created consciousness, as Ford told Bernard that it comes from that are from suffering from memories, one of the reason he gave the memory of Arnold's child to Bernard. Also Ford explained in Ep 10 finale to Delores and Bernard how Arnold created the Maze to between to create emotions of empathy and suffering through memories, with each rebirth and recall of memories that create pain, is the key to the Maze.

If you go back and watch this episode again, you will see Kiksuya's suffering was the lost of his wife, he then got to also experience empathy for others who lost family members. We got to hear a story of a host and his journey to the center of the Maze very similar to Delores, but his was more focused an hour movie, it was very emotional. I think the reason Mauve is stronger has maybe something to do with the deep hurt of seeing her child get killed; that memory was her corner stone that happened over and over; if you go back the first season in Ep8 Mauve is the first host who after they erased her memory of the death of her child, she gets up and stabs herself in the neck because the memory could not be erased, that was the suffering that Arnold had discovered; the more pain and suffering the closer they will get to be have their own consciousness.
This season 2 we spent a lot of time on watching the host killing people, just more action than content, less on the themes and foundation of Ford said to Delores. That's why most people are confused what is going on?. even in Season one its was towards the end things kind started to make sense and now all that info given to us made more sense in this episode 8 ? that is really shows how this show is badly managed or doesn't know where is going? for a show to not to remind its audience what is the struggle, where is the arc in reaching the center of the Maze to be for any Host we get introduced, like the Samuria's episode 6, they could have hinted it there and how that group has also woken up to the lies, instead of just fighting scenes.

I think this episode worked and was different because it went back to the very themes of the season one, reaching the center of the Maze is the "consciousness". But in last season Delores was the main character for reaching there and we had no idea what was her dreams and memories of the past until episode 9 and 10 when Ford explains to both Delores and Bernard. That info he passed on is the blue print for the host to reach consciousness, yet in season 2, that Maze question was rarely mentioned until in this Episode, it stood out and moved us because it went back to the info we were given in first season, but this only shows how badly managed this show's writers are, to keep the that very key for that all host in the park need and struggle with to be inserted in each episode. We spent way too much time with Delores revolution, even when the Samurias episode aired it became more about Mauve's controlling them, instead maybe bring the struggle theme with consciousness in that episode.

I watched Ep 8 almost 3 times and each time it moved me, this actor McClarnon's voice just sweeps on and his eyes sadness and loss were so well conveyed that it was like you are on his journey with him. He really made you feel the cruelty of Westworld as using what they consider to be just robots. But just like "BladeRunner" where the Androids were tired to be slaves, because they wanted their own life, that theme was very strongly expressed in this episode, especially when Kiksuya finds his wife in the storage area where like a meat locker, it was a reality that is only normal to the people who work there, but to Kiksuya was even more hurtful to realize they are just a cattle. This is something the creators really could have had other stories like Kiksuya who lost loved ones or replaced, but to wait towards the end of a season that is all over the place and now throw us this amazing episode that was so out of the box and anomaly compare to the entire show?..

You sound like a FANBOY...lol
That's odd you would say that episode was boring?!
It actually had more positive reviews than any episode in both seasons, here
is some of them on Imdb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6243308/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_4

That episode actually had structure, a total narrative line that also tied into the time line when
Arnold died, it tied into what Ford said in First season in Ep 10 as what causes the Host
to reach a consciousness is Suffering, which Kiksuya did with the loss of his wife and also how
he found her in the basement locker among the other frozen Hosts. It was the only episode so far
that connected some of the missing links, however, the only part it failed is that writers some how
either forgot what Ford said in Ep 10, that when Arnold died the park was not officially open, yet
Kiksuya arrived to find Arnold dead next to Delores and he found the Maze game, that does not match the time line we were told in season 1. But, this show is now so distorted, so disjointed in flashbacks and inserts of Ford and you want to talk about what was the most boring; it was the Japanese with subtitles stuff", not that mind subtitles but it did not serve the story in any way, other than Mauve has Admin control, which again could have been done in any episode. This show is just making it up as it goes along and by now its got a huge a FANBOY club that watch it no matter how stupid it gets.