I've been waiting for this show to air since I first read about it. Last night's premiere absolutely delivered. This show feels like it's going to be epic. Will it replace Game of Thrones? Nothing can replace Game of Thrones but this feels like its equal in terms of epic scope. And I love the premise, which I was unsure of, after initially reading about it. I still want to watch the original Westworld movie, starring Yul Brenner as a teaser/catch up of the concept, but from what I've read, the premiere of HBO's Westworld hasadded much needed depth.

Producers: Jonathon Nolan (Christopher Nolan's Brother), Lisa Ann Nolan, JJ Abrams.

Premise: A dark odyssey about the dawn of artificial consciousness and the evolution of sin. Set at the intersection of the near future and the reimagined past, it explores a world in which every human appetite, no matter how noble or depraved, can be indulged.

Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Evan Rachael Wood, James Marsden, Jeffery Wright, Thandie Newton, Ed Harris, etc...

Feels like: Groundhog day, Jurassic Park, A.I, Assassins Creed (video game).

Trailer:

[video=youtube;IuS5huqOND4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuS5huqOND4[/video]​

 

Interesting you say that... That last line in the trailer could hint at something like that. But there was also a line in the premiere where two characters discussed...

*I'm putting this behind tags in case you or anyone else didn't see the premiere yet. Not a spoiler relating to future story lines or anything.

Spoiler

In the future, advancements in medicine can cure any illness or disease and that the last frontier from humans to conqueror is death. In addition, the "father" of Dolores, discusses how she changed his life and made him a better man. Perhaps that "script" of his, could be a hint about the motivations for Hopkins.

Certainly, I would hope Jonathon Nolan would be a little more creative than that.

 

Anyone still watching? I'm loving this show. Easily in my top 3 right now.


My favorite theory is, the Man in Black and William/Billy (aka Liam McPoyle) are the same person. And the show is displaying two different timelines of his experience. Which means the events are taking place 30 years apart (since the MIB said he first came there 30 years ago). Perhaps, William is going to witness the "event" or malfunctioning of the machines/AI that the show referenced. For the record, that event was said to have happened 30 years ago too... So we're watching both past and present, all leading to... A massacre? A revolution? Which perhaps leads to the MIB wanting to free the AI 30 years later. The theory is rough around the edges, but I like the basis of it.

As far as episode 4 goes, the MIB stole the episode. It was nice to see the show get away from the heaviness and darkness and keep things a little lighter. The MiB's scenes were particularly effective because of that transition. Speaking of transitions, Anthony Hopkins plays sinister so well... I'm not going to say he's the villain of Westworld just quite yet, he just took a step in the direction of antagonist. The way he can communicate with the world, without even speaking, is frightening and unsettling.

 

Also interesting, it appears that the A.I.has created a religion around the "overseers" of the park. So it appears, the mind wipes are not completely working. Perhaps they never have and led to the first incident 30 years ago.I guess it could be like trying to delete hard drive data. You can erase it and it may appear erased, but data can still be recovered. Or perhaps Arnold had programmed the hard drives in a certain manner for the data to be recovered? Hard to imagine Dr. Ford wouldn't have discovered any code and eradicated it. I'm guess the former rather than the latter.

 

Another awesome episode. A lot to talk about but this episode revealed something interesting. Anthony Hopkin's character name is Dr. Ford. Dr. Robert Ford (MIB calls him Robert). Robert Ford was the man who killed Jesse James. I saw the movie a long time ago, but I don't recall many details other than Ford was jealous, so he killed Jesse James. I wonder if that foreshadows our Dr. Ford. Did he kill Arnold, who may have been the real genius of Westworld? Perhaps Dr. Ford isn't even real... but a "host" who believes he is human, created by Arnold? That would explain his telekinetic abilities with other hosts, right?

This show is ****ing nuts... I love how little I understand what's actually going on. The possible outcomes for this season and beyond are endless.

 

Another interesting layer... This appears on HBO's website. It's the terms of service for Westworld...

The MiB pointed out tonight, that a long time ago, the Hosts were machines. Now? They're recreated flesh and bone. Could cloning play some role? Remember the little boy Dr. Ford talked with? The one who fetched the MiB's water in tonight's episodes? I thought that might have been a younger version of Ford himself, judging by the way he talked to him. Obviously these "clones" couldn't be true clones, in the sense they're legit replicas. But perhaps DNA is used to create the raw material.

 

I don't know if it's telekinesis exactly... But there seemingly have been moments where the androids responded to a command that was not given verbally or physically. At least, that we've seen. the first time it happened it was the waiter who froze in place and over filling the wine glass. The second was when the field workers left in unison. And lastly when the MiB asked what would he see if he cut Ford open... Teddy just reacted by grabbing the knife with prompt.

Speaking of, it's interesting that the MIB threatened to cut open Dr. Ford and wondering what we would find. Given the nature of the conversation, it might not mean anything. Perhaps even a deliberate red herring. But since we were teased with Teddy being a human guest during the pilot, I suspect that there are androids that we, the audience, believe to be human. Dr. Ford would make a certain amount of sense. Another is Bernard. Bernard is the only human with a backstory. At least one revealed to us. So far, only the hosts have a back story of any kind. It's also interesting that Bernard has no idea who Arnold is. He had never heard of him. And yet, we've heard from convo's w/William and Logan that it was common knowledge that one of the creators died by suicide. While the details of the death are unconfirmed in the show, it's strange that Bernard wouldn't have heard of it, even if it's 30 years later. And the way Anthony Hopkins told the women to be careful with Bernard, as he has a sensitive disposition... It was almost mocking.

Lots of possibilities on the table. I'm not sure MIB being Arnold is one of them though. He talked about Arnold as if he were entirely different person than himself. And given the William/Logan story line and how it's played out so far, I really think he's William.

 

I read an interesting article that suggested three timelines are possible. Certainly, I'm board with two at the moment. As for Dolores, I think they're being very tricky with her scenes as she is the only person present in both timelines (assuming there are two). With her, we could easily be bouncing back and forth at any given moment with her memories.

I definitely think the MIB is William. Partly because he has such... nostalgia for Dolores during the premiere. It would make sense given that she's the one who ultimately gets him committed to this world. And the fact that he and Dolores are both experiencing an awakening in the past that forever changes them. I think it dovetails too nicely. And honestly, I think Logan is too much of a one note ******* to become the MIB in 30 years. Then again, Logan is obsessed with getting deeper into the "game" and experiences, which is similar to the MIB wanting to find the ultimate quest, the Maze. Then again, that could be William too, if the story progresses right.

 

Episode 6 had many interesting moments...

1. Anyone notice Yul Brenner's "Gunslinger?" In the scene where Bernard travels to the basement level, he shines a light on an old host. The old host was the antagonist of the movie "Westworld." A nameless android known as the Gunslinger. Very cool homage.

[video=youtube;8RwNqorvjtg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RwNqorvjtg[/video]​

2. When Bernard stumbled into Dr. Ford's family vacation, he sees the father and asks if he's Arnold. That's because the photograph that Dr. Ford showed him when discussing Arnold the first time around, showed the same man. Clearly, Dr. Ford is lying... why?

3. It appears the maze will have some sort of transcendent consciousness content.

4. Thandie Newton deserves an Emmy for this episode. She's been great all season, but she shined tonight. That whole scene with her exploring the labs was awesome.

5. Teddy is nuts... And apparently, in his new backstory narrative, he helped Wyatt kill soldiers. Interesting...

6. Elsie was kidnapped. The important question, is by who? Is Arnold really dead? I suspect the answer is yes and no. While his physical/human form may be gone, he's not dead. I kind of wonder if this series won't do something similar to that movie with Johnny Depp (Transcendence, I think). His consciousness might have been uploaded/reconfigured into code and he's become immortal. The next stage of A.I. evolution. And any host who can find his maze, will achieve the same?

This show totally feels like the early seasons of "Lost." Every week, we learn little tidbits to wet our appetite, but in fact, more questions are raised than answered. I love it.

 

Arnold: He's a real person. He's been referenced as a real person by numerous people and hosts. Why did he wait 30 years? This is why I suspect he's code. When Dr. Ford rolled out his updates (reveries) he seemingly unlocked something accidentally.

I absolutely think William's story line is from the past and that he's the man in black. Too much evidence supports that theory and really, nothing refutes it. In fact, last night strengthened that theory. When Thandie Newton (Maeve) sees the "west world" video montage, there's a black woman who is running the girls at the saloon (remember, Maeve was seen with her daughter, in an earlier role/character/build) in Maeve's current role. When William and Logan arrive at Westworld, Thandie Newton's Maeve is NOT present but the other black woman is.

Not to mention when Bernard accesses the "old" models, he goes to the basement and loads and old computer. The old computer/models are using the Westworld logo that we see when William arrives, not the current logo.

 

interesting...

 

Episode 9 paid off in a big way. The biggest reason why I think this show is the best on TV right now, is because of how perfect the writing has been. The writers have provided substantial clues throughout the show for various topics of interest. Obvious enough to spark theories, but not so obvious that it left no room for skepticism and debate. This is how story telling should work. The beginning, middle, and end all woven together intricately.

Anyone still watching? Ideas about what's in store for the finale?