Westworld is a remarkable expansion of Michael Crichton's original story about the theme park of the future gone wrong. As opposed to the film, HBO's series focuses more on the robots (or "hosts") and their creators/owners than it does the guests who come to the park. And the story it tells is basically a slow-build toward that original premise: a robot uprising against human oppressors.
So we are given a lot of time to get to know how the park, the robots, and the corporate world profiting off all of it works. More importantly, we are allowed to explore the nuances that the film only briefly touches on: corporations don't care about people; humans have great potential for violence and depravity; there are vast complexities to AI who achieve self-awareness; and True Art Is Angsty, just to name a few.
The season avoids feeling too episodic by employing a novelistic quality to the plot. There are things addressed in the very first episode that don't come full-circle until the season finale. This may be one of the best uses of mystery in a TV series that I've seen, and I was a fan of Lost. Some people may not like that aspect.
Another thing they might not like is that, as I've already mentioned, Westworld is jam-packed with themes and messages. I was amazed at the number of different ideas contained within these ten episodes. It'll make you think deeply about life, death, evolution, science-fiction, fantasy, reality, virtual realities, human nature, man's inhumanity to man, psychology, sociology, identity, self-discovery/self-actualization, acting, storytelling, etc.
The production quality on the show is also top notch; the beautiful American Southwest is practically its own character. And it is graced by a talented, star-studded cast. Playing lifelike robots on the verge of sentience allows for some creative acting moments, especially with Evan Rachel Wood as Dolores. Anthony Hopkins and Jeffrey Wright turn in brilliant performances as cold and calculating minds behind the park's technology. And Ed Harris is on fire as a truly chilling yet captivating villain.
Of course, the show isn't perfect. You're forced to really suspend disbelief and ignore plot holes near the season's latter half. And the characters all lie within the Black and Grey Morality spectrum: the robots are horribly abused by monstrous humans, but any revenge they take is usually just as cruel and proves they are ultimately Not So Different.
This isn't a show that provides easy answers, and it doesn't feature characters that can be clearly defined as either white hats or black hats. If a story goes for moral and intellectual complexities, I'd rather it be done well. It is done very well here.
I don't know how they'll be able to pull off this kind of plotting beyond this season, but I look forward to seeing more. Props to Jonathan Nolan, Lisa Joy and everyone else involved for delivering such a breathtaking experience.
Simply a delight
Westworld is a remarkable expansion of Michael Crichton's original story about the theme park of the future gone wrong. As opposed to the film, HBO's series focuses more on the robots (or "hosts") and their creators/owners than it does the guests who come to the park. And the story it tells is basically a slow-build toward that original premise: a robot uprising against human oppressors.
So we are given a lot of time to get to know how the park, the robots, and the corporate world profiting off all of it works. More importantly, we are allowed to explore the nuances that the film only briefly touches on: corporations don't care about people; humans have great potential for violence and depravity; there are vast complexities to AI who achieve self-awareness; and True Art Is Angsty, just to name a few.
The season avoids feeling too episodic by employing a novelistic quality to the plot. There are things addressed in the very first episode that don't come full-circle until the season finale. This may be one of the best uses of mystery in a TV series that I've seen, and I was a fan of Lost. Some people may not like that aspect.
Another thing they might not like is that, as I've already mentioned, Westworld is jam-packed with themes and messages. I was amazed at the number of different ideas contained within these ten episodes. It'll make you think deeply about life, death, evolution, science-fiction, fantasy, reality, virtual realities, human nature, man's inhumanity to man, psychology, sociology, identity, self-discovery/self-actualization, acting, storytelling, etc.
The production quality on the show is also top notch; the beautiful American Southwest is practically its own character. And it is graced by a talented, star-studded cast. Playing lifelike robots on the verge of sentience allows for some creative acting moments, especially with Evan Rachel Wood as Dolores. Anthony Hopkins and Jeffrey Wright turn in brilliant performances as cold and calculating minds behind the park's technology. And Ed Harris is on fire as a truly chilling yet captivating villain.
Of course, the show isn't perfect. You're forced to really suspend disbelief and ignore plot holes near the season's latter half. And the characters all lie within the Black and Grey Morality spectrum: the robots are horribly abused by monstrous humans, but any revenge they take is usually just as cruel and proves they are ultimately Not So Different.
This isn't a show that provides easy answers, and it doesn't feature characters that can be clearly defined as either white hats or black hats. If a story goes for moral and intellectual complexities, I'd rather it be done well. It is done very well here.
I don't know how they'll be able to pull off this kind of plotting beyond this season, but I look forward to seeing more. Props to Jonathan Nolan, Lisa Joy and everyone else involved for delivering such a breathtaking experience.