Westworld

[Cugalabanza]

I’ve watched the first three episodes. So far, I’m impressed. Unsurprisingly, the production values are top notch. The show looks outstanding. I think the writing is pretty great too, better than the previews suggested. I think they handle the “Fantasy Island” aspect in a way that is very fun. And the philosophical/techno-psycho-AI/behind-the-scenes stuff is done well too. They avoid over-explaining and they include some very interesting ideas without insulting anyone’s intelligence or giving easy answers.

 

Big thumbs up from me. I really enjoy it. The scope of the whole thing is so huge that I think it will be challenging to keep it compelling for multiple seasons. But for now, I think It’s great.

Edited October 24, 2016 by Cugalabanza

[Deranged Rhino]

I’ve watched the first three episodes. So far, I’m impressed. Unsurprisingly, the production values are top notch. The show looks outstanding. I think the writing is pretty great too, better than the previews suggested. I think they handle the “Fantasy Island” aspect in a way that is very fun. And the philosophical/techno-psycho-AI/behind-the-scenes stuff is done well too. They avoid over-explaining and they include some very interesting ideas without insulting anyone’s intelligence or giving easy answers.

 

Big thumbs up from me. I really enjoy it. The scope of the whole thing is so huge that I think it will be challenging to keep it compelling for multiple seasons. But for now, I think It’s great.

 

That's always an issue when taking a movie and trying to expand it to a multi-season show.

 

That said, there is certainly enough material to make it happen here.

Edited October 24, 2016 by Deranged Rhino

[/dev/null]

 

I thought this was the best episode so far. Gotta believe Ed Harris' character is Arnold in some form or fashion.

 

Guess we were both wrong about that.

 

Previews for next week looks like Harris and Hopkins are gonna talk. And we get to see some "more" of Deloroes

[IslandBillsFan]

I have watched the all the episodes so far and like it however..... I am starting to get worried this will be a show where it seems to build and build and build but never really deliver.

 

I feel like I keep watching the same storylines (get it?). Maybe this is intentional. How many times can I watch Westworld employees say the hosts are suffering a one time glitch? There has been multiple glitches every episode but the WestWorld employees seem to be hiding it.

 

Also, like the guests I have no feelings for the hosts getting blown apart in gun battles. After seeing a few episodes worth I don't really care anymore. I'd rather see a guest die. Maybe this is intentional too.

 

I will keep watching but hope we get some answers.

 

LAST RANDOM SIDE NOTE: The guest who is a jackass said at one point they were paying $40K a day to be in the park. This number seems off. For this type of technology, I figure it needs to be AT LEAST 25 years in the future. I was thinking for a park/experience to this magnitude it would be millions per day.

[Deranged Rhino]

I have watched the all the episodes so far and like it however..... I am starting to get worried this will be a show where it seems to build and build and build but never really deliver.

 

I feel like I keep watching the same storylines (get it?). Maybe this is intentional. How many times can I watch Westworld employees say the hosts are suffering a one time glitch? There has been multiple glitches every episode but the WestWorld employees seem to be hiding it.

 

Also, like the guests I have no feelings for the hosts getting blown apart in gun battles. After seeing a few episodes worth I don't really care anymore. I'd rather see a guest die. Maybe this is intentional too.

 

I will keep watching but hope we get some answers.

 

LAST RANDOM SIDE NOTE: The guest who is a jackass said at one point they were paying $40K a day to be in the park. This number seems off. For this type of technology, I figure it needs to be AT LEAST 25 years in the future. I was thinking for a park/experience to this magnitude it would be millions per day.

 

Good stuff. My thoughts:

 

The building without delivering is a common fear with BR shows, though Fringe delivered (at least more than Lost did for most people) and WW feels more like Fringe than Lost to me so I have hope. But it's a valid concern for now. I have faith in the creatives behind the show though...

 

The glitches: The employees are saying it's a one time glitch but it clearly is something more invasive. Bernard and Ford both know it's a bigger issue, Ford might have caused it with his update (or allowed the ghost of Arnold to cause it by accessing their memories) but Bernard is encouraging it at least with Dolores, and Elsie is at least suspicious that there's something bigger afoot. I never watched the original movie, so I don't know how close they're sticking to the source material but so far the glitches are tracking well for me at least as far as building the mystery.

 

Guests vs Hosts: I definitely think the show is intentionally trying to desensitize you to the hosts' deaths, probably with the intention of making you feel bad about that eventually. Of course anyone familiar with these types of video games/sandbox games are already pretty desensitized in that regard. But it's definitely setting up a time when a host kills a guest. Dolores killing Ed Harris seems logical, but I have a guess Ed Harris and Dolores are going to end up being a team when they reach the "maze".

 

It's going to happen (just like it was inevitable that a dinosaur was going to eat a guest eventually in Jurassic Park), probably sooner rather than later. The pilot ends with Dolores killing a fly... they have to pay that off.

 

What's less clear to me is what the "bigger picture" is that was mentioned in the pilot. Cullen said the park is one thing to its guests, another thing to Ford and something else entirely to the board... the hints from the last episode about the game being able to change people's thinking might be part of that, I'm not sure but am interested to find out.

[mead107]

Not watching and don't care.

[IslandBillsFan]

Anyone still watching WW? Beware Spoliers....

 

 

In the latest episode there was finally what I would consider a twist or shock. Did anyone see this coming that Bernard was actually a host? I didn't see it until the point he got fired. I figured something was up, and as clues came out I put it together.

 

The other thing I found surprising is how Ford then used Bernard to kill Theresa. Previous to this I viewed him as the charming eccentric visionary. Now he is a murderer and probably has killed others (possibly the previous partner. Sorry I can't recall his name).

 

Another question is what is to be down with Bernard now? He was fired so I assume he won't work in his previous role. Maybe he ends up in Ford's secret areas of the part.

 

Anyhow, this was the first episode where after it ended I wanted to watch another right away.

 

Thoughts out there?

[/dev/null]

Anyone still watching WW? Beware Spoliers....

 

 

In the latest episode there was finally what I would consider a twist or shock. Did anyone see this coming that Bernard was actually a host? I didn't see it until the point he got fired. I figured something was up, and as clues came out I put it together.

 

The other thing I found surprising is how Ford then used Bernard to kill Theresa. Previous to this I viewed him as the charming eccentric visionary. Now he is a murderer and probably has killed others (possibly the previous partner. Sorry I can't recall his name).

 

Another question is what is to be down with Bernard now? He was fired so I assume he won't work in his previous role. Maybe he ends up in Ford's secret areas of the part.

 

Anyhow, this was the first episode where after it ended I wanted to watch another right away.

 

Thoughts out there?

i'm still watching, mostly because i've made it this deep into the season i might as well finish it. Not enough to keep me hooked for another season tho, at least so far

 

I figured Bernard was a Host in the cabin after he mentioned the Hosts are programmed to ignore certain things in the park. Then Theresa asked what as behind the door and Bernard was like "what door". I think he ends up in Fords secret part of the park too.

 

And Theresa, I think will be replaced by the new Host that Ford was fabricating.

 

I wasn't totally surprised by Ford's plot twist. If anybody can play a homicidal genius three steps ahead of everyone else around them, it's Anthony Hopkins

[LB3]

I just binged the entire season the past two days and I really enjoyed it. Wood, Newton and Hopkins are just great, which was to be expected. On the whole the cast has been good, even McPoyle.

 

I am glad I went in knowing nothing about the movie. IMO, this show has a similar feel to Carnivale, which I also really enjoyed.

 

My theory is that Wood might actually be Arnold, and that Bernard is the original Wood. I know the prevailing theory is that Bernard is Arnold, but I think that if Arnold is talking to some of the hosts, it would have to be Wood doing it (unless it was some built in memory). Plus, Wood seems like he has the obsession that was attributed to Arnold. He could have been so obsessed that he killed Wood, stole his identity and destroyed all memory of himself so that he could go forward with his mission to create truly conscious hosts.

Edited November 23, 2016 by LBSeeBallLBGetBall

[IslandBillsFan]

Anybody watch the latest episode? Alot of things in there to discuss. I don't know how to do they spoiler text here so I won't say much.

[John from Riverside]

I have this TIVO'd but have not started it yet.

[Fadingpain]

I watched the finale and thought it was fantastic. The extra half hour was greatly appreciated.

 

This show is great and I can't wait for season 2.

 

Love the theme song!

 

Lots of interesting themes explored, classic sci-fi stuff.

 

[/dev/null]

S1 took awhile to develop but it definitely paid off

 

I knew a guest named William

[LB3]

Great finale episode. So well acted.

 

 

I assumed that Ford would be gone before next season because I couldn't see Hopkins signing on for more than 1, but I like how they sent him off. Creating more suffering to further the hosts development.

 

Edited December 7, 2016 by LBSeeBallLBGetBall