.Quality actors and numerous plot twists gives viewers of HBO’s television drama “Westworld” a truly thrilling story. The show is based on Michael Crichton’s movie with the same name, but follows a completely different series of story arcs.
The show takes place in the future at a theme park where robots, known as hosts, are programmed with storyline adventures to take human guests on as they spend time at the park. It follows the character development of park employees, guests and hosts themselves, all of which are brilliantly interwoven.
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The general plot follows the park’s collapse as the hosts gain sentience and break their basic code, which instructs them to not hurt the human guests. The various, smaller plot lines examine philosophical ideas in ways more interesting than a college philosophy course could portray them.
Dolores Abernathy, one of the protagonists and a host, is asked during interviews throughout the course of the season if she ever questions the nature of her reality.
Robotic hosts seem to not have any reason for questioning their reality, but as the show progresses, Abernathy begins to recall memories of past events.
Not knowing if her memories are real or fake is more than enough to have Abernathy questioning her reality. This seems to extend to the viewer as some of the day-to-day memories she recounts could easily relate to modern life.
Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy’s artful writing illustrates this key point and others such as free-will versus predestination. Nolan and Joy also take Crichton’s basic idea and transform it into a masterpiece, which numerous actors playing those characters add to.
Actors like Anthony Hopkins and Jeffrey Wright bring the series to a new level through their dynamic acting skills. Hopkins, who plays Dr. Robert Ford, carefully delivers each line in a way that says infinitely more about what is actually happening than the dialogue itself.
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Wright, who plays Bernard Lowe, among other characters, adds a genuine flavor to the show as he provides intense expression through his body language. Wright does such a magical job connecting with the audience that viewers can feel his character’s pain while reflecting on his son’s loss. Lowe’s emotions are not overdone nor nonexistent, which makes him a vibrant and memorable character in the show.
The first season requires about a ten-hour commitment to finish, which is similar to the length of shows like “Stranger Things” or “Game of Thrones.” “Westworld” is a show best watched within a few weeks, which can be done while classes are in session, but may require a decent amount of time management.
The show’s only major drawback is the price tag to legally watch it. An HBO subscription can be quite expensive for some people, which may be a good motivator to find some friends who already have a subscription or pool together resources to get a subscription and watch it as a group.
“Westworld’s” second season is set to release this spring, which is why people should check out the artfully crafted first season now.
The price tag of an HBO subscription or the possible penalty of watching it illegally combined with a significant time commitment are not enough to seriously harm the show’s beauty.
A new trailer for “Westworld” Season 2 aired during Super Bowl 52. While providing us a look at the upcoming season, it revealed the anticipated release date, April 22.
Flaws aside and a promising trailer in anticipation for season 2 earn a high rating based off of former success.
Rating: 4/5
