We’ve now had three episodes of “Westworld,” and it is turning into an excellent Philip K. Dick-ian nightmare of a show. We are now seeing a dichotomy between humans who are curious about the androids and treat them humanely, and humans who want to exploit them for profit, sexual gratification, or indulging whatever sick violent fantasies they might have. Anthony Hopkins’s character seems kind and grandfatherly at first glance but by the end of the third episode his insistence that the robots have no human qualities seems quite sinister. For example, his order that the androids should not be covered when they’re nude is disturbing.
Evan Rachel Wood’s character has become interesting with her “Alice in Wonderland”-type storyline. She is seeking to become “real” by having new experiences. How this ties in with Ed Harris’ Man in Black will be interesting to see. Her character arc seems to tie in with Illuminati rites, which is very unusual for this sort of show. Will she turn on her creators as she discovers her plight?
The end of the third episode is really amazing where the scientists discover the android immolating himself and, by implication, his followers in brutal fashion with a boulder. Why would an android do this? It will be interesting to find out.
It was really fascinating watching the back-stories for the androids being created. This is way beyond anything in the original film by Michael Crichton, which was basically a western with a sci-fi twist. Here we see how everything works, which will bore some but not me.
Thandie Newton’s character as the whore who is failing at seducing the customers and may be destroyed because of it is the show’s major flaw. I do not understand where they are going with her role and it seems sexist.
Jeffrey Wright’s character is finally coming into focus and he is looking like the protagonist of the show. He has much more scientific curiosity than Hopkins’s character does and we will see if that leads to good or ill. He has a very strong character arc and I have always felt he is an underrated actor. Will he find the redemption he seeks for having lost his son?
Finally, this business about Hopkins’s deceased and more scientifically curious partner Arnold is potentially a barnburner. Why are the androids apparently having conversations with him? Where will this lead? Is Arnold’s hypothesis that the androids can be human correct and, if so, what will the consequences be?
If you can’t tell already, this show has the potential to be much better than “Game of Thrones.” Whereas that show seems to be slickly packaged sex and violence, this one is promising to explore serious moral and scientific issues while still providing lots of sex and violence. For that reason, I am recommending the show to everyone and plan to watch and cover the entire first season. Sexbot fans unite! -CoolAC
