HBO has a lot riding on Jonathan and Lisa Joy Nolan’s “Westworld.”
After missteps like Terence Winter’s “Vinyl” and a poorly received second season of “True Detective,” the network has a lot riding on “Westworld” being their next “Game of Thrones.” After a very intriguing pilot episode, it looks like they may have another massive success.
The series is not a direct remake, but is highly inspired by a 1973 science fiction western film with the same title. Originally written and directed by Michael Crichton (“Jurassic Park”) is another project “Westworld” involving with obscure amusement parks going haywire. Instead of dinosaurs this time around audiences are dealing with the Wild West.
“Westworld” is about an adult-themed amusement park where guests can dive into many interconnecting story lines of their choosing. The hosts of these adventures are artificial beings, robots so advanced they are almost to the point of self-realization. It is a vast world visters can explore where death only brings them out of the world. The guests pay a big fee to be allowed to roam Westworld and even choose to explore the path of a hero or be a villain to the town. Whatever path they choose to explore is okay within the confines on the park. The hosts are designed to not retaliate against the guests which are called “newcomers” to the artificial beings who truly believe they are living in the Wild West.
The foundation is laid out in the first episode, “The Original,” but a lot of questions also come to mind about where the show is going. The update they installed on all of the hosts seems to be a little wonky and glitches are shown with the feeling that they will only worsen.
The main character, Dolores, is played by Evan Rachel Wood (“The Wrestler”) is the viewer’s main focus when it comes to the hosts living in Westworld. Her father has a breakdown when hit with the self-realization about the robotic beings and their interactions with the real world. When her father finds a color photograph of a woman in New York City in his field he is floored by it while Dolores’ protocol system ignores inconsistencies Westworld may face from the real world.
Ed Harris (“Gone Baby Gone”) plays The Man in Black, who has been a guest to Westworld for over 30 years, but now he visits with a purpose. A murderous, dangerous man who now seems to have a hidden purpose for his actions in Westworld, Harris fits this role like no other.
James Marsden (“X- Men: Days of Future Past”) plays Delores’ love interest who also happens to be a guest to the park. He plays a more traditional, straight-laced cowboy in Westworld which presumably sets him up to face down The Man in Black.
This could be the next “Lost.” The world Nolan, J.J. Abrams and Bryan Burk have put together is nothing less than extraordinary. Crichton had a very unusual premise and the creators ran with it until it was a completely different beast. The future and compromised morals blended with the lawlessness of the Wild West is a unique world to play in. With awesome covers of rock songs made into old fashioned saloon songs and the incredible cinematography, “Westworld” has more to offer than just another awesome sci-fi show.
