HBO's newest venture mixes sci-fi and fantasy with what other than the Old West. It's the Hall of Presidents on steroids. Based on the 1973 Yul Brenner cult classic about a futuristic amusement park that goes off script when the robots don't want to play anymore. It premiered on October 2, 2016.
The Setup- For 30 years Westworld has been an amusement park like no other. Created by Dr. Robert Ford( Anthony Hopkins) and his partner Westworld let's high paying guests experience the perils and promise of the Old West first hand. Androids, who became more and more life like over the years, provide guests with every pleasure they desire. The park's newest update has some "Hosts" malfunctioning in a way that puzzles head of robotics Bernard Lowe (Jeffrey Wright). "Hosts" are supposed to be incapable of harming guests but the new erractic behavior they are displaying worries the park boss (Sidse Babbette Knudson). The show intertwines stories of the parks oldest working android Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood) and it's longest returning guest The Man in the Black Hat (Ed Harris). When Dolores and the other androids slowly begin to gain self realization the entire park experience comes into peril.
What I Love About It- This show is just flat out fun. This is Fantasy Island for the 21st century. You can enjoy it for the sex and violence or go all Nietzsche on it. It has something for every modern TV viewer. You spend the first episode wondering what the hell is going on and just when you settle in you start wondering all over again. First things first this cast is simply amazing. It's not often you develop attachments to characters after 2 episodes but Westworld pulls it off with ease. The exciting thing here is how open the storylines can be. This concept offers infinite possibilities and it is almost impossible to tell what direction the story arcs are going to go. This series is an Easter Egg hunt that would make Marvel Studios blush. Any show that makes you want to re-watch it right away is on to something.
What I Hate About It- I had to scratch my head for a little bit on this one because I really love this show. I might think they revealed maybe a little too much too soon about some of the major characters that would have been a little bit more tantalizing if spread out over time. There is also a lot going on here. If your texting while feeding your baby and kicking a tennis ball with your left foot to the family pooch you're probably going to miss some subtle comment that changes everything you previously believed about the show.
8 out of 10 couch potatoes- Great fun with deep thinking nuances that will make your head spin. Even if the writing takes it to places it shouldn't go this amazing cast can keep us intrigued for seasons to come.
