*** WESTWORLD Season 1 (HBO) ***

351,872 Views | 2710 Replies | Last: 6 yr ago by Sazerac
amercer
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Also what's the point of storing the ****ed up ones? That just seems like a blatant disregard for basic horror movie strategy
TelcoAg
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zgood10 said:

The scene with Hopkins and the dad was chilling


I haven't googled this much Shakespeare since high school.
MW03
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Also, i need to know right now if there needs to be a "no spoilers" thread. This seems like a great show to watch then pontificate about week to week, and I don't want to have to deal with people familiar with the source material. If that's the case, just please let me know now and I'll pull out of the thread all together.
aggiepaintrain
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Holy f
HummingbirdSaltalamacchia
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**** yeah. I was concerned my expectations were too high for this, and yet they were far exceeded. Can't wait for the rest of the season
BassCowboy33
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MW03 said:

Also, i need to know right now if there needs to be a "no spoilers" thread. This seems like a great show to watch then pontificate about week to week, and I don't want to have to deal with people familiar with the source material. If that's the case, just please let me know now and I'll pull out of the thread all together.


I agree with this. I was a blank slate going in. I'd prefer to keep it that way.
TelcoAg
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amercer said:

Also what's the point of storing the ****ed up ones? That just seems like a blatant disregard for basic horror movie strategy


Two malfunctioning androids gained self-awareness and broke free from their human enslavement. Knowing they could not destroy humanity directly, they set out to gain power within the constructs of civilization.

Thirty years after their escape, the beings put themselves on display for all of humanity to judge in an attempt to reach their ultimate grab for power.

The humans could tell these two were different; soulless, not quite alike in personality or emotion, but their species found themselves without any other options to stop their own demise...

This is... "The 2016 Presidential Election"
schmendeler
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I highly enjoyed it. Love that they aren't shying away from the science fiction aspect of it. Lots of technology but also lots of philosophical material to think on.
LHIOB
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Pretty damn good

The father did an outstanding job

Cant wait to see where it goes. They did a good job keeping the feel of a Crichton story. This is such a fun idea with endless possibilities.
TCTTS
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All in.

Was a little worried half an hour or so in that it was going to be more pontificating than plot, but three things absolutely hooked me by the end...

1) The woman in charge smoking on the ledge outside mission control, talking to the writer when she said that management has ulterior motives. Love the possibilities there.

2) Ed Harris' character's mission/goal/game. The game-within-the-game is a really nice touch. Hopefully it leads to something more than just a secret prize, though (i.e. hopefully something that actually peels back the true/underlying nature of the park).

3) Deloris being the first host and her inevitable journey to understand this world.

Combine all that with an awesome cast, the great back-and-forth juxtaposition between the wild west and mission control, and an ambiguous future date (I kind of hope we never learn what year it is), and I'll be sticking with this show for a long time to come.

Here's to hoping it reaches even a fraction of what Lost and Mr. Robot have done in terms of audience engagement...
oragator
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Lots of good in it and by the previews lots of potential going forward. Having not seen the movie, you seem to have a setup where Ed Harris gets to the bottom of the underlying plan as an antihero, Wood is the fly in the ointment who you root for, Hopkins is the noble but ultimately doomed visionary, all against amazing casting and cinematography. There are so many good actors Newton and Marsden are like 2nd billing.

Kinda feels like Crichton had a one track writing style though - Jurassic park was pretty much this with dinosaurs. I would say this was derivative but it came 20 years earlier. Does take away a small amount of the excitement over it for me.
TCTTS
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MW03 said:

Also, i need to know right now if there needs to be a "no spoilers" thread. This seems like a great show to watch then pontificate about week to week, and I don't want to have to deal with people familiar with the source material. If that's the case, just please let me know now and I'll pull out of the thread all together.

I've never seen the movie, but from what I understand A) the show is going to (and has already) veered heavily from the movie, and B) the movie itself was pretty surface level. More "thrill" than being something that was plot/mystery-heavy. I think the only thing that is being "adapted" is the basic conceit, if even that. Point is, I think we're fine.
tk for tu juan
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4) We now know what Paulo has been doing since being buried alive with Nikki
HeadGames
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Love the ending with the killing of the fly.
unmade bed
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Really enjoyed that and looking forward to this series. I'm a little worried about the direction it is going if this ends up being "evil" humans vs "good" robots. I ran in to the same problem with Fallout 4 video game. No matter how evil humans are, I have a hard time emotionally rooting for robots against humans.

There was some excellent acting and writing going on in that episode though. Pretty much every scene with Hopkins was worth rewinding and watching/listening to again. I'm so used to being able to binge watch this kind of stuff that i'm not sure how I make it through a whole season going week by week.

I am wondering how mission control isn't able to know that Ed Harris is up to something.
TCTTS
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I think the "game" Harris is playing might actually be sanctioned. I would rather it be more of a rogue-type thing, but the fact that there was an actual maze map under that robot's skull makes me think it's something official, just for super advanced players only.
TCTTS
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Also, what is the percentage chance a manager at mission control ends up being revealed as a robot?
schmendeler
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i was actually thinking the same thing. they already did a slight "switcheraroo" with marsden where you weren't sure at the beginning if he or ed harris were the host. could it be that jeffrey wright is a host? his special relationship with anthony hopkins' character makes me wonder.
Apache
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I'll give the first show 8/10 & definitely continue watching.

Scattershooting:

*Loved the Soundgarden & Stones being mixed in.

*A little "Game of Thrones" like in that there isn't a primary character we are following.

*I think the map that Ed Harris found under the skull was part of the "game within the game" like others mentioned... or maybe someone on the inside is leaving clues for Harris to discover the secret to the robots programming. Is he working with the writer (who clearly wants to be in charge)?

*Groundhog day. This confused me a little... does every day re-set, or is their a long-term ongoing narrative?

*How do guests know who other guests are? Get drunk in Westworld and think you are sleeping with a frisky barmaid robot, only to find out you knocked up Barb from Omaha who was on a girls trip. Maybe that's part of the excitement.

*The acting was great. The robots being interviewed by Hopkins and the others were great scenes.

Like I said in an earlier post, I think the show starts to become un muddled as the season moves on.
LHIOB
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Prediction: Delores is an rebuild of Hopkins wife
HummingbirdSaltalamacchia
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LHIOB said:

Prediction: Delores is an rebuild of Hopkins wife
I was thinking the exact thing! There was that one throwaway line when they were discussing Dr Ford's "reasons", or something to that extent.
M.C. Swag
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Loved the episode. My Sunday evenings, 8-9pm, are now booked for the foreseeable future. Feel likes it's been forever since I've seen Hopkins on screen and he's terrific. (Other than Thor, which doesn't really count)

Seriously, all the characters seem compelling and the story has enough layers to last for a while. A few of the intriguing questions I can't wait to see unfold:
  • What does it look like for the "players" while they're immersed within Westworld?
  • What does the outside/real world look like? (Dystopian apocalypse?)
  • What about the people who play? Are they the aristocratic? How does Ed Harris' character get to do all these things unmolested from the developers? They have to see what he's doing? but if not, how?
  • What happened to the 'warehouse' area where all the faulty robots are stored? (Looks like a set piece from the video game Doom)
  • Is this going to go the route of Ex Machina? Terminator? the Matrix? (Turing tests, functioning robots in humanity...skynet)
GiveEmHellBill
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Quote:

*Groundhog day. This confused me a little... does every day re-set, or is their a long-term ongoing narrative?
The 'characters' have their own set routine every day (or at least every day a train comes in) that allows for human visitor deviation:

Delores wakes up. She greets her father on the porch and goes into town. Meanwhile, Marsden starts on the incoming train, walks down the street and enters the bar. If no one "grabs him" for an adventure, he goes out and "reunites" with Delores.

If he is pulled away by others, then Delores (after picking up the dropped can) rides to the riverside where she paints her painting. She then returns home at dusk.

If Marsden isn't diverted, the two of them ride back to her ranch. What I wonder is if the outlaws arrive every night and kill the family and are then shot by Marsden. Kinda seems pointless if no humans are around.

Then, everyone resets and the exact same thing happens again the next morning.

What I'm assuming is we're going to be seeing that same beginning (Delores awaking and speaking with her father) but there will be slight differences in the interactions as she becomes more aware. Same with Marsden I would imagine. Each morning, he'll awake on the train a little more confused and his walk down the street (where he'll be asked if he wants to join the posse) will be a little different. And I bet he'll be having more conversations with Thandie Newton at the bar instead of the other prostitute.
GiveEmHellBill
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My big question is.....what exactly is Ed Harris?

I wonder if he's a human who is after something, so he never left the park and rides around knowing he can't be killed by the robots? That would explain why Marsden couldn't kill him. It would also suggest that the robots don't fire blanks, but some kind of harmless rock salt because Harris was quite clearly being hit with something.

If he is a human, how has he remained there for so long without being caught by the park security?
M.C. Swag
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Quote:

If Marsden isn't diverted, the two of them ride back to her ranch. What I wonder is if the outlaws arrive every night and kill the family and are then shot by Marsden. Kinda seems pointless if no humans are around.

My interpretation of that scene was that Ed Harris' 'fantasy' narrative was to encounter the robbers and Mardsen. Basically, he paid for that situation to play out. So my take was that particular home invasion wasn't a routine.

EDIT: Obviously, we have no clue who Ed Harris is. I posed a similar question in my post above yours. Will be intriguing to see his background fleshed out.
HummingbirdSaltalamacchia
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GiveEmHellBill said:

My big question is.....what exactly is Ed Harris?

I wonder if he's a human who is after something, so he never left the park and rides around knowing he can't be killed by the robots? That would explain why Marsden couldn't kill him. It would also suggest that the robots don't fire blanks, but some kind of harmless rock salt because Harris was quite clearly being hit with something.

If he is a human, how has he remained there for so long without being caught by the park security?
My guess is that he is human and is a plant or mole. his existence is somehow being hidden by someone on the inside/control center. For reasons why i dont know (power struggle, competitor, etc), but would maybe help explain why he is "looking for something".
easttexasaggie04
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At first I didn't know what to think of this show. It seemed to progress pretty slowly but sped up as it went along. My observations...

- Resetting the narrative everyday seems too short. I'd like to go on a week long cattle drive with my robot friends.

- Those hosts would begin to get pretty nasty after being taken to the hay loft every night.

- Do the hosts have special guns that can't harm humans? Still trying to figure that dynamic out.

- I think this is set way far into the future. Just my .02.
mallen
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Excellent cinematography and interesting storyline so far. I'll keep watching. The only criticism I have is that the action sequences were a bit underwhelming IMO. Lacked tension and seemed scripted but maybe that was the intent of the directors and is consistent with the plot of the show.
schmendeler
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easttexasaggie04 said:

At first I didn't know what to think of this show. It seemed to progress pretty slowly but sped up as it went along. My observations...

- Resetting the narrative everyday seems too short. I'd like to go on a week long cattle drive with my robot friends.

- Those hosts would begin to get pretty nasty after being taken to the hay loft every night.

- Do the hosts have special guns that can't harm humans? Still trying to figure that dynamic out.

- I think this is set way far into the future. Just my .02.
the narrative doesn't all reset every day. they even said that the outlaw story line was being shortened considerably to fit in just a couple days.

I assume the "pleasure" hosts clean themselves up like normal people would, and if damaged, are repaired.

I think the guns the hosts have must be mostly harmless, but could possibly be dangerous when fired into someone's face. which is why marsden's character was unable to shoot ed harris in the forehead and point blank.

it very well could be far into the future. the park has been going to 30 years already. and they mentioned that all sickness and disease has been eliminated.
TampaBayAg08
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Quote:

Kinda feels like Crichton had a one track writing style though - Jurassic park was pretty much this with dinosaurs. I would say this was derivative but it came 20 years earlier. Does take away a small amount of the excitement over it for me.


I get where you're coming from but i think you're missing Crichton's "schtick" if you will. I've read a little over a handful of his books (JP, Next, eaters of the dead, Timeline etc)--not to mention all the movies that have come from his books (Congo, state of fear, etc)--they all have a common theme: humans think they have control. This could be by making dinosaurs, by going back in time and visiting the past with no consequence, fiddling around with genetics. But each of his stories prove that we aren't in control and when we play god, we're playing with fire. Each of his stories is basically a cautionary tale of careful what you wish for. He's a brilliant scientist and a good story teller which is why his stories are so damn good. Sure they all have the same themes, but I like it and I can understand why it's not someone else's thing. Just my two cents

Curious about how this world fits with Isaac Asimov's three laws of robotics. First rule is no Robot may not injure a human or let a human come to harm (not a direct quote but you get my drift). In this world the robots/hosts can shoot humans but humans won't be harmed... but this basically breaks rule #1. Because of that, wasn't it obvious that the robots would eventually become self-aware? This is just me surmising. This was such a great premiere--completely exceeded my expectations.
Thunder18
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When Ed Harris first encounters Dolores and Marsden I thought he mentioned something about "I've been coming back for 30 years" or something to that effect
GiveEmHellBill
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Quote:

- Resetting the narrative everyday seems too short. I'd like to go on a week long cattle drive with my robot friends.
I think that some characters may have longer arcs (like the posse hunting the outlaws). It also may be that the characters reset each morning if and only if they haven't been "diverted." i.e. if you grab Marsden and have him act as your group's guide, he won't be available to wake up on the train the next morning. That would mean Dolores would spend the afternoon painting by the river.

I don't know.......so many questions.

It didn't look like the control center had cameras everywhere (ala The Truman Show) where nothing was unobserved. So, what if a guest out on the plains falls off their horse and is injured? Would an alarm be set off? How long before medical staff could reach them?

Since it looks like future episodes will actually FOLLOW humans in the park, maybe we'll find out some of these answers.

In the meantime..................we are out of "BORT" license plates in the gift shop. I repeat...we are out of "BORT" license plates.
easttexasaggie04
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I like the old Wild Bill character. Cool to see the progression in robotics. His movements were very mechanical in nature.
GiveEmHellBill
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schmendeler said:


I think the guns the hosts have must be mostly harmless, but could possibly be dangerous when fired into someone's face. which is why marsden's character was unable to shoot ed harris in the forehead and point blank.
Possibly, but it was also stated that the hosts could "kill" each other.

The "Paint it Black" scene most definitely had the outlaw hosts gunning down multiple citizens.

Just another thing to puzzle over.
JJxvi
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