Recap: Can HBO’s Westworld become the new Game of Thrones?
On Sunday night, Westworld debuted on HBO to rave reviews. If you haven’t yet seen the premiere episode yet, then turn back now, because we’re going to recap it.
Based on the 1973 film of the same name from director Michael Crichton, Westworld is set in a futuristic theme park populated by androids which are made to look, feel, and mimic real human beings. The androids act as “Hosts” to the park’s visitors, or “Newcomers,” and are programmed not to kill any living thing.
In “The Original,” we are introduced to West World (one of three main areas of the park, along with Medieval World and Roman World) as several Newcomers arrive on the park’s train, including Teddy Flood (James Marsden). West World looks exactly like you would imagine the old west to appear, complete with horses, dusty vistas, and saloons. The town’s android inhabitants go through their daily routines as if they were real human beings.
Upon arriving, James quickly sees the beautiful Dolores Abernathy, played by Evan Rachel Wood. It turns out that he’s there for her, and she’s excited to see him again. The two return to Dolores’ farm, where she lives with her mother and father (Louis Herthum), but something has gone terribly wrong—gunfire can be heard coming from the main house.
Teddy races ahead, only to find that Dolores’ parents have been murdered by two outlaws. Teddy dispatches them both. While Dolores mourns for her father, a mysterious Newcomer called the Gunslinger (Ed Harris) appears and instantly establishes a threatening presence. He threatens Dolores, and Teddy fires several shots at him to no avail. Teddy falls to his knees, and the Gunslinger begins to drag Dolores toward the barn by her hair. Teddy stands and fires more shots, again without any effect. The Gunslinger turns and shoots Teddy, killing him, then continues his work.
As the sun comes up on the next day, the park is reset, and Dolores begins her day as if nothing happened the night before. Teddy, who was killed by the Gunslinger, awakes on the train, and Newcomers remark how lifelike he is. Teddy is an android, and therefore a Host.
Meanwhile, at the park’s headquarters, the programmers and technicians are working on a problem with the Hosts, something that arose after a recent update. After much deliberation and investigation, it’s revealed that Dr. Robert Ford (Anthony Hopkins), the creative director of the park, had altered the Hosts’ programming to include memories of past interactions so that the androids would appear even more like human beings.
Back in West World, the Gunslinger has kidnapped and tortured a Host. He’s scalped it, revealing a mysterious map. As this is happening, the Hosts are continuing to act strange. This culminates in an episode where Dolores’ father Peter loses control after finding a photo of the modern world, dropped by a Newcomer. After his outburst, the programming and security teams decide to pull every host affected by the update.
In the end, it’s revealed that Dolores is the oldest android in the park, and after much questioning, she is deemed safe to be returned there. The other Hosts, including Dolores’ father, are put into cold storage, and all seems right. However, the next morning, as Dolores begins her repetitive daily routine, a new father is sitting on the porch. As Dolores looks off into the distance, a fly lands on her neck. She smashes it, instantly killing it and going against her programming. It is now on.
So can Westworld become the new Game of Thrones? If the twists and turns from Episode 1 continue throughout the show’s inaugural season, I would say yes. With Game of Thrones winding down, HBO will be looking for a new flagship show. Westworld could fit the bill.
With a cast full of already well established actors, the backing of Star Wars: The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams, the magnificent writing of Jonathan Nolan (The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, Interstellar), and the musical talents of Game of Thrones Ramin Djawadi, Westworld seems poised to be a sensational hit, something HBO will need when Thrones is off the air. The Hollywood Reporter describes the show as “a dark odyssey about the dawn of artificial consciousness and the future of sin.” I couldn’t have said it any better.
