I and many others are still reeling over the sudden and abrupt cancellation of HBO’s Westworld. Was the show as good as it once was? Not really. Should it have been canceled? Absolutely not. In fact, I’d argue that what turned out to be the final season was finally getting the series back on track.
But sadly, HBO cut Westworld off ahead of a planned fifth and final season, and now we must live in a world without it. Well, sort of. According to creator and co-showrunner Lisa Joy Nolan, who was at the Series Mania television festival in France the other day, the advance of artificial intelligence has seemingly made Westworld less of a fantasy show and more of a documentary. “[Westworld] was science fiction when we started, and now it’s much more like a documentary film,” said Nolan, per The Hollywood Reporter. “With Chat GPT and advances in A.I., these issues are becoming more and more relevant today.”
It is a bit jarring to see the world around us and how much it has advanced, making the host robots of Westworld less frightening. Between the Chat GPTs, Alexas, and Siris of the world, our world is becoming far more automated.
Westworld creator wishes the show had gotten a final season
When discussing the Westworld cancellation, Lisa Joy Nolan said that she and her husband/co-creator Jonathan Nolan would have liked the series to get one more season. However, she said the topics on the show will “continue to be explored, if not in Westworld, then in other series, taking them to new levels.”
I don’t think we’ll have to wait for another show, to be honest. I’m waiting for the inevitable announcement that we can go to a real-life Westworld park. It’s only a matter of time!
While Westworld did not get a proper ending, I feel that Lisa Joy has a lot of pride in what she and her husband created. They can say that they managed to get ahead of the artificial intelligence chaos and gave us a sneak peek into what our futures could/would/will probably look like.
Thanks, Nolans! Westworld continues to be missed, and maybe, someday, a group of robotic writers will bring it back.
To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.
Get HBO, Starz, Showtime, and MORE for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels