[REVIEW] Westworld Season 2 Round Up and Speculation
Westworld – Season 2
Actors: Evan Rachel Wood, Thandie Newton, Jeffrey Wright, James Marsden, Tessa Thompson, Fares Fares, Luke Hemsworth, Louis Herthum, Simon Quarterman, Talulah Riley, Rodrigo Santoro, Gustaf Skarsgård, Ed Harris, Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, Clifton Collins Jr, Angela Sarafyan, Katja Herbers, Shannon Woodward, Anthony Hopkins, Zahn McClarnon
Writer/s: Lisa Joy, Carly Wray, Jonathan Nolan, Gina Atwater, Roberto Patino, Ron Fitzgerald, Dan Dietz, Jordan Goldberg
Director/s: Richard J Lewis, Vincenzo Natali, Lisa Joy, Craig Zobel, Tarik Saleh, Nicole Kassell, Uta Briesewitz, Stephen Williams, Frederick EO Toye
Producer/s: Cherylanne Martin, Michael Polaire, Carly Wray, Stephen Semel
Studio: HBO
Rating: 4 Soda Cans
rates Film/TV out of a potential 6 pack of Soda Cans – the score indicates the value of the release in Soda’s.
Westworld Season 2 has come to a close. No matter what you think of its often hard to distinguish timelines, the science fiction theme park, built for the worst of Humanity, has been a resounding success. As a round up this article will contain major SPOILERS for the entirety of Westworld Season 2.
Westworld Season 2 is Not for the Casual Viewer
There are many storylines that can be hard to follow in Westworld with HBO’s programming chief Casey Bloys commenting its “Not for casual viewers”. Now, even though I think this alienates a large part of their audience the statement is, nevertheless, true. If you thought you would be able to jump into this halfway through or just have it run in the background whilst you go about your day you were wrong. Despite the audience backlash, HBO doesn’t have cause to be worried about Westworld. Having been nominated for several Emmy awards including Best Drama.
Season 2 revealed a lot about the universe of Westworld and I believe the overarching story across this season is : how the Hosts are capable to change while the Humans are not. Take Dolores, for example, who uses her newfound freedom to act as the series vengeful spirit. Wreaking havoc, killing and torturing Humans, betraying the Confederados and even reprograms Teddy causing him to commit suicide. Dolores would do anything to achieve her “Reckoning.” Going as far to attempt to destroy The Sublime and every Host inside.
A place of decadent adventure – Westworld houses a secret
When resurrected in Charlotte’s body, Dolores reverses her decision showing she is capable of great change. Even willing to do anything to achieve her goals. This is in stark contrast to The Man In Black who tries to change his nature, through saving the family of a Host he had killed multiple times before but struggles against his “programming.” His true nature would eventually lead to the death of his wife.
Meave is a good representation on the subject of change in Westworld. Despite only being able to care for herself, Meave goes beyond her programming. In order to find her daughter from a previous storyline and reunite with her lost love. Meave explores whether programmed love is real and does it even matter. She meets the other Hosts who also chase this programmed love far beyond what they would have. Meave is confronted with the illusion of her feelings. Forced to meet her daughter’s new mother in a storyline she is no longer a part of. All while the Hosts are capable of change. They force themselves to stop becoming more like the Humans that have become incapable of escaping their base programming.
The biggest reveal of the second season was the purpose of the Westworld park itself. Thought to have been a place of decadent adventure, Westworld houses a secret, forcing upon the viewer a revelation. That Humans and Hosts are almost one and the same. 4 Sodas!
