If your checklist for binge-worthy television is:
- Is it set in the Wild West?
- Is it also set in the future?
- Does it have cyborgs?
- Is Anthony Hopkins in it, playing a god-like mastermind?
If you said yes to one or all of those questions, then HBO®’s Westworld might be for you. If you said no…it still might be for you.
The premise
Westworld is the name of an amusement park that is full of human-like cyborgs called “hosts.” Evan Rachel Wood and James Marsden play two of them. Like a play, each host has a part in the park’s many Wild West-themed story lines. They’re programmed to perfection, creating elegant, lifelike interactions between one another, and even more importantly, visitors.
Set in an unspecified time in the future, people pay money to visit Westworld to immerse themselves in these narratives…or to do whatever they want. There are no ramifications for what the visitors do—it’s rated TV-MA, after all.
The show follows the storylines of visitors, hosts, and the park’s human employees (including Anthony Hopkins). The employees live at the compound, always on call, ready to re-program hosts, or manage the visitors’ experience if there is an issue.
Why you’ll love it/should binge watch it before Sunday
On the surface, Westworld is fantastic plot-driven television, but beneath it are many layers. It can get pretty cerebral, so watch out. The show explores themes of technology, history, and even consciousness.
Over the course of the first season, the lines between human and nonhuman begin to blur, and the thrilling drama ensues. If you had any question about whether or not this show is being talked about, check out the fan theories below.
The theories
The complexity of the plot and the storytelling on Westworld has spawned tons of fan theories about what is really going on. If you haven’t read up on some of the most popular ones, now, before the finale airs, might be a great time. Here are two good sources:
Not only is Westworld getting rave reviews, but HBO knows it’s good. It’s already plotted out for five seasons. So hop on the train and get watching!
The season one finale is being directed by one of the show’s creators, Jonathan Nolan. It’s going to be 90 minutes long and will air Sunday at 9 p.m. ET and 8 p.m. CT.
All images courtesy of HBO.
Guest blogger: Michael Wanta
Michael is an intern at TDS, tennis coach at Edgewood College, and also a graduate student studying sustainability and business. In his spare time, he plays music, does open mics, and reads (a lot).
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