Westworld (HBO/Sky Atlantic) [** Spoilers **]

RobbingBandit

Definitely think Caleb is connected now I'm guessing MIB bastardo would be a little too obvious but then again it would fit as he'd have no DNA profile connection to the system but what with William killing his daughter in the park Caleb could be his sole surviving child just needing to be recognized.

youcancallmeal

Incredibly high production values on episode 5 and thankfully the story appears to be keeping up

Mr.Nice Guy

How are the ratings doing for this season?

I ask because that was the first episode I had to turn off before the end. The acting, writing, sound editing, are all so overblown. I'd say the only thing that has retained its quality from the first season is the music, but it's often drowning out the dialogue to the point I have to keep fiddling with the volume control to make out what convoluted plot point has just been spouted.

It's too frustrating a viewing experience for me now and I feel there are better alternatives, so I'm out. I'm going to tell myself it all ended at the end of the first season when Ford got killed.

transylman

Agree with the negative reviews, show is close to unwatchable now. All the characters are sterile and it has this vibe that we should be in awe of what we are seeing. Awful, and I enjoyed the first series.

alchemist33

Bit underwhelmed by the latest episode. The car chase and subsequent gunfight were pretty boring. And I've never watched Aaron Paul in anything else so don't know if it's him or the writing, but he only seems to do confused.

ixoy

transylman wrote: »

Agree with the negative reviews, show is close to unwatchable now. All the characters are sterile and it has this vibe that we should be in awe of what we are seeing. Awful, and I enjoyed the first series.

So why bother continue watching it? As Mr. Nice Guy says, there's a lot of great TV out there you'll enjoy more rather than waste time hate watching. It's what I've finally learned to do - not with this show (which I like, although this latest episode was definitely the weakest of the season) but elsewhere.

DenMan

I'm actually really enjoying it guys. I had a double episode last night as I recorded last week's and only saw it yesterday before the new one.

Liamalone

ixoy wrote: »

So why bother continue watching it? As Mr. Nice Guy says, there's a lot of great TV out there you'll enjoy more rather than waste time hate watching. It's what I've finally learned to do - not with this show (which I like, although this latest episode was definitely the weakest of the season) but elsewhere.

What is it with this attitude? Miaow woof don't watch it then.

Some people watch on because they've invested time in the first couple of series and have started the third series and will watch it to an end. Hell I still watch The Walking Dead even though it's not a patch of it's former self, but I watched enough of it to want to see it through to the end as well as having read the comics.

This series of Westworld has went up it's own hole and is a bit of a mess since it has left the theme park. Fair play for trying but it hasn't worked for me. The thing I see most on this thread is praise for the music in an attempt to take something from it but even that isn't a patch on the two previous series.

But no, if you don't like it then don't watch.

More like, if you don't have space in your mind for other people's opinions then don't respond.

ixoy

Liamalone wrote: »

The thing I see most on this thread is praise for the music in an attempt to take something from it but even that isn't a patch on the two previous series.

Well that's just not true. Going by previous posts, and using their thanks as some indicator, most people still watching the show are enjoying it.

But no, if you don't like it then don't watch.

I asked why bother. I did the sunk cost fallacy myself for years and now see it for what it was. Much like I'd have loved if I had stopped watching 'Dexter' after its fourth season. Best if you can to try and leave some good memories behind.

steve_r

The thread would be boring if we all thought the same way.

I'm enjoying the new season, I think it's ambitious with what it's trying to do.

It's a big risk to move away from the park and I get why people would have wanted the story to stay there.

It's interesting to see Devs brought up, for those who haven't seen it, it's a show that explores somewhat similar ideas but IMO Devs is a much tighter constrained form of storytelling where everything has been planned out in great detail.

Liamalone

ixoy wrote: »

I asked why bother.

Each til their own I suppose. Much watch Dexter then so lol

Galwayguy35

Thought this series was good so far until last this last episode which was boring but no doubt the action will kick in again next week.

pixelburp

Really digging this year's soundtrack; the Vangelis / BaldeRunner influence quite overt and apt for the futuristic setting. Production design and world building has also been pretty spectacular.

Thargor

Jesus this used to be my favourite thing on tv but its taken me 4 attempts to get to the end of the first 3 episodes, its lost its spark, I just dont care about any characters or events in any way whatsoever. I think Ill just read the Wikipedia entries for the episodes and leave it at that.

Mc Love

My immediate reaction after that was "Where's Westworld gone?"

Its like we're watching a completely different show now

Mc Love

Mc Love wrote: »

My immediate reaction after that was "Where's Westworld gone?"

Its like we're watching a completely different show now

I felt exactly the same. So many new characters, don't really know where the story is going and when the guy was having his psychedelic trip I thought i was on one too.

Having it been my favourite program, I'm swiftly losing interest.

Penn

Deleted User wrote: »

I felt exactly the same. So many new characters, don't really know where the story is going and when the guy was having his psychedelic trip I thought i was on one too.

Having it been my favourite program, I'm swiftly losing interest.

I'm enjoying S3 a lot more than S2, but ultimately I don't think it's a show I'll be recommending to people. S1 was so f*cking great, but I don't think they can ever get back to that kind of quality now.

Mc Love

S1 had so much promise but like I said its like a different show now.

Only one thing keeping me watching is Evan Rachel Wood

Penn

Penn wrote: »

I'm enjoying S3 a lot more than S2, but ultimately I don't think it's a show I'll be recommending to people. S1 was so f*cking great, but I don't think they can ever get back to that kind of quality now.

Cowboys, robots and sex, what wasn't to love? As you say, we can't get that back. The interesting quirk of the soundtrack using modern hits played using traditional means was genius but can't happen in the modern present/future world. When they played Ride of the Valkyrie I wish they had done an electronic version to continue the theme.

Full_Circle_81

pixelburp wrote: »

Really digging this year's soundtrack; the Vangelis / BaldeRunner influence quite overt and apt for the futuristic setting. Production design and world building has also been pretty spectacular.

I know the show has a bit of a name for itself using pre-existing music and twisting it around a bit, but I'm finding some of the original music this season to be really interesting. I'm not always a fan of scores that overwhelm the senses (as Zimmers often do), but this one works really well I feel. I'm also getting a Wendy Carlos (Shining/Tron) vibe off it too.

youcancallmeal

Penn wrote: »

I'm enjoying S3 a lot more than S2, but ultimately I don't think it's a show I'll be recommending to people. S1 was so f*cking great, but I don't think they can ever get back to that kind of quality now.

I'd agree with you but I'd actually tell people just watch Season 1 only, one of Anthony Hopkins finest performances imo. I'm quite enjoying S3 after the convoluted mess that was S2 but it does feel like a different show

Slydice

One thought that came to me over the last week ..

what with how they like their surprise endings and all.. is .. maybe we're still in Westworld. This could be some kinda future world. Just who are the guests..

Only a small possibility though. Wouldn't put it past them.

Mattdhg

Slydice wrote: »

One thought that came to me over the last week ..

what with how they like their surprise endings and all.. is .. maybe we're still in Westworld. This could be some kinda future world. Just who are the guests..

Only a small possibility though. Wouldn't put it past them.

Quite possible, this was the plot twist of the Westworld movie sequel. I'd expect them to put an extra twist on it though

leggo

I’m personally happy they’ve made so many shifts. I wanted to love S2 and convinced myself I loved the finale when it aired, but when I watched it back before S3 started it was a convoluted mess with so many characters dying then being resurrected in one episode. They tapped into something good with the multiple timelines in S1 getting people theorising and obsessing, that was fun, but then they felt the need to keep that up when they didn’t need to in S2 and it turned confusing and absurd at times.

They’ve answered that in S3 by being much more transparent and just getting decent characters you enjoy watching. The switch to the real world also makes the tone shift feel natural and not forced. There’s a bit of mystery but not in a patronising, overcooked way so we can still speculate without feeling totally lost and alienated. I’m into the changes and they were needed as I was ready to hit the eject button if they started pulling the deliberately obtuse S2 crap.

dr.kenneth noisewater

Used to love this show but like others I just find this season boring. It feels like a completely different show from the first 2 seasons and hard to see where it ends up

leggo

leggo wrote: »

I’m personally happy they’ve made so many shifts. I wanted to love S2 and convinced myself I loved the finale when it aired, but when I watched it back before S3 started it was a convoluted mess with so many characters dying then being resurrected in one episode. They tapped into something good with the multiple timelines in S1 getting people theorising and obsessing, that was fun, but then they felt the need to keep that up when they didn’t need to in S2 and it turned confusing and absurd at times.

They’ve answered that in S3 by being much more transparent and just getting decent characters you enjoy watching. The switch to the real world also makes the tone shift feel natural and not forced. There’s a bit of mystery but not in a patronising, overcooked way so we can still speculate without feeling totally lost and alienated. I’m into the changes and they were needed as I was ready to hit the eject button if they started pulling the deliberately obtuse S2 crap.

Very few characters I enjoy watching atm, unfortunately.

Right now, I feel like I'm just getting through it to see what happens, but I don't really care what happens to any of the characters at this point.

leggo

Basil3 wrote: »

Very few characters I enjoy watching atm, unfortunately.

Right now, I feel like I'm just getting through it to see what happens, but I don't really care what happens to any of the characters at this point.

That’s grand, you can enjoy or not enjoy something. I feel otherwise, I think shaving the characters down has done the show a lot. I struggled to tell the difference between Hale and Elsie’s character at times in previous seasons, Teddy was more funny as a South Park, Kenny-style character than actually interesting, Clementine was a nothing character there to make up the numbers and play the hosts that weren’t ‘englightened’...there was a lot of dead weight. At least now, in condensed form, I know who everyone is and what their purpose is. Half the cast are Dolores who has a strong motivation for a plan we’re learning as we go, Cerac is an intriguing, well-acted big bad, I both enjoy Bernard and Maeve and understand their continued purpose, Caleb has a backstory that presumably serves as the string to pull to unravel our primary mystery, Ed Harris is great anytime he’s on screen, and even the likes of Liam Hemsworth and Marshawn Lynch are charismatic with the limited stuff they’re being given. Less dead weight and one coherent story we can all be on board with every week with a bit of mystery still left to theorise. That’s the right balance for me as I found S2 an absolute clustered mess in hindsight, but if that’s what you enjoy then you’re entitled to feel that way.

Mattdhg

Basil3 wrote: »

Right now, I feel like I'm just getting through it to see what happens, but I don't really care what happens to any of the characters at this point.

I find myself rooting for Charlores. I reckon she'll revert to her initial S1 drive "some people choose to see the ugliness in this world but I choose to see the beauty" and side with Maeve.

leggo

leggo wrote: »

That’s the right balance for me as I found S2 an absolute clustered mess in hindsight, but if that’s what you enjoy then you’re entitled to feel that way.

Yeah, I didn't particularly enjoy Season 2. Westworld just had a lot of credit in the bank with me from Season 1.

To me, Season 3 is a step up from last season, without doubt. The problem I have, is that for all the great acting etc, I'm struggling to find a reason to care about what the final outcome is....although I'm going to see it through and hope there is some kind of payoff when everything ties together.

leggo

I get that. It’s also tough to know who to root for, both Dolores and Cerac seem like they have a point and are awful at the same tone. Maeve and Bernard to kill them both tbh.