Westworld (HBO) (1 Viewer)

[trevanian]

We have no idea where the Delos installation is located; although I believe that it is safe to assume that it is somewhere in the Western U.S. (Filming locations for the series include, as per IMDB, Monument Valley, AZ and Moab, UT.) One of the questions about the series is whether or not we will ever see the world outside of Delos/WestWorld. The only glimpse we have been given so far is from the photograph that Pete Abernathy stumbles upon.

We know that it is not a virtual reality environment (otherwise why all the physical production) and unless they have perfected the technology to miniaturize the entirety of the setting, including guests to the park that it takes place in a 'real' physical setting that they own and operate. The entire valley and closeups that we see the production team hovering around are a virtualization of the real world enabling the WestWorld production team to monitor in real time the status of the amusement park. At least that seems logical to me. Of course we don't know how, or if, The Man In Black is evading detection of stepping outside the bounds of the game.

- Walter.

Ed Harris' presence made me think TRUMAN SHOW in terms of scale, but in reading this discussion (I don't have HBO), am thinking this could wind up being something more like DARK CITY or the INFERNOLAND notion put forth in the Niven/Pournelle novel INFERNO

 

[Walter Kittel]

Funny you should mention Larry Niven, because he also co-wrote (with Steven Barnes) Dreampark which was about a futuristic amusement park where individuals could perform Live Action Role Playing.

- Walter.

 

[Josh Dial]

Apparently HBO's streaming service is currently streaming episode two (because of the upcoming US Presidential debate?).

I'm not sure if it's streaming here in Canada, but since this is our Thanksgiving weekend and I'll be doing family stuff this weekend, if I can watch now I'll definitely take the advantage! To avoid accidental spoilers, I'll refrain from posting my thoughts until the normal airing this Sunday.

 

[SamT]

I'm not reading all the discussions and the theories. I want to be surprised and discover myself watching. One question comes to my mind.

What about the security of real people killing real people? What have they done for that? How a real person supposed to know that he/she is not killing a real person?

 

[Josh Steinberg]

What about the security of real people killing real people? What have they done for that? How a real person supposed to know that he/she is not killing a real person?

My guess is that the weapons are programmed in such a way that they're only capable of firing when the weapon has confirmed (perhaps via a wireless transmitter or some other kind of hidden sensor) that the target is not human.

Now what's to stop a person from choking or punching another person? That I don't know. But we haven't really seen anything from a tourist's POV yet. I assume at some point (perhaps the next episode) we'll get to see an orientation or something that will more clearly lay out the rules of the theme park (and ultimately, the show itself).

 

[TonyD]

I'm not reading all the discussions and the theories. I want to be surprised and discover myself watching. One question comes to my mind.

What about the security of real people killing real people? What have they done for that? How a real person supposed to know that he/she is not killing a real person?

How are you going to read answers to your question?

Anyway just watched ep 2, it's also onDemand, and it's great.

MiB is carrying and using a really big knife. I would think that they wouldn't let a knife be part of the
game since there doesn't seem like it is possible to prevent a real person from stabbing another real person.

 

[JohnS]

Watched both episodes so far and find it highly fascinating. So far I'm getting feelings of Red Dead Redemption and Parts the Clonus Horror.
I have a few theories but don't really want to say anything until the second episode officially airs.

 

[SamT]

I feel like the less I know and the less I speculate in advance, I will enjoy it more. So I'm avoiding fan speculations at the moment.

 

[JohnS]

There is also a slight Groundhog Day going on with Ed Harris (Man in Black)
Being at the theme park for 3o years, he's learning where everyone is at within the park's script.

Make sure you visit Westworld's website.
https://discoverwestworld.com/#
Be sure to ask your host Aeden certain questions.
Like "How long can I stay?"
Also book a stay.
Plus, at the top right enter the access code which can be found somewhere within the website.

 

[Kristoffera]

After having watched episode 2, it really has a clear BSG feel. Torture of robots because they are just things and the significance of religion.

 

[JohnS]

Something I want to ask, possible theory after watching episode two.
Does anyone else think that

Spoiler

Bernard Lowe is an android. Maybe even a slight step up from a host?
Which would also make sense since he's the assistant to Ford

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Something I want to ask, possible theory after watching episode two.
Does anyone else think that

Spoiler

Bernard Lowe is an android. Maybe even a slight step up from a host?
Which would also make sense since he's the assistant to Ford

I didn't personally get that feeling during the episode, but nothing happened in the episode to say that couldn't be true either.

 

[JohnS]

I didn't personally get that feeling during the episode, but nothing happened in the episode to say that couldn't be true either.

Reading boards and threads online, a good portion of people think it's the other way around

Spoiler

that it's Cullen that is the android and not Lowe. The one that supports this theory is from the first episode where they ask Cullen to leave the room when they want to run diagnostics on one of the hosts, as to maybe not trigger Cullen at the same time when they do the voice commands.

 

[Stan]

I'm not reading all the discussions and the theories. I want to be surprised and discover myself watching. One question comes to my mind.

What about the security of real people killing real people? What have they done for that? How a real person supposed to know that he/she is not killing a real person?

That's where I'm a bit lost. Who's real and who's a robot? Haven't seen the original movie in decades, but I remember it being a bit more obvious who the robots were. Anyhow, I'll stick with it for a while to see how things progress.

 

[JohnS]

If you go to the website and ask Aeden your host "How long can I stay?" he will then tell you about

Spoiler

Mesa Gold

Why this place after the theme park?
I have a theory

Spoiler

maybe they are using certain people, their memories or consessnes for their hosts?

Probably a huge stretch, but it makes me wonder why they send everyone there.

 

[TonyD]

If you ask how long, the host answers with a place not an amount of time?
Actually the entire answer is this...

"For your own safety, the maximum length of stay at Westworld is 28 days, after which guests decompress in The Mesa Gold.

• AEDEN
  The standard stay at The Mesa Gold is one week, although you can extend your stay up to four weeks. Which would you like to know more about?"

Mesa Gold is described as a decompression chamber, why would you need to use a DC when leaving Westword?


One other thing, What if it's simply that the robots are robots and all the people are just people
and we don't need to worry or guess who is what?

The real thing to wonder about is what is going on behind the scenes with "The Board"

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Probably a huge stretch, but it makes me wonder why they send everyone there.

I think it's just for the reason the site stated - decompression. I imagine after living for up to a month in an environment where gunfights and violence can break out at any time, where you can sleep with any person of interest, where you can even rape and murder anyone you want, it probably takes a moment before you can step back into your real life. Ever go on vacation, and then on your first day back at work, feel that you now need a vacation from your vacation? I imagine that's what this is for.

What if it's simply that the robots are robots and all the people are just people and we don't need to worry or guess who is what?

Honestly, that's exactly what I think is going on.

I'm very curious where they're going with all of this. If this simply is a story about how robots can be like people too, and that life is life regardless of whether it's born or created, I feel like I've experienced versions of that stories a thousand times before. So while the trailers seem to hint that the robots might eventually remember that they've been raped and murdered a zillion times each and may decide to rebel, I hope that's not the central arc of the story, because it's both very predictable and has been done before - I'm hoping that's merely the background for the real story. It also seems that the show could really about how people behave when they don't believe they're talking to people - the behavior of the two friends coming to the park, one for the first time who aims to be his best self, the other returning and just looking to inflict pain and violence without suffering consequences, seems like it could be commentary for, say, how people treat other people online. Some people behave just as they do in the real world when they're interacting online; others say the most vile things that they'd never say face to face to another person. It seems like that's going to be one of the ideas that the show explores.

 

[JohnS]

If you ask how long, the host answers with a place not an amount of time?
Actually the entire answer is this...

"For your own safety, the maximum length of stay at Westworld is 28 days, after which guests decompress in The Mesa Gold.

• AEDEN
  The standard stay at The Mesa Gold is one week, although you can extend your stay up to four weeks. Which would you like to know more about?"

Mesa Gold is described as a decompression chamber, why would you need to use a DC when leaving Westword?


One other thing, What if it's simply that the robots are robots and all the people are just people
and we don't need to worry or guess who is what?

The real thing to wonder about is what is going on behind the scenes with "The Board"

See that's the thing. Why would you need a DC when it states that you can still do what you would be able to do in Westworld, "fulfill your desires". Aren't you still not decompressing yourself?

 

[Hollywoodaholic]

Haven't seen episode two yet but isn't decompression for a different environment, meaning the atmospheric conditions or pressure of the air in the park is different... than Earth?

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I really enjoyed the second episode. It doesn't work as a standalone movie like the pilot did, but it does deepen the questions asked in the pilot and lean further into the mythology being developed.

One advantage of Nolan learning how to make a television series on CBS's "Person of Interest" is that he developed a deep bench of talent to draw upon. The director of the second episode of this show, Richard J. Lewis, also directed the second episode of that show and many of the more important episodes that followed.

Something that struck me watching the second episode is how populated this world is. For economy of casting budget and storytelling, most shows like to have one character that handles the entirety of each key area of responsibility even though this would be unrealistic in any large organization. On this show, each department is populated with multiple characters with various levels of prominence and screen time. On the programming end, Jeffrey Wright's Bernard Lowe is the protégé of Anthony Hopkins's Dr. Robert Ford. But he also has his own protégé in Shannon Woodward's Elsie Hughes, who takes charge of troubleshooting. Within the park, Thandie Newton's Maeve Millay is the madam of the prostitution trade, but Angela Sarafyan's features regularly as prostitute Clementine -- though it is clear on multiple occasions that Clementine is not the only goods on offer.

MiB is carrying and using a really big knife. I would think that they wouldn't let a knife be part of the game since there doesn't seem like it is possible to prevent a real person from stabbing another real person.

There must be safeguards in place; perhaps the knives have retractable blades or are artificially dull so that they only cut the hosts that they are designed to respond to.

It was interesting that in Maeve's flashback to when she was being utilized as a homesteader with a young daughter under threat of Native attacks, once the Man in Black got too close she couldn't even fire ineffectually.

Speaking of the Man in Black, it was interesting that we got that one scene with Luke Hemsworth's security chief after the Man in Black slaughtered the entire hanging party expect for the man being hanged. It's clear that they ARE aware of the Man in Black and his doings, and that he has special dispensation to have free reign in the park.

For a piece of eerily effective child acting, watch the scene where the Man in Black murders the condemned man's wife and his young daughter switches suddenly from terrified and traumatized innocent to flatly unemotional information kiosk.

Reading boards and threads online, a good portion of people think it's the other way around

Spoiler

that it's Cullen that is the android and not Lowe. The one that supports this theory is from the first episode where they ask Cullen to leave the room when they want to run diagnostics on one of the hosts, as to maybe not trigger Cullen at the same time when they do the voice commands.

Interesting observation. The first time I had that thought about either one of them was the scene in Lowe's apartment. It so precisely mirrored the guests' interactions in the park, and clearly it was part of a well trod routine.

Talulah Riley's Angela certainly seemed to open the door for hostesses outside the Westworld environment, and perhaps self-aware ones at that.

That's where I'm a bit lost. Who's real and who's a robot? Haven't seen the original movie in decades, but I remember it being a bit more obvious who the robots were. Anyhow, I'll stick with it for a while to see how things progress.

In the movie, it was pretty clear that the audience was supposed to be on the guests' side. In the TV show, we spend far more time in the hosts' perspective than in any human perspective. What Maeve witnessed when she woke herself up during repairs and fled to the clean up area looks utilitarian from our context, but must have been positively horrifying for her.

Mesa Gold is described as a decompression chamber, why would you need to use a DC when leaving Westword?

It would seem to make sense from a social responsibility standpoint that you wouldn't want to throw these people back into the real world full of bloodlust. You'd want to give them time to readjust to the expectations and obligations of society.

The real thing to wonder about is what is going on behind the scenes with "The Board"

I love the meta quality of this show: The Man in Black is trying to find the deeper level of the game, and his storyline seems to be telling the audience to look for the deeper level of the game.