Westworld (HBO) (1 Viewer)

[TonyD]

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.

Sure but this says "chamber" which is an actual device. think deep sea diver if they come up too fast.

There was a shot of Lowe going up a stairwell or maybe it was an escalator that looked to be more than a dozen or so levels.

Did anyone notice when the 2 new guests appeared on the train, that just before it was actually a train they were
wondering how they would be getting to Sweetwater, as the guy said that the room they were in
kind of "skipped" and the room started moving and then was a train.
Some of this suggests VR but if it's VR why would they build creatures for the Park?

 

[TonyD]

Also they are watching MiB but why would they allow him to destroy and dismantle a robot?

 

[Walter Kittel]

Watched it a few days ago and enjoyed the second episode quite a bit. Some thoughts...

They provided some additional information regarding the MiB, apparently a person of some importance for whom the norms, or at least some of the norms, do not apply.

Also they are watching MiB but why would they allow him to destroy and dismantle a robot?

When they were observing him, he was in town; the dismantling/scalping took place in the wilderness where monitoring may not be as pervasive.

Enjoyed the self-reference to the series aboard the train. "I know that you think you have a handle on what this is going to be, guns and tits and all that mindless shit that I usually enjoy. You have no idea. This place seduces everyone, eventually." ( Perhaps a veiled reference to Ian McShane's observation regarding Game of Thrones - "tits and dragons" )

It appears that the phrase "These violent delights have violent ends" is a trigger that activates some form of programming in the hosts perhaps related to recalling previous events/loops as a means of altering their consciousness. Is there a meme-like component to this phrase in which hosts will repeat this phrase to one another to activate a transformation? (We know that the hosts respond to spoken commands and deactivate when the phrase "Until then may your rest in a deep and dreamless slumber" is spoken.)

Is Ford going to introduce religion to the hosts? Sure looks that way.

The entire concept of machine intelligence is incredibly fascinating to me so I'm loving this series. As an aside, this week 60 Minutes did a feature on artificial intelligence and I was surprised how fast it has advanced since Watson appeared on Jeopardy.

- Walter.

 

[TonyD]

Yes less pervasive area but I thought they could access the robots from anywhere and anytime and know where they are at all times.

They've sent commands to them over the air so to speak.

 

[Walter Kittel]

I was reading other folks thoughts on the episode and show at various sites on the web and one idea kind of resonated with me.

As a long time video game player, playing in 'God Mode' can be fun for brief intervals, but ultimately it is not that rewarding and does become boring. I've played through Skyrim a number of times and ultimately the characters become so over-powered that you have to restart with a fresh character for the game to be challenging. (Not intended to be a discussion of Skyrim.) The point being that if you can't be harmed in Westworld and you are the rootin tootinest cowboy in the environment, then won't it get boring after a while? Is that possibly one of the factors driving the MiB to seek a deeper level?

Other observations...

Was the lost boy a childhood version of Ford or possibly Ford's son? One or the other seems likely.

I thought the white hat / black hat symbolism was a bit too on the nose, but it does serve as a metaphor for picking a character attribute when rolling a new character in a role playing game. This makes me wonder if the hosts and the loops are programmed to tailor themselves to the newcomers choice of hats/roles?

I used to love the layers of mysteries that inhabited Lost and this series is starting to shape up as a mix of Battlestar Galactica and Lost, which is pretty frickin' great IMHO.

- Walter.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

You guys are getting very deep with this discussion, and I find myself rather fascinated with what I have read.

I suppose I can't dissect this show as deeply as you can. Just enjoying what happens on the surface, not thinking more about it than I wish to.

That's not a knock at the discussion thus far. Just from my perspective, I am immensely enjoying this series at face value.

 

[Randy Korstick]

Pretty sure Ed Harris is a take off on the original Yul Brynner character.

 

[Sam Posten]

Caught up with ep 2 and fully on board for next 7 seasons. My only hope is that when Rockstar creates the RDR version it holds a candle to it

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Caught up with ep 2 and fully on board for next 7 seasons. My only hope is that when Rockstar creates the RDR version it holds a candle to it

This show is already slated for 7 seasons? Am I understanding that correctly?

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Interesting article with some possible spoilers​

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

This show is already slated for 7 seasons? Am I understanding that correctly?

Not as far as I know. Creators/showrunners Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy halted production between episodes six and seven to solidify and map out their long-term plan, which according to co-star James Marsden is now plotted out through at least season six.

Vulture has a good interview with series composer Ramin Djawadi about why contemporary songs have been woven into his Western score.

 

[Stan]

I'm loving this show so far. Only wish the robots could fight back, but quite sure that's coming up. Just seems unfair that they get shot like ducks in a carnival game and can't return the favor

I've always like Ed Harris, one of my favorite films was "The Abyss". Wow has he aged. We all get there eventually, but I hope I do it a little more gracefully than he has Although he is 66, so still looking pretty good.

Thandie Newton is only 44, but I'd guess more like mid '50s.

“It wasn’t about getting the first 10 [episodes] done, it was about mapping out what the next 5 or 6 years are going to be,” Westworld actor James Marsden says.“

I seriously doubt this is going to run six years, but we can dream.

Enough whining. Now onto the last three episodes of "The Strain", which is coming very close to being zapped from the schedule. They've got three hours to prove themselves.

 

[Walter Kittel]

One more gaming analogy comes to mind... In the good old days when computer video games were much simpler a variety of techniques existed to uncover secrets and undiscovered content including ascii dumps and hex editing of save game files to essentially cheat. I see comparisons between what the MiB is doing and those types of concepts in a rather loose sort of way. Hacking WestWorld so to speak.

I've been thinking about various RPGs other game concepts and how they apply to this series. Myst sort of comes to mind in terms of discovery. I think the biggest take away is that I've spent entirely too much of my life playing video games.

- Walter.

 

[JohnS]

This show is already slated for 7 seasons? Am I understanding that correctly?

Well, I heard 6 seasons mapped and planned out with HBO committed to them.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I've been thinking about various RPGs other game concepts and how they apply to this series. Myst sort of comes to mind in terms of discovery. I think the biggest take away is that I've spent entirely too much of my life playing video games.

The mental comparison I've found myself making a lot is to MUDs and MOOs that contained expansive multiuser text-based environments for chatting, roleplaying, adventure quests and the like. When I was on them in the late nineties, early 2000s, you'd see a lot of the behavior and impulses as you see here, only it was all text-based information instead staggeringly real simulation.

 

[TonyD]

Looks like the gamers here are starting to post and I'm seeing a bunch of shorthand speak for things that I don't understand.
For those of us that don't get the shorthand can you guys use the words instead?

 

[Stan]

Looks like the gamers here are starting to post and I'm seeing a bunch of shorthand speak for things that I don't understand.
For those of us that don't get the shorthand can you guys use the words instead?

With you there. I'm probably a bit guilty, using TWD and TBBT, although I think those are a bit more mainstream.

But what the heck are MUDs and MOOs?

ps - "The Strain" is gone. Couldn't even get through the first episode. Not worth the time.

 

[todd s]

Pretty sure Ed Harris is a take off on the original Yul Brynner character.

I am thinking the country girl (Wood) is a take off of the original Yul Brynner character.

 

[Walter Kittel]

Wikipedia...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hex_editor
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOO
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MUD
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Role-playing_video_game

These seem pertinent to some of the gaming related aspects previously discussed. Anyway, the gaming aspects are only one facet of this series.

- Walter.

 

[Stan]

Wikipedia...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hex_editor
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOO
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MUD
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Role-playing_video_game

These seem pertinent to some of the gaming related aspects previously discussed. Anyway, the gaming aspects are only one facet of this series.

- Walter.

Wow, those links almost make it more confusing. Just give me a good old fashioned Ms. Pac-Man and I'll be happy