Is Anyone Here Watching 'Westworld?'

[Nutso]

I don't have any deep thoughts but maybe you do.

[Mikey]

Watched the pilot, and I wanted to like it SOOOO badly... but I couldn't.

[Graham Kennedy]

I have. Fun series.

I am starting to favour the common fan theory...

Dolores and William's story is not taking place at the same time as the rest of the story, but several decades earlier. William is actually a younger version of The Man in Black.

I'm not there yet, but it is making sense to me.

[McAvoy]

Watched the pilot, and I wanted to like it SOOOO badly... but I couldn't.

Unlike Game of Thrones, the first episode didn't do anything for me. I will wait until the end of the season before I watch the rest. I might change my mind if I see the whole picture by then.

[Nutso]

I have. Fun series.

I am starting to favour the common fan theory...

Dolores and William's story is not taking place at the same time as the rest of the story, but several decades earlier. William is actually a younger version of The Man in Black.

I'm not there yet, but it is making sense to me.

I was thinking that as well, but it seems so obvious.

I didn't figure the previous reveal:

Bernard was built by Ford

so I feel like since I think this way, I can't be right.

Make no mistake though, I think that would be a fascinating ride to see how

William becomes The Man in Black because he was the soft, caring type. How does he become the blackest of black hats?

[Graham Kennedy]

There has been a lot of talk about how Westworld reveals "your true self".

And I thought it was interesting how the Man in Black talked about how he never thought of himself as a bad guy, never did anything he thought was bad, and was shocked when he found that his wife was afraid of him - so afraid that she killed herself. Although IIRC, he said that he went to Westworld for the first time after that, to see how bad he could be.

That doesn't fit too well with what we've heard of William's character and reasons for being in the park, and his behaviour so far.

[Nutso]

There has been a lot of talk about how Westworld reveals "your true self".

And I thought it was interesting how the Man in Black talked about how he never thought of himself as a bad guy, never did anything he thought was bad, and was shocked when he found that his wife was afraid of him - so afraid that she killed herself. Although IIRC, he said that he went to Westworld for the first time after that, to see how bad he could be.

That doesn't fit too well with what we've heard of William's character and reasons for being in the park, and his behaviour so far.

I used to think I would do a Westworld type thing. Go on one of those trips, banging synths, killing synths, doing levels of debauchery that Germans would shy from. The opening of Episode 1 with the MiB changed my opinion on that. When the MiB drags Dolores away, screaming, to the shed as Teddy looks on before dying, that kind of raised questions for me. I know I would start having doubts about the nature of these things, is their free thought just programming, or a combination of memories and programming. Are they becoming sentient, or even sapient? If so, this makes them slaves, right? I blame Star Trek: TNG "Measure of a Man" for giving me these doubts when they showed that Data is alive.

As to the potential reveal we are discussing,

It is Dolores' initial introduction to William that gives me the biggest doubts. It just flowed so naturally from her running away from the ranch, to her stumbling upon William and Logan. The biggest pr for MiB=William so far is the repeat appearances of Lawrence, and the hostess from William's arrival to the compound. If the goal is total, complete immersion, you can't reuse faces.

Another reason, which I admit is a bit silly, is the casting of James Marsden as "Teddy Flood.".

Heretofore, Marsden has been best known for playing "doormat" characters. That is, he plays characters in relationships who lose their girl to main star/character of the film. He's lost his girlfriend/fiancee to Wolverine, Superman, and Ryan Goslin (the Notebook.) Dolores was already noticing Teddy Flood would never take her away from this. She might be in love with William. It's only a matter of time before Teddy finds them, and James Marsden once again loses his girl. The role is just made for him. MiB even says it. Teddy is created to lose.

[Graham Kennedy]

I used to think I would do a Westworld type thing. Go on one of those trips, banging synths, killing synths, doing levels of debauchery that Germans would shy from. The opening of Episode 1 with the MiB changed my opinion on that. When the MiB drags Dolores away, screaming, to the shed as Teddy looks on before dying, that kind of raised questions for me. I know I would start having doubts about the nature of these things, is their free thought just programming, or a combination of memories and programming. Are they becoming sentient, or even sapient? If so, this makes them slaves, right? I blame Star Trek: TNG "Measure of a Man" for giving me these doubts when they showed that Data is alive.

Honestly I don't think I would do any of that even if the Hosts were guaranteed nothing but ultra-realistic dolls with guaranteed no sentience whatsoever. I just don't harbour fantasies of going around raping and killing people.

And I don't mean that in a "oh, aren't I so perfect" way. There are things I'd do in an environment like that, and some of them would be things that aren't "nice". But those desires just don't lean in the direction of hurting others, real or not.

[Nutso]

Sir Anthony Hopkins. What a pleasure it was to watch him in this series. That scene where he is having lunch with Teresa, the way he says his words, the eyes working, so creepy that I just knew he was up to something. Also the scene where he and Ed Harris are having their deep discussion abou the Maze. Two masters of their craft.

[Graham Kennedy]

Sir Anthony Hopkins. What a pleasure it was to watch him in this series. That scene where he is having lunch with Teresa, the way he says his words, the eyes working, so creepy that I just knew he was up to something. Also the scene where he and Ed Harris are having their deep discussion abou the Maze. Two masters of their craft.

You might be interested in this analysis of that scene.