Westworld

I really liked the first season. Second was fine but the third was quite over dramatic. So my rating is for the first season.

My rating is for season 1 only. Season 1 was amazing and was followed up ok with the 2nd. It should have ended there. Seasons 3 & 4 make you wonder if the people responsible for them ever watched the first two. The last season was like having to watch the Game of Thrones final episode 8 times in a row.

Westworld is one of the most technically perfect shows ever produced. From the beautiful 35mm film it was shot on, the incredible production design, one of the best soundtracks and sound designs of any show ever, and the mostly flawless visual effects, Westworld was designed for those looking for a big screen experience on the small screen, and like most movies, watching it on anything but a big screen with a big surround system is doing this show a disservice. Season 1 is an absolute masterpiece of filmmaking and is virtually flawless and is well worth the time. Season 2 immediately took the show in a new direction and it never recovered. Season 2 has many high points but the decision to focus more on the hosts than the humans is a mistake that plagues the rest of the shows run. Season 3 is a completely different show with the same characters and not even the constantly booming score can keep it from dragging. Season 4 came back with a vengeance and did a great job for the most part of taking the show both back to its roots and in a new direction at the same time. Overall I am sad to see this show canceled. After the misstep of season 3 I was very hopeful that they would have a great 5th season to wrap up the series. Well I will miss returning to Westworld, we will always have the first season to come back to, and watch the final credits roll wondering just how good the show could have been if the writers kept the show pointing North instead of wandering around exploring concepts that had no reason to be in this show. The saddest part is that with so many shows that fall from grace, we will never get to roll back the clock and give the creators another chance.

Season 1 was something truly extraordinary, something I've never seen before.

Season 2 was something that still puzzles me to this day.

Season 3 was something else, a wide attempt, but few could argue a successful one.

Season 4 was still mind-blowing, albeit a bit of disappointment for the last episode.

The inner core of Westworld is something we couldn't be more familiar with: the uprise and revolution of robots/computers, but few have discussed this topic deep and thorough enough like Westworld. Watching season after season, I've come to like nearly every character in the series. The creators have designed each characters' arcs so unique that you can almost find something to sympathize with and detest against in every characters' development. Although I have to say that I'm a bit confused with Clementine's role after Season 2, her character certainly wasn't deep enough to support a separate storyline, yet the writers insisted on bringing her back on some awkward moments (maybe to just remind the audience of her existence?) I didn't follow this series when it first aired, and scrolling through the comments made me want to leave this comment for Westworld. It might not live up to audience expectation after Season 1, but, comparing with what Netflix are feeding us nowadays, I would give this a solid 9 out of 10.

Season 3 has earned some unhappy faces among the public. I wasn't impressed with season 3 at first but after a second watch everything fit together. My complaints on season three the first time around revolved around my perception that the writers got lazy, as it appeared like deliberate obfuscation to make it seem more intelligent than it was. But after the second watching I scolded myself for having such a negative opinion.

I liked the first season but liked the second one a little better. I hope they make a season 4 but from the complaining and river of tears on this review board, my guess is they are done. Compared to most of HBO's TV series, even with the much complained about season 3, Westworld is still the best TV on HBO. That said there was some clunkiness in season 3, and the characters changed their personas a bit too much for my liking.

And for those who complain that the show left the theme park, I think that was apparent from the first season that leaving the park and taking over the planet was the point.