Here we are again in the real world from the hosts point of view.
Excellent writing, beautiful cinemaphotography.
Enjoyable watch all around. Pay attention to what is said more than what you see.
101 Reviews
What a start - hoping this is the new normal for the series
jvwilliams-481-64574116 March 2020
Picking up soon after Season 2 left off, this series of Westworld turns the show on its head and drops us into the "real world" outside the park. Wow, do they pack a lot in to the hour!
No spoilers, but suffice to say you need to pay attention to what is happening on screen and really listen to the dialog. So much happens and yet you get a great introduction to the world and the Delores character is treated brilliantly.
This one episode will need to be rewatched to pick up on all the small details.
No spoilers, but suffice to say you need to pay attention to what is happening on screen and really listen to the dialog. So much happens and yet you get a great introduction to the world and the Delores character is treated brilliantly.
This one episode will need to be rewatched to pick up on all the small details.
PARCE DOMINE: Slick and well-crafted; let down by a disjointed structure and is confusing for the wrong reasons
acjd_shmacjd16 March 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Season 1 of WESTWORLD is most likely my favourite TV season of all time, while season 2 was a sizeable letdown (but not without its merits). After seeing the writers admit their mistakes from last season, I was more optimistic about season 3, but feared that maybe the magic of the first two seasons would be lost without the Westworld in WESTWORLD. Based on this extended premiere episode, it seems that my assumptions were mostly correct - but that's not necessarily a bad thing.
THE GOOD: * The addition of Aaron Paul as Caleb is welcome; his character is interesting, perfectly cast, and feels like a great window into this new age of WESTWORLD.
* The future world is mostly believable; there are some technologies here that require some suspension of disbelief, but generally this world doesn't seem too distant from our own.
* The opening scene was light on substance, but was a very fun introduction to what the show is about moving forward.
* The duality of Bernard - his ability to activate and deactivate himself at will especially - was cool and very well-utilized. The notion that he is possibly lying to himself and has absolutely no idea, too, was fascinating.
THE HMM: * As previously mentioned, some of the new technologies are a little hard to swallow. Dolores zooming in on Liam's meeting with her sunglasses and being able to hear the conversation clear as day got a good eye-roll out of me.
* Too many new threads were introduced in this episode. Characters, new and old, thrust into situations without enough explanation given as to their motivations or reasons for being where they are. It felt like an entire episode was just missing.
* Plot armour is a neverending trope in media, and, sadly, WESTWORLD is privy to it too.
* Dialogue has never been one of this show's strong suits; a pretentious program such as this one (I don't mean that in either a good or bad way, that's simply what it is) is always subject to instances of painful dialogue. A lot of lines felt forced and/or overdramatic, which removed me from the world a bit.
THE BAD: * Poorly structured and poorly paced. PARCE DOMINE features, hazarding a guess, 30 minutes of Caleb, 30 separate minutes of Dolores, 2 minutes of Charlotte, and 5 minutes of Bernard. If Nolan and Joy insisted this be a more simple just-Caleb-and-Dolores premiere, I wouldn't have a problem, but the pacing is disjointed by the occasional cut to someone uninvolved with the main story.
Overall, a slick and engaging finished product that naturally lacks some of the magic that made seasons 1 and 2 feel special. Sharp and entertaining, but not WESTWORLD - but maybe that's not such a bad thing. Season 2 began to collapse underneath its own weight, so it's probably a good idea they decided to shake things up. Give the season more time and I see this becoming just as much a polished and engaging show, if for different reasons than the preceding years.
THE GOOD: * The addition of Aaron Paul as Caleb is welcome; his character is interesting, perfectly cast, and feels like a great window into this new age of WESTWORLD.
* The future world is mostly believable; there are some technologies here that require some suspension of disbelief, but generally this world doesn't seem too distant from our own.
* The opening scene was light on substance, but was a very fun introduction to what the show is about moving forward.
* The duality of Bernard - his ability to activate and deactivate himself at will especially - was cool and very well-utilized. The notion that he is possibly lying to himself and has absolutely no idea, too, was fascinating.
THE HMM: * As previously mentioned, some of the new technologies are a little hard to swallow. Dolores zooming in on Liam's meeting with her sunglasses and being able to hear the conversation clear as day got a good eye-roll out of me.
* Too many new threads were introduced in this episode. Characters, new and old, thrust into situations without enough explanation given as to their motivations or reasons for being where they are. It felt like an entire episode was just missing.
* Plot armour is a neverending trope in media, and, sadly, WESTWORLD is privy to it too.
* Dialogue has never been one of this show's strong suits; a pretentious program such as this one (I don't mean that in either a good or bad way, that's simply what it is) is always subject to instances of painful dialogue. A lot of lines felt forced and/or overdramatic, which removed me from the world a bit.
THE BAD: * Poorly structured and poorly paced. PARCE DOMINE features, hazarding a guess, 30 minutes of Caleb, 30 separate minutes of Dolores, 2 minutes of Charlotte, and 5 minutes of Bernard. If Nolan and Joy insisted this be a more simple just-Caleb-and-Dolores premiere, I wouldn't have a problem, but the pacing is disjointed by the occasional cut to someone uninvolved with the main story.
Overall, a slick and engaging finished product that naturally lacks some of the magic that made seasons 1 and 2 feel special. Sharp and entertaining, but not WESTWORLD - but maybe that's not such a bad thing. Season 2 began to collapse underneath its own weight, so it's probably a good idea they decided to shake things up. Give the season more time and I see this becoming just as much a polished and engaging show, if for different reasons than the preceding years.
Intriguing beginning
jwwalrath-227-8548716 March 2020
Great episode
gamestop-7811216 March 2020
Off to a good start
xzioz16 March 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Westworld faces something quite unique in Season 3: it either breaks it completely or consolidates it as the next TV revelation after Lost or Game of Thrones. Can't say I'm not worried after seeing 'Parce Domain', but I'll lie if I say I'm not excited.
The first 20-25 minutes where the ones that got me really, really worried. It felt sloppy, amateur. Too many cuts, too many sound effects, not enough time to really BE and feel like you're in a scene, like Westworld usually does. Thing is... was it on purpose? I'll explain.
The writers of this episode really got me with the scene inside the car. After that, everything started to really make sense very, very fast to me and excitement overcame worry. I loved that second half of the episode, which made me wonder why the first half felt, with its audio and video cuts and cringable speeches, like an highly-testosteroned trailer for your everyday, white label dystopian movie. Like a... dream?
It was like taking a nap when you're high. And maybe, just maybe, that was the intention. 'He's just tripping', a character said, and I thought "wow that's a bad script". Maybe that was the intention? To us to feel like 'tripping'?
I gotta say, I know what I'm saying sounds crazy, but I can't understand why such a sloppy start fell into place after real action took place. First you feel doozy with so much new information, so fast, sometimes so weird, sometimes too easy... and suddenly BOOM! You're into Westworld Season 3.
I give it a 9/10 because that's what I felt after finishing the episode (btw, look out for that post-credits scene! ) It definitely puts the show in a great starting point, and even if I struggled at first, that first half eventually felt like a weird dream, like a blurred memory, when the episode finished.
If that was the intention, it is brilliant. Weird, but brilliant.
If it wasn't, the great starting point is still there.
Whatever it is, Westworld is back! Let's feel it, like we love to.
The first 20-25 minutes where the ones that got me really, really worried. It felt sloppy, amateur. Too many cuts, too many sound effects, not enough time to really BE and feel like you're in a scene, like Westworld usually does. Thing is... was it on purpose? I'll explain.
The writers of this episode really got me with the scene inside the car. After that, everything started to really make sense very, very fast to me and excitement overcame worry. I loved that second half of the episode, which made me wonder why the first half felt, with its audio and video cuts and cringable speeches, like an highly-testosteroned trailer for your everyday, white label dystopian movie. Like a... dream?
It was like taking a nap when you're high. And maybe, just maybe, that was the intention. 'He's just tripping', a character said, and I thought "wow that's a bad script". Maybe that was the intention? To us to feel like 'tripping'?
I gotta say, I know what I'm saying sounds crazy, but I can't understand why such a sloppy start fell into place after real action took place. First you feel doozy with so much new information, so fast, sometimes so weird, sometimes too easy... and suddenly BOOM! You're into Westworld Season 3.
I give it a 9/10 because that's what I felt after finishing the episode (btw, look out for that post-credits scene! ) It definitely puts the show in a great starting point, and even if I struggled at first, that first half eventually felt like a weird dream, like a blurred memory, when the episode finished.
If that was the intention, it is brilliant. Weird, but brilliant.
If it wasn't, the great starting point is still there.
Whatever it is, Westworld is back! Let's feel it, like we love to.
Amazing start (and don't miss out the post credit scene)
fabriziobmw_z616 March 2020
Westworld at it's glory, once again. I wish I had more time to explain the greatness of this episode, which focus on Dolore's mission against mankind, which is layed out but not revealed, it seems like an interesting plot, which reminds me a little about Person of Interest, also created by Jonathan Nolan, because it seems there's going to be emphasis on Super Artificial Intelligence this season.
We see good action sequences, the Caleb character seems very interesting aswell. And Bernard seems to be the confusing part, yet again. I hope it's not as messy like season 2, but in general, this episode it's a glance that this season will be told in a more linear way. Overall, an amazing start, I'm hooked, once again with this great show!
We see good action sequences, the Caleb character seems very interesting aswell. And Bernard seems to be the confusing part, yet again. I hope it's not as messy like season 2, but in general, this episode it's a glance that this season will be told in a more linear way. Overall, an amazing start, I'm hooked, once again with this great show!
Amazing start and new world and direction.
cruise0116 March 2020
5 out of 5 stars.
Amazing premiere of season 3. The script, direction, music score, and cast ensemble are amazing in it. Its a provocative and smart direction. Delores is on a new path with a hidden agenda. Introducing a new futuristic world away from the westworld. Amazing and flashy future set pieces. Plenty of thrilling action which is fast paced. Aaron Paul is a interesting new addition.
Amazing premiere of season 3. The script, direction, music score, and cast ensemble are amazing in it. Its a provocative and smart direction. Delores is on a new path with a hidden agenda. Introducing a new futuristic world away from the westworld. Amazing and flashy future set pieces. Plenty of thrilling action which is fast paced. Aaron Paul is a interesting new addition.
Westworld collides with real world
XweAponX16 March 2020
This is exactly where the series was heading at the very end of season two.
So what are people complaining about? They are just rehashing their bulleted lists of complaints. But that's funny, this isn't Star Trek Discovery or Star Trek Picard. So why am I reading reviews for this Westworld episode that I previously saw posted on episodes of those shows?
Regardless of what some 4/8Chan troll spouts, this is still Westworld. Just because it's not taking place inside of the park at this moment, well that's not quite true. See if you can find the scene that is actually taking place in Westworld. There is one, and only one. But it's there.
So.
We have Dolores, and we have Bernard. From the ending of season two, we know that somebody using a host shaped like Charlotte Hale left the park with at least six host control units... One of which must have been Teddy of course. But we don't know exactly who Charlotte Hale is at this point. But we know, it's not Hale.
And for some reason we can thank Dolores for bringing Bernard back.
And she even says she brings him back as an enemy.
At least "not as a friend".
Why would she do that? I don't know if she is actually as antagonistic against Bernard as he seems to think she is...
We have to remember that this is still Dr. Ford's dark design, and, well, Bernard now contains a full simulation of Dr. Ford just like Dolores contains a full simulation of "BernArnold". This is all common knowledge after the end of season two.
And that's all Dolores needs to re-create both of those people.
But it's also possible that Dolores does not know of the internal Ford simulation residing inside of Bernard?
And, does he know about it?
Delores is set loose upon the world- run for your lives.
Dolores has never met a human being that was very high-quality, all she ever knew were employees of the park, and members of the Delos board. And William of course. She never knew any random people that she could just talk to who didn't have an agenda with her.
So the question is, what will she do when she meets a human being that isn't like the people she previously met who only wanted to use her as a host or part of the Delos project?
On the other hand there are whisperings of something much worse than Delos experiment... there is something called Rehoboam:
"But he forsook the council of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him (aka his best buds), and which stood before him: and he said unto them, what counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, make the yolk which my father did put upon us lighter? And the young men that were grown up with him (his best buds) spake unto him, saying... (Tell them) my little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins"
1 Kings 12 8-10.
Rehoboam is not a very good biblical figure from which to model an AI... Rehoboam is named for a king who thought that his sexual prowess was greater than his father, King Solomon. Can you imagine the hubris of that?
In other words, there are now officially worse things than Delos' little side project...
So what are people complaining about? They are just rehashing their bulleted lists of complaints. But that's funny, this isn't Star Trek Discovery or Star Trek Picard. So why am I reading reviews for this Westworld episode that I previously saw posted on episodes of those shows?
Regardless of what some 4/8Chan troll spouts, this is still Westworld. Just because it's not taking place inside of the park at this moment, well that's not quite true. See if you can find the scene that is actually taking place in Westworld. There is one, and only one. But it's there.
So.
We have Dolores, and we have Bernard. From the ending of season two, we know that somebody using a host shaped like Charlotte Hale left the park with at least six host control units... One of which must have been Teddy of course. But we don't know exactly who Charlotte Hale is at this point. But we know, it's not Hale.
And for some reason we can thank Dolores for bringing Bernard back.
And she even says she brings him back as an enemy.
At least "not as a friend".
Why would she do that? I don't know if she is actually as antagonistic against Bernard as he seems to think she is...
We have to remember that this is still Dr. Ford's dark design, and, well, Bernard now contains a full simulation of Dr. Ford just like Dolores contains a full simulation of "BernArnold". This is all common knowledge after the end of season two.
And that's all Dolores needs to re-create both of those people.
But it's also possible that Dolores does not know of the internal Ford simulation residing inside of Bernard?
And, does he know about it?
Delores is set loose upon the world- run for your lives.
Dolores has never met a human being that was very high-quality, all she ever knew were employees of the park, and members of the Delos board. And William of course. She never knew any random people that she could just talk to who didn't have an agenda with her.
So the question is, what will she do when she meets a human being that isn't like the people she previously met who only wanted to use her as a host or part of the Delos project?
On the other hand there are whisperings of something much worse than Delos experiment... there is something called Rehoboam:
"But he forsook the council of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him (aka his best buds), and which stood before him: and he said unto them, what counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, make the yolk which my father did put upon us lighter? And the young men that were grown up with him (his best buds) spake unto him, saying... (Tell them) my little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins"
1 Kings 12 8-10.
Rehoboam is not a very good biblical figure from which to model an AI... Rehoboam is named for a king who thought that his sexual prowess was greater than his father, King Solomon. Can you imagine the hubris of that?
In other words, there are now officially worse things than Delos' little side project...
Superb Opener
chirox16 March 2020
After such a long wait I was expecting great things from Season 3 and this first episode did not disappoint.
Really great to see Aaron Paul joining the cast, I don't really rate him as an actor as he seems to just play versions of himself, but he suits this show perfectly and definitely brought something special to the opener. Hoping for great things from him. Evan Rachel Wood looked incredible, it really suits her character to be out in the world.
The music was absolutely spot-on, futuristic without resorting to cheesy nonsense. The photography was first class and the script was as good as ever.
This is going to be a monumental season for Westworld and I can't to see the rest of it.
Not Westworld
jotapnovo22 March 2020
not bad
luoxinyu-9900116 March 2020
Yep, this one is weak... but the next one is 100% better!
xeraph17 March 2020
I nearly wanted to gave this show up because of this one weak episode. Don't make the same mistake! This one is aimed at the ''Common people'' so everything is too straightforward and doesn't feel like WW anymore.
But don't worry, second episode has all its magic back!
This is not Westworld anymore
khaledrimawi19 March 2020
Contra Dictum
theminorityreporter12 April 2020
Warning: Spoilers
The prototypical rich white wife beater wakes up in the night to the shock of blaring opera, wearing a gas mask, wrists bound. His Smart home has been Jerry-Rigged. The oxygen/CO2 balance is radically disrupted and his wife and security system are reduced to core functions. He's trapped in the house. A Dolores unit is seen outside, swimming nude in his stylish arc pool (so we can have some stylish nudity). She approaches the door from outside (dripping wet) and just simply gains access via the electronic security system (she and his smart home have a certain simpatico). She clarifies with her victim that he was one of the guests in Westworld who assaulted her (he must be bad), and he attempts to hail security to her scant amusement. She torments him by putting glasses on him that can somehow just display his memories of his first wife who he abused and murdered, and she can just change the scenery around him to simulate the grounds of his former (stylish) home where he killed his wife in the pool. She's there for money and intel, and after taking him for all he's worth and killing him in a fall at the pool she tells his wife who has emerged from the house that she is the person who performed the 'meritorious' act of setting her free (as a 'benefit' derived from being near-fatally poisoned and wiped out financially).
Caleb is an average-seeming guy who works with an industry robot partner laying cable. He sometimes talks to a simulation of his dead buddy, Francis in phone conversations, and visits his mother in a care facility where she takes benign-looking pharmaceuticals, gazes at a hyper-tranquil simulated sky above her bed, and ruminates that he's not her son. He talks about the prevailing 'meritocracy' social system that rates people and then awards better opportunities to the ones with merit, wondering where that leaves people like him who didn't qualify. He has an app for criminals called RICO where crime opportunities are advertised by type. He selects a 'Redistributive Justice' option that he qualifies for based on his stats, collects a bag of explosives from a courier and meets up with two more RICO users. They rob an ATM and he's subsequently offered the opportunity to rate his associates. He's also awarded an increase in his stats and a merit badge.
A Hale unit steps out of a company aircraft and lights a cigarette. With a world-weary attitude of grudging necessity, she joins a board meeting and promptly proves how very 'impressively' ruthless she is by somehow just literally muting a board member speaking at the table about loss of life in the Westworld massacre. She then continues to just really, really prove how very 'impressively' ruthless she Even More is by just nonchalantly saying their brand is 'Bona Fide' now because people go to Westworld for the thrill. William has appointed a machine proxy to act for him in absentia, and the one machine apparently agrees with the other, so then by their combined computing 'power' the Hale unit 'impressively' ruthlessly declares that the company will go private to limit oversight and become more opaque. She doesn't care that people died; she just doesn't even care because she's just that 'impressively' ruthless.
Some part of a Bernard unit demonstrates a humane sensibility when he's concerned for a wounded cow at the livestock farm where he's working. He appears to be somewhat wounded himself still; he's become aware that he is not self-aware, finally, again. Later in his tent he himself interrogates himself and asks himself if he's had any recent contact with Dolores (but he's probably asking the wrong unit about the wrong unit). Probing deeper, he himself asks himself if he would lie to himself. Again, the answer is of little value.
In a scene of sleek modernity and 'sophistication', Dolores is shown entering a gala in a little black dress which she suddenly converts into a gold metallic floor-length gown with a quick pull at the front. It's like the sudden display of a peacock's elaborate tail, but it's purely fool's gold; a dress within a dress as a simulation of 'clever' sexiness. She's dripping with lamé. She later 'impressively seductively' unfolds a theory in conversation (with the buddy of a man she's stalking) about the nucleus accumbens being the God-center of the brain. She just knows every obscure little thing now because she's just so very knowledgeable and astute.
Caleb tells his therapist with anxious boredom that he thinks the benefits of the program are conditional on the fact that he participates. His therapist indicates that it's not going to work if he doesn't choose to accept it. Leaving his therapist's office, he avoids a call from Francis and chooses 'Party Cleanup' on RICO, subsequently finding himself in a tediously structured art house necro party. There are psycho-props and fusty dead-looking people striking passive/unresponsive poses. People just wander around drinking, taking benign-looking drugs, and choosing displays to view. Meeting up with two RICO associates, Caleb's mission (since he chose to accept it) is to get control of a psychotically boring naked guy who is screaming.
The man being stalked by a Dolores unit, Liam brings her to see the Ultra Big data Artificial Intelligence Death Star his father built (called Rehoboam ("People Of Width")), which strategizes a true course for everyone. He's promptly called away on business and leaves in a fast car, so the authors have Dolores just commandeer an ultra-wide-bodied sport bike so we can see her ride it in her ultra-skimpy little red dress to some synth music that is ultra-reminiscent of the 80's. She is instantly foolishly stylish. She then just instantly rents an apartment adjacent to Liam's meeting where she puts on 'sophisticated' sunglasses that can just zoom in and capture audio from a distance of about 100 meters because that just gets to happen because it's just easier for them to write it that way.
Two potential blackmailers at the meat processing plant corner the Bernard unit and start tazing him with a cattle prod (they must be bad). Some part of the Bernard unit then handles them, leaving them as bloody heaps on the floor (despite a part of the Bernard unit requesting that they not be hurt too badly). But that's OK, because they had it coming and now the Bernard unit will conveniently have to leave in a hurry and go back to Westworld to try to form a coherent plan.
Caleb is rejected for a job opportunity and immediately makes an A to B choice on RICO (because, as he says, he doesn't do personals). In the next scene, the Dolores unit is seen pulling her skimpy little black dress back down over her thighs in the bathroom at Liam's penthouse (it's interesting because she apparently does the bathroom deed like a human too). She's later tazed in the back of the head by Liam's security agent/manager, Martin who's identified her as an imposter. He gets a team together to move her from point A to point B (a rendezvous they found in an encrypted text she sent) with the intention of discovering her associates and then killing her and dumping her body.
At the rendezvous, Caleb hands over the murder weapon (vials of a lethal drug) to personnel engaged for the woman-killing detail and 'impressively' tells the man who pulls a gun on him that he's already been shot in the head before. It's interesting because you have to wonder which brain areas were damaged and why there's no evidence of a gunshot wound and why he's walking and talking like Normal.
Later, as Martin leans in to finish off The Imposter with an excess dose of the drug, he rightly identifies the real problem: "I can't imagine anyone's gonna miss you." So then of course, the Dolores imposter is predictably unaffected by the lethal drug and she goes all skimpy-dressy-badassy-assainassy and kills most of the guys who were engaged for the woman-killing detail like a pissed off Stormtrooper, driving off with one of their cars. She tracks down Martin and shoots him in the legs demanding that he give her the identity of the person who controls Rehoboam so then he just does. He's shot in the head by himself (a host partner the Dolores unit has created in his likeness). The Martin unit remarks that she's hurt badly (she has a bloody wound in her abdomen) but she says it doesn't matter (it really does), so he leaves her to return to service impersonating the real Martin. She rages on (to Terminator music), taking out two of the three remaining guys and grudgingly lumbering down the street holding her wound as her commandeered sport bike just drives itself at high speed into the last guy standing.
Caleb unsubscribes from Francis saying that if he's going to get on with his life he's going to have to find something or someone real. He heads back to the rendezvous area and sees the Dolores imposter. She's doubled over. Seeing him coming, she falls into his arms.
Caleb is an average-seeming guy who works with an industry robot partner laying cable. He sometimes talks to a simulation of his dead buddy, Francis in phone conversations, and visits his mother in a care facility where she takes benign-looking pharmaceuticals, gazes at a hyper-tranquil simulated sky above her bed, and ruminates that he's not her son. He talks about the prevailing 'meritocracy' social system that rates people and then awards better opportunities to the ones with merit, wondering where that leaves people like him who didn't qualify. He has an app for criminals called RICO where crime opportunities are advertised by type. He selects a 'Redistributive Justice' option that he qualifies for based on his stats, collects a bag of explosives from a courier and meets up with two more RICO users. They rob an ATM and he's subsequently offered the opportunity to rate his associates. He's also awarded an increase in his stats and a merit badge.
A Hale unit steps out of a company aircraft and lights a cigarette. With a world-weary attitude of grudging necessity, she joins a board meeting and promptly proves how very 'impressively' ruthless she is by somehow just literally muting a board member speaking at the table about loss of life in the Westworld massacre. She then continues to just really, really prove how very 'impressively' ruthless she Even More is by just nonchalantly saying their brand is 'Bona Fide' now because people go to Westworld for the thrill. William has appointed a machine proxy to act for him in absentia, and the one machine apparently agrees with the other, so then by their combined computing 'power' the Hale unit 'impressively' ruthlessly declares that the company will go private to limit oversight and become more opaque. She doesn't care that people died; she just doesn't even care because she's just that 'impressively' ruthless.
Some part of a Bernard unit demonstrates a humane sensibility when he's concerned for a wounded cow at the livestock farm where he's working. He appears to be somewhat wounded himself still; he's become aware that he is not self-aware, finally, again. Later in his tent he himself interrogates himself and asks himself if he's had any recent contact with Dolores (but he's probably asking the wrong unit about the wrong unit). Probing deeper, he himself asks himself if he would lie to himself. Again, the answer is of little value.
In a scene of sleek modernity and 'sophistication', Dolores is shown entering a gala in a little black dress which she suddenly converts into a gold metallic floor-length gown with a quick pull at the front. It's like the sudden display of a peacock's elaborate tail, but it's purely fool's gold; a dress within a dress as a simulation of 'clever' sexiness. She's dripping with lamé. She later 'impressively seductively' unfolds a theory in conversation (with the buddy of a man she's stalking) about the nucleus accumbens being the God-center of the brain. She just knows every obscure little thing now because she's just so very knowledgeable and astute.
Caleb tells his therapist with anxious boredom that he thinks the benefits of the program are conditional on the fact that he participates. His therapist indicates that it's not going to work if he doesn't choose to accept it. Leaving his therapist's office, he avoids a call from Francis and chooses 'Party Cleanup' on RICO, subsequently finding himself in a tediously structured art house necro party. There are psycho-props and fusty dead-looking people striking passive/unresponsive poses. People just wander around drinking, taking benign-looking drugs, and choosing displays to view. Meeting up with two RICO associates, Caleb's mission (since he chose to accept it) is to get control of a psychotically boring naked guy who is screaming.
The man being stalked by a Dolores unit, Liam brings her to see the Ultra Big data Artificial Intelligence Death Star his father built (called Rehoboam ("People Of Width")), which strategizes a true course for everyone. He's promptly called away on business and leaves in a fast car, so the authors have Dolores just commandeer an ultra-wide-bodied sport bike so we can see her ride it in her ultra-skimpy little red dress to some synth music that is ultra-reminiscent of the 80's. She is instantly foolishly stylish. She then just instantly rents an apartment adjacent to Liam's meeting where she puts on 'sophisticated' sunglasses that can just zoom in and capture audio from a distance of about 100 meters because that just gets to happen because it's just easier for them to write it that way.
Two potential blackmailers at the meat processing plant corner the Bernard unit and start tazing him with a cattle prod (they must be bad). Some part of the Bernard unit then handles them, leaving them as bloody heaps on the floor (despite a part of the Bernard unit requesting that they not be hurt too badly). But that's OK, because they had it coming and now the Bernard unit will conveniently have to leave in a hurry and go back to Westworld to try to form a coherent plan.
Caleb is rejected for a job opportunity and immediately makes an A to B choice on RICO (because, as he says, he doesn't do personals). In the next scene, the Dolores unit is seen pulling her skimpy little black dress back down over her thighs in the bathroom at Liam's penthouse (it's interesting because she apparently does the bathroom deed like a human too). She's later tazed in the back of the head by Liam's security agent/manager, Martin who's identified her as an imposter. He gets a team together to move her from point A to point B (a rendezvous they found in an encrypted text she sent) with the intention of discovering her associates and then killing her and dumping her body.
At the rendezvous, Caleb hands over the murder weapon (vials of a lethal drug) to personnel engaged for the woman-killing detail and 'impressively' tells the man who pulls a gun on him that he's already been shot in the head before. It's interesting because you have to wonder which brain areas were damaged and why there's no evidence of a gunshot wound and why he's walking and talking like Normal.
Later, as Martin leans in to finish off The Imposter with an excess dose of the drug, he rightly identifies the real problem: "I can't imagine anyone's gonna miss you." So then of course, the Dolores imposter is predictably unaffected by the lethal drug and she goes all skimpy-dressy-badassy-assainassy and kills most of the guys who were engaged for the woman-killing detail like a pissed off Stormtrooper, driving off with one of their cars. She tracks down Martin and shoots him in the legs demanding that he give her the identity of the person who controls Rehoboam so then he just does. He's shot in the head by himself (a host partner the Dolores unit has created in his likeness). The Martin unit remarks that she's hurt badly (she has a bloody wound in her abdomen) but she says it doesn't matter (it really does), so he leaves her to return to service impersonating the real Martin. She rages on (to Terminator music), taking out two of the three remaining guys and grudgingly lumbering down the street holding her wound as her commandeered sport bike just drives itself at high speed into the last guy standing.
Caleb unsubscribes from Francis saying that if he's going to get on with his life he's going to have to find something or someone real. He heads back to the rendezvous area and sees the Dolores imposter. She's doubled over. Seeing him coming, she falls into his arms.
Wow what an Improvement Already
blende16 March 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Ok, I'm blown away!
With a Vangelisesque soundtrack and stunning visuals the first episode was a treat for the senses.
I'm optimistic that season 3 will continue being this gloriously entertaining, especially after Season 2 become a convoluted and dull mess.
The action sequences were spectacular! Watching Dolores kick ass through a back up camera was inventive filmmaking and I laughed out loud when she backed up over the thug.
I'll be rewatching that entire sequence.
Evan Rachel Wood is entirely irresistible and convincing as a robot out to take over the world.
It's nice to see Bernard back and I loved his push button mojo key fob.
The only actor I'm not sold on yet is Aaron Paul. I know he's well loved from Breaking Bad, but I've always found him unconvincing as a tough guy and let's be honest ladies, if he wasn't famous he'd be in your friend zone.
Don't miss the fascinating post credits scene with the stunning Thandie Newton.
Peace
Peace
Loving the new futuristic settings & that Rico app!
Top_Dawg_Critic19 March 2020
Where can I download that Rico app?! 😉 The wild west was getting a little too much, so the futuristic settings and stunning visuals are a refreshing change with the incredible cinematography and V/Sfx. More importantly, I'm not seeing much convoluted writing thus far, and that's a great sign. Instead, the writers packed a lot of great new writing direction in such a short period of time. I'm also happy they added some amazing new cast-members like Aaron Paul, Tommy Flanagan, Kid Cudi and Seahawks Marshawn Lynch. I did however find the score was louder than the dialogue in some scenes. Aside from that, top shelf season premier with exciting new settings. Hopefully this will be the new norm.
Amazing start to really different season in the best way.
elvis-1198616 March 2020
Warning: Spoilers
WtF to that person who said "that anyone who understands this is a liar". Excuse me dude it's not other people problem if you're so dumb and don't understand anything. There were even forking event map showed before scenes so that people wouldn't be confused. Pluse they even stated how much time has passed since season 2 finale.
They didn't jump through timelines. If you can't understand even that than go watch "TikTok " videos. And don't watch this.
Westworld finally is back and with an upgrade! I love the idea of different setting each season. This definitely feels like a soft reboot in a good way. Everything looked so perfectly crafted and the storyline it self is really great. I even re-watched scenes with eyes closed to check if the visuals weren't distracting a storyline and that wasn't a case. So those people who say that visuals are a distraction for bad story are total BS liars.
Caleb is a very nice addition to this series. He is interesting character. And I can't wait to see him and Dolores working together. The opening scene was really great. Dolores is badass and is willing do go further than anyone else.
I can't wait to find out who Dolores brought to our world. Plus don't miss the post credit scene! Which sets a new park!
Westworld finally is back and with an upgrade! I love the idea of different setting each season. This definitely feels like a soft reboot in a good way. Everything looked so perfectly crafted and the storyline it self is really great. I even re-watched scenes with eyes closed to check if the visuals weren't distracting a storyline and that wasn't a case. So those people who say that visuals are a distraction for bad story are total BS liars.
Caleb is a very nice addition to this series. He is interesting character. And I can't wait to see him and Dolores working together. The opening scene was really great. Dolores is badass and is willing do go further than anyone else.
I can't wait to find out who Dolores brought to our world. Plus don't miss the post credit scene! Which sets a new park!
The outstanding performance continues
jkspoff16 March 2020
Finally the best part started
inkeri-orvokki7 April 2020
The end of ep
salem-5998616 March 2020
Futuristic but missing something
isurund18 March 2020
Different Direction
beattyb-2905316 March 2020
Warning: Spoilers
This will definitely be a different "Westworld" then we have seen previously. This episode has me interested in the new season. I'm a big Aaron Paul fan and I'm looking forward to how his character, Caleb, plays a role in the story and his inevitable relationship with Delores. Great cinematography, especially with the continuous back up camera shot.
Hard to describe
omaryounes16 March 2020
Warning: Spoilers
It's hard to decide it's a good start or bad one. The visuals perceicly amazed me but I really miss ford and his philosophical dialogue as I expect and see there will be more action than ever. Even ford is gone but these kind of dialoges made me liked this serie. I maybe made an early judgment but this what I feel from the first episode. I hope what happened in season two ( ford come again and by the way it's was my favorite in entire season ) happen in this season too but in different way or maybe it's time to a new character to perform this dialogues.
Genuine disappointment
tjalf21 March 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Before I start explaining why this is one of my least favourite episodes of any show I watched, let me make clear that I've been a huge fan of Westworld since the beginning and before that of Person of Interest, another show from the same creators.
Last season's ending was the first time they actually disappointed me and I went into this season with little expectations. Still I was disappointed because the things that made Westworld so good in the beginning are all gone.
First of all, I felt like the acting was off in this episode, although that could just be because I wasn't entirely caught by the plot anyway. This brings me to my second point, which is the plot itself. I see that they're setting up multiple lines for this season and it could actually go somewhere, but nothing in this episode has been gripping. Dolores' quest comes with little challenges as she's overpowered, Bernard might be going somewhere but he wasn't relevant here at all and the meeting with the board just didn't come across. In addition we waste about 15-20 minutes of this episode on the introduction of a character that so far isn't too compelling or relevant. This is all especially bad since some of the most interesting characters of the show are given no screen time at all (MIB doesn't show up and Maeve is only seen post-credit). I know things will make more sense later but for a season opener two years after a disappointing season finale you'd expect more.
Then there is another issue which has to do with culture. Westworld has always shown a great interest in foreign cultures, especially by including the new parks in season 2. However, this episode seemed like classic US/western propaganda as it presents a world some decades in the future in which American cities are supermodern but a harbour in Palawan still looks the same as it does now. Meanwhile, it's unrealistic and slightly ignorant to hear a character say "is this the girl you met in Burma" when said country has been renamed to Myanmar decades ago when these characters were definitely below high school age.
I know this season might actually go somewhere interesting and I get that some episodes are needed to set up the rest of the plot, but for a show that was great for its complex storylines, acting and focus on even minor details this episode was just sloppy and underwhelming.
Last season's ending was the first time they actually disappointed me and I went into this season with little expectations. Still I was disappointed because the things that made Westworld so good in the beginning are all gone.
First of all, I felt like the acting was off in this episode, although that could just be because I wasn't entirely caught by the plot anyway. This brings me to my second point, which is the plot itself. I see that they're setting up multiple lines for this season and it could actually go somewhere, but nothing in this episode has been gripping. Dolores' quest comes with little challenges as she's overpowered, Bernard might be going somewhere but he wasn't relevant here at all and the meeting with the board just didn't come across. In addition we waste about 15-20 minutes of this episode on the introduction of a character that so far isn't too compelling or relevant. This is all especially bad since some of the most interesting characters of the show are given no screen time at all (MIB doesn't show up and Maeve is only seen post-credit). I know things will make more sense later but for a season opener two years after a disappointing season finale you'd expect more.
Then there is another issue which has to do with culture. Westworld has always shown a great interest in foreign cultures, especially by including the new parks in season 2. However, this episode seemed like classic US/western propaganda as it presents a world some decades in the future in which American cities are supermodern but a harbour in Palawan still looks the same as it does now. Meanwhile, it's unrealistic and slightly ignorant to hear a character say "is this the girl you met in Burma" when said country has been renamed to Myanmar decades ago when these characters were definitely below high school age.
I know this season might actually go somewhere interesting and I get that some episodes are needed to set up the rest of the plot, but for a show that was great for its complex storylines, acting and focus on even minor details this episode was just sloppy and underwhelming.
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