TV Review: Westworld - Series Two Episode Ten "The Passenger"

"No World They Create For Us Can Compete With The Real One..."

With the finale of Westworld's debut season a fascinating, masterful and downright majestic ninety minutes of television which not only offered up more questions than answers within a series which was getting more and more renowned for having more narrative rabbit holes than some audiences could feasibly cope with, but more importantly, set the base line for the second round of stories which would ultimately follow, "The Passenger", the similarly feature length concluding arc of the show's second season undoubtedly had a hard act to follow, particularly when the preceding nine episodes this time around have left arguably a wider amount of certain story-lines teetering on the edge. With deaths aplenty, brain-melting exposition and enough shocking twists to make M. Night Shyamalan bow to exhaustion, Westworld's latest closing chapter was a plot heavy but familiarly beautiful example of science fiction at its' most ludicrous and inventive, one which once again boldly offered up more question marks than straightforward answers in an attempt to lay the mouthwatering stepping stones for the future of the show which on the basis of its' ever expanding nature, has endless possibilities lying ahead. 

With the majority of the plot focused on a heavy proportion of the main characters converging at the Valley Beyond, now envisioned as a mystical, Stargate-esque gateway which the hosts enter in order to "free" their minds from the prison of the park and into a virtual reality free from their physical self, the chance to see a culmination of Maeve, Akecheta and the redeemed figure of Simon Quarterman's Lee Sizemore all having their own particular second season character arcs come to a end was particularly well managed, even when after the sheer mastery of episode eight, Akecheta ultimately seemed a tad bit wasted over the course of the entire run amidst a few fatal plot holes such as the extent of Maeve's Neo-like powers and the issue of why not everyone seemed to be effected by the Clementine spreading virus which swiftly turned the hosts into 28 Days Later inspired rampaging murderers. With the pace of the episode not allowing audiences the chance to come up for fresh air at all, the bulky exposition section involving Delores, Bernard and Charlotte Hale's band of Delos security did ultimately seem rather mind-melting at times, particularly when we see Delores and Bernard jump into the storage pump of the guests and reunite with a virtual manifestation of Logan who proceeds to explain the predictability and simplicity of mankind in a elongated set piece which unfavourably reminded me of the convoluted Architect scene in The Matrix Reloaded, and whilst particular resolutions were brought to the table, their is no doubting that "The Passenger" is the sort of episode that requires second, third and even fourth viewings in order to dissect the entirety of the subject matter it attempts to portray.

With Westworld's second season in general improving with every step, "The Passenger" reminded that even when the show is at its' most extreme in terms of baffling its' audiences, the beauty in its' construction deserves to be wildly lauded, and with soaring, stunning cinematography once again and a masterful collection of musical pieces by Ramin Djawadi, including a concluding reworked version of Radiohead's "Codex", the show continues to be one of the most vividly rewarding televisual experiences of the moment, one which challenges works of cinema for sheer, resounding spectacle. With twist after twist and the finality of death not strictly being adhered to, the episodes' final twenty minutes was undoubtedly close to pushing the panic button at times in terms of swaying from the realms of plausibility, but with a joyously entertaining turn of events which sees our favourite hosts transfer from one world to another and the fate of William/The Man in Black being well and truly thrown up into the air, "The Passenger" concluded a series by adhering to the show's characteristic of being at times remarkable and challenging in equal measure, but with curious possibilities lying ahead to be explored, Westworld finished in a way which every season should by leaving the audience seriously wanting more. 

Overall Episode Score: 9/10

Overall Season Score: 8.5/10

TV Review: Westworld - Series Two Episode Nine "Vanishing Point"

"The Only Real World Is The One Outside These Borders..."

With the entirety of last week's episode of Westworld beautifully dedicated to Zahn McClarnon's Akecheta and the origin of the Ghost Nation, the penultimate episode of the show's wonderful second season resorts back to the multi-layered narrative strands which the series is renowned for, exploring a deeper characterisation of a key central character whilst attempting to lay out the explosive turn of events which are guaranteed to kick off in the series finale next week. With William/The Man in Black taking centre stage for the majority of the episode, several interesting notions which had previously been glanced at in the past were granted much needed exploration, particularly in regards to the previously ambiguous event of William's wife's mysterious suicide and his own dedicated purpose to the world which he has created. With William's wife, the offspring of James Delos and sister of Logan, presented as a troubled, conflicted alcoholic whose uncertainty of her own husband forces her into a feeling of prolonged anger and hate, William's revelation of his natural place in Westworld and embracing of his inner darkness acts as the deciding turn for her death, a decision which undeniably still haunts both William and daughter Emily.

With Emily's own uncertainty about her father resulting in her attempting to save him in both physical and spiritual senses, her own discovery of her father's true nature also led to a shocking conclusion, one which not only conclusively presented William as being well and truly lost and swallowed up by his inner turmoil but one which begged the question of whether William himself is human or host, a question echoed by the repeated voice of Emily who stated "if you keep pretending, you're not going to remember who you are." With the backstory of William's wife also highlighting once again Ford's knowledge of the "project" within the "valley beyond", now confirmed to be a radical exploration of cognition replication in order to change guests into hosts, his personal struggle of being forced out of his own creation led to the promise of "one more game" and perhaps the fundamental reasoning for Ford's willingness to facilitate the host's defection, but with Bernard attempting to rid himself of Ford's control in order to save Elsie, there still remains questions regarding Ford's ultimate park endgame. Concluding with a rather emotional death and the sense that particular characters, both human and host, seem to be close to the edge of complete and utter desolation, the penultimate episode of Westworld was yet another majestically crafted hour of science fiction which sets up a concluding chapter which will simply be unmissable. 

Overall Score: 9/10

TV Review: Westworld - Series Two Episode Eight "Kiksuya"

"Death Is A Passage From This Brutal World. You Don't Deserve The Exit..."

With Westworld in the past consigned to a natural and intended cold-hearted sensibility which entwines its' way though the show's genetic makeup, one which seems to mirror the stark alien and unforgivable landscape in which it details, one of the main issues which many have picked up is a rare absence of heart or emphatic empathy for pretty much any of the leading characters, Bernard aside, where even the radical characterisation of Delores this year has resulted in a change of outlook on arguably Season One's most heartbreaking character. Step forward Zahn McClarnon this week however, an actor famous for his scene-stealing leading role in Noah Hawley's second season of Fargo alongside cameo performances in the likes of Bone Tomahawk, and "Kiksuya", the eighth episode of this rapidly improving ten episode haul, is undoubtedly the most impressive and deliriously heartbreaking episode of not only this season, but the entire show thus far, one which utilises historical exposition to detail the history of the intriguing Ghost Nation and one which proves that under that tough level of skin, Westworld can produce moments of pure, unrivalled beauty.

With the whole episode dedicated to the life of McClarnon's host, Akecheta, the excessively painted leader of the Ghost Nation whose intentions up to now have seemed questionable to say the least, his ability to recall the past lives in which he has both lived and died paints a glorious travel through time as we swiftly move from the early origins of the park to the present day, gorgeous cinematography in hand, and one which develops the once ambiguous season subtitle, "The Door", as we learn of both Akecheta's, and in a brilliant concluding twist, Maeve's endgame in attempting to reach a world which they believe rightfully belongs to them. With a narrative through line which sees Julia Jones as Kohana, Akecheta's beautiful love interest, the heart-wrenching coldness of the park is executed with extraordinary success, with Akecheta's personal discovery of the park's true foundations resulting in a tear-inducing set piece, one made all the better by yet another brilliant Ramin Djawadi musical twist which this time sees a top-note piano rendition of Nirvana's "Heart-Shaped Box". With a heartfelt caressing of Westworld's newest, and arguably, most interesting character this season, this week's episode was a ravishing and visually stunning hour of larger-than-life television which halted the breaks on the action and took the time to delve deeper into a host POV which both balanced the pacing of the overall plot as well as adding to it with masterful results. This was HBO at its' finest people. 

Overall Score: 10/10

TV Review: Westworld - Series Two Episode Seven "Les Ecorches"

"The Passage From One World To The Next Requires Bold Steps Bernard..."

With the climax of last week's episode teasing the return of Anthony Hopkins' elegant and calculating Dr. Robert Ford, the question surrounding "Les Ecorches", the seventh episode of the ever-improving second season of Westworld, was how big a part the character's return would play in regards to answering the questions that seem to have all have arisen at the same time of his character's infamous "death" in the debut season's finale. With Bernard entering the dreamscape sensibility of the Cradle in order to make contact with Ford, his re-introduction this week alleviates a minor slither of ambiguity regarding the overall purpose of the park, with the notion of human survival seemingly the primary goal of the Westworld hierarchy, something of which was touched upon in previous episodes, particularly within "The Riddle of the Sphinx" in which the groundhog day effect of James Delos' everlasting host seems much more crucial to the Westworld endgame in retrospect, and with Ford now still alive in conscious form rather than physical, his transfer into the mind of Bernard crafted up some rather creepy, spectre-esque imagery as Bernard was forced to murder against his will and fall in line towards the will of Ford and his calculating scheme of survival. 

With the episode beginning with the secrets of Bernard being set free into the hands of Tessa Thompson's Charlotte Hale, the ghost of Theresa Cullen loomed over Bernard as he was forced to face the truth surrounding his fundamental existence, and with the narrative chopping back and forth between time periods once again, the outcome of last week's train bombing paid dividends with a long-awaited meeting between the two alpha females on each side of the pack. With Thompson's Charlotte and Delores finally meeting head-to-head in the Westworld HQ compound, the former's attempts at scrambling the mind of the now murderous host was swiftly eradicated, with Delores seemingly well aware of the bigger picture surrounding the park and the possibility of man's wish of everlasting life, and with Charlotte close to experiencing the violent delights of the host's capabilities, the interaction between the two was well executed and brilliantly tense. With action aplenty and numerous low-key character deaths, both human and host alike, "Les Ecorches" balanced action with meaningful exposition rather excellently, and with the return of Anthony Hopkins adding that extra slice of sinister charm that encompassed his character last season, this week's episode of Westworld was an hour of absorbing and wholly entertaining science fiction spectacle.

Overall Score: 9/10

TV Review: Westworld - Series Two Episode Six "Phase Space"

"We Each Deserve To Choose Our Fate. Even If That Fate Is Death..."

Arriving with a steadier, more productive narrative pacing than previous episodes so far this season, this week's chapter of Westworld was undeniably the best entry within its' second season so far, mixing superbly choreographed action set pieces with interesting core story developments and a surprising character return which ended the episode on the most thrilling cliffhanger yet, and whilst most of the action primarily occurred within the Shogunworld portion of the various narrative strands, each of the core character arcs did manage to be examined this week in a fashion which pushed the story further ahead in riotously entertaining fashion. With Maeve and co. wishing a fond farewell to the antics of Shogunworld for the time being, the episode at least managed to produce a swashbuckling samurai duel before returning to Maeve's long lost home, where upon discovering the rules of Westworld at its' coldest and cruellest, was seen to bear a similar path with that of the wildly unpredictable Ghost Nation. 

Elsewhere, the fundamental changes implemented by Delores onto Teddy paid obvious dividends with a newly found murderous streak which even Delores seemed to find surprising, and with the first real productive attack on Westworld HQ, the endgame of Delores' plan seems to be somewhat put in motion, but with an opening scene which detailed a test outlining the "fidelity" of Bernard's host, this particular scene is yet another which hasn't yet identified its' place in the wandering time strands within Westworld's storytelling technique, outlining that there is still many more secrets to be let loose before anything can be taken as a certainty. Of course, the most interesting plot thread this week lands with Bernard and Elsie's attempts to crack into the Cradle, a hybrid hive mind which seemingly acts as the home hub for everything within the park, including the mind of every single active host, defective or not defective, and with Bernard jacking himself into it in a The Matrix influenced sensibility in order to locate the source of a mysterious contact attempting to communicate with the Cradle, the episode ends with the ghostly reflection of Anthony Hopkins' Dr. Ford and a cliffhanger which results in "Phase Space" being the most rewarding and deliciously entertaining hour to come out of Westworld season two so far. 

Overall Score: 9/10

TV Review: Westworld - Series Two Episode Five "Akane No Mai"

"Welcome To Shogunworld..."

With the ever expanding Westworld universe opening audiences' eyes to the possibility of a samurai-inspired section of the park two weeks ago, the tantalising prospect of seeing sword swaying hosts in action was completely disregarded last week after leaving keen observers such as myself without a resolution to the cliffhanger the previous week, but with no time wasted this week, the half way mark of the second season brought with it action aplenty, mysterious god-like powers and the introduction to Shogunworld, a hostile laden territory designed for those who found Westworld "too tame". With the hosts seemingly similarly malfunctioning within a land consisting of ninjas, ronin warriors and beautiful geisha's, the episode focuses on Maeve's struggle to remove herself and her party away from a narrative which bears an aching similarity to her own, with parallels between both Westworld and Shogunworld not only limited to host story-lines but their own personal characteristics too, evidenced by an excellent familiar set-piece in which Rodrigo Santoro's Hector gets to see his own brand of infamous and criminal escapades played out in front of him. 

With the real talking point of the episode landing on Maeve's sudden ability for total hosts control without the use of speech or movement at all, her newly found "witchcraft" paints a clear picture which points to her as the most powerful corrupted host within the park, particularly in regards to her eagerness to dismantle many of her fellow hosts as possible, and with a concluding dance routine which features undoubtedly the season's most violently beautiful host kill thus far, the introduction of Akane, a host bearing more than one similarity to Maeve, creates a wonderfully murderous double act for the continuation of their respective journey. On the other side of the park, the build-up of Delores' deception against Teddy after she declares him to not be fit for her new world due to his fundamental empathetic and caring nature, ran parallel's with the "present day" in which we see Teddy's deceased corpse after it was fished out of the water by the Delos recovery team, and with Delos more than eager to be re-acquainted with Delores' father, the missing Peter Abernathy, the narrative gaps are still plain to see but still interesting enough to be constantly engaging. With sword fights, gruesome deaths and the exploration of a fresh, if familiar, new park, Westworld was on excellent form once again this week and continued the strong start to a first half of a season which continues to make audiences think above all else. 

Overall Score: 8/10

TV Review: Westworld - Series Two Episode Four "The Riddle of the Sphinx"

"My Memories, I Get Lost In Them. I Can't Tell If This Is Now Or Then..."

With gunshots and spectacle taking centre stage last week to a solidly effective degree within an episode which not only offered up new characters, but fresh environments too, it comes as no surprise that this week's trip into Westworld offered more of the baffling, brain-aching twisty narratives which the show is renowned for, utilising once again the power of uncertain timescale jumps as one of the more interesting questions of Season Two begins to unravel and the history and troubles of characters both old and new are efficiently examined. With a huge percentage of the episode focused on Bernard, both in the past and in the "present", his reunion with long lost work counterpart Elise, returning after her unsatisfying mysterious disappearance in Season One, leads to one of the more interesting notions within the Westworld environment being slowly picked apart, and with guest star Peter Mullan brilliantly returning as James Delos, the father in law of William who was introduced earlier in the series, his seclusion within the confines of Groundhog Day style set up is superbly repeated throughout the episode as the layers of his existence begin to unravel, accumulating in an expertly crafted crossing of paths come the latter end of this week's extended episode.

With Bernard and Elsie discovering the possibility of what seems to be a human/host hybrid project, one originally designed to house the mind of James Delos, the question now resides on who the latest choice for this particular endeavour is, one started by William himself and one which seems to be part of the many regrets torturing such a character, and with a strange, darkly nihilistic tone creeping over the mood of the episode this week, aided of course by the ever creepy drone hosts, the fundamental strangeness of the show was their to be seen in spades. With William/The Man in Black absent from proceedings last week, his explosive return explores his deeper sorrow at the loss of a loved one and his determination to continue on the hunt for Ford's endgame. Crossing paths with the vengeful Lawrence after his betrayal by Delores/Wyatt, the usage of nitroglycerine was a key part in a couple of strongly orchestrated set pieces, one a slow, measured attempt to walk away without losing a limb and the other, the most rewarding exploding death of a host you'll see all season. Concluding with a unexpected familial reunion, which in hindsight, makes complete sense, "The Riddle of the Sphinx" was a challenging, bizarre but overly rewarding slice of science fiction which shows that sometimes, brains over brawl is indeed the successful choice. 

Overall Score: 8/10

TV Review: Westworld - Series Two Episode Three "Virtù e Fortuna"

"There Is Beauty In What We Are. Should We Too Try To Survive..?"

With this week meaning that we are already three episodes into the latest season of Westworld, one could argue that in terms of contrasting series tones, HBO's flagship show of 2018 bears an aching similarity to Netflix's maddeningly enjoyable adaptation of Marvel's Daredevil, with the first season of each both being outdone in terms of adrenaline fuelled action by their follow up sisters, and what episode three of Westworld proves this week is that not only is the blockbuster budget being well and truly dug into in order to showcase much more expansive action set pieces, but the sense of widening exploration evident in the first two hours of the season is an element which continues to be thoroughly enjoyable and genuinely intriguing. With an Asian inspired rendition of "Seven Nation Army" opening the episode, we are swiftly introduced to the first real dip into wider Westworld territory, with Katja Herbers' Grace violently coming across the host's defection in a British Raj-themed park in which the introduction of creaky CGI Bengal tigers attempt to fill the narrative gap left at the end of the premiere episode's interesting cliffhanger. 

With the majority of the episode following on from the discovery of a new park primarily focusing on the giant action set piece at the militaristic Confederados fort between Delores' quickly assembled band of hosts and the hunting party of Delos soldiers, the action unfolds heavily in the "present day" this week, with no time at all whatsoever for pre-park flashbacks or even the inclusion of Ed Harris' Man in Black. With an electrifying, flashy pacing chugging the action on much more rapidly than any episode within its' first season, it seems very obvious that show-runners Johnathan Nolan and Lisa Joy have taken it upon themselves to arguably make the second season more "appealing" to a larger audience, one who may have been put off ever so slightly by the first series' somewhat alienating, complex tones and prefer action over dialogue heavy monologues. Personally, I'm happy for a heavy dose of both as long as the mix between them is substantive and necessary, and whilst I enjoyed this week's gigantic host versus human shoot-a-thon, the more interesting developments were indeed elsewhere in the discovery of the park's wider alternatives, and with a concluding shot which resulted in a squeal of joyous excitement, "Virtù e Fortuna" at least made me ready for more sooner rather than later. 

Overall Score: 7/10

TV Review: Westworld - Series Two Episode Two "Reunion"

"I Used To See The Beauty In This World. But Now I See The Truth..."

With the success of the premiere out of the way, the second episode of Westworld's second season this week dares to offer yet another barrel load of interesting questions and premises rather than attempting to answer those queries already remaining from the first season and notions furthermore established last week. With time-jumps a go-go, "Reunion" succeeds primarily in travelling even further beyond a moment explored in the first season, with the return of Jimmi Simpson's younger incarnation of William/The Man in Black and Ben Barnes' Logan both highlighting the initial introduction to the ways and means of Westworld's dreamlike capabilities and the ultimate decision made by the father figure of guest star Peter Mullan, whose fondness and respect for his step-son has resulted in a distracting familial wedge between the relationship between the two brothers in law. With the drastic change of time setting both before and after the events of the first season from the eyes of our two investors, the chance to see Delores in the "real world" set to the backdrop of some very familiar Blade Runner-esque musical arrangements follows on from her decision to outlay her past experiences in lands she considers to be too good for her human counterparts, and with her seemingly reminiscing her relationship with William outside of the park, the early indications of Delores' differences seem to have begun years before the host revolution which has now occurred.  

In the present day, Delores' malevolent, murderous streak continues, with her aim of attempting to rebuild a sentient army of her own making landing her face-to-face with Maeve's own individual journey, a subplot which thankfully is not showered with the heaviest amount of interest this week, whilst her sudden awareness of the oncoming human threat results in her making it resoundingly clear that her endgame is not as crystal clear as one might have originally thought, with her declaration that her quest does not lead her to a particular place or destination but a weapon instead, one destined to destroy the human enemy that is now hunting her. With The Man in Black still ferociously enjoying his time in a now deadly environment, his reunion with outlaw Lawrence leads him to the path of Gustavo Fring himself, with Giancarlo Esposito's blink and you'll miss it guest appearance as yet another Ford controlled host who teases the road on which William has now begun, one specifically he must traverse on his own. With the backstory expansive and thoroughly chin stroking, "Reunion" is yet another top quality episode of Westworld, and with the action of the first episode being switched for exposition and interesting plot development, Season Two continues to be an entertaining televisual adventure.

Overall Score: 8/10

TV Review: Westworld - Series Two Episode One "Journey Into Night"

"The Stakes Are Real In This Place Now. Real Consequences..."

With the debut season of Westworld being the televisual definition of a slow burner, Johnathan Nolan and Lisa Joy's small-screen re-imagining of Michael Crichton's 1973 cult classic of the same name was still undoubtedly yet another rousing success for HBO, albeit one not quite in the same league of the likes of The Wire, The Sopranos or Game of Thrones as of yet, but with one of the finest hours of television the twentieth century has seen thus far to conclude its' initial ten episode run, it sure has been an agonising wait to comment on the inevitable follow up which finally arrives this week. With the second season under the subheading of "The Door", the premiere sees a wide range of narrative strands which pick up after the aftermath of last season's concluding bloodbath, with returning key characters and new faces alike attempting to bridge the gap between what went wrong and who ultimately is to blame for the collapse of the once apathetic hosts, and with the use of differing timelines, a cornerstone of Westworld's storytelling, being utilised once again to slowly answer the many questions raised from its' stellar first season, it's no surprise that the return of Westworld reminds you how puzzling and utterly captivating the show can be when hitting full stride. 

Opening with a telling and foreboding past discussion between Jeffrey Wright's Arnold and Evan Rachel Wood's once caring and harmless Dolores Abernathy, the action swiftly moves to the implementation of the security team cleanup authorised by Westworld's overarching company, Telos, and the introduction of Gustaf Skarsgård's head of operations, Karl Strand, who after locating Wright in his host persona of Bernard, attempts to seek out what caused the hosts to turn murderous and against their basic and fundamental programming. With two weeks past since the death of Anthony Hopkins' Ford and the loss of total communications since then, the drama switches back and forth between Bernard's recollection of events immediately after the incident and the present day as he both attempts to hide his true identity from his Telos co-workers as well as understand the radical change his own mind is going through. With narrative swings which attempt to highlight the direction of the season ahead, the discovery of a particular foreign animal and a geographical anomaly nod at the expanding nature of the show which even in one episode has moved from the claustrophobic sensibility which was prevalent throughout most of the first series to a fresh eagerness to explore, confirming show-runner's Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan's comments regarding audience expectations of a much different Westworld season.

With the inevitable return of Wood's Abernathy and Ed Harris' Man in Black, now revealed to be the older presence of Jimmi Simpson's William, both characters seem to be revelling in the new world that has been created for them, with Abernathy being contaminated with the mind of Wyatt to the extent that the killing of "innocent" guests has now become second nature and her newly found freedom resulting in her declaring her wishes of exploring worlds's outside of her own, hand in hand with James Marsden's Teddy, whilst William's own freedom allows him to revel and shine in a world which has finally hit the dangerous levels he has always desired, with his character tempted once again by the ghost of Ford who tasks him with attempting to locate yet another puzzling destination. With Thandie Newton returning as Maeve, it is her particular subplot which surprisingly lessens the quality of the drama, with her reluctance to kill off Simon Quarterman's agonisingly annoying character in order to locate her lost artificial daughter being the stand out narrative strand which really could be shortened or erased completely, even with Newton's commanding on-screen presence. As far as season premiere's go therefore, Westworld kicks off in tantalising fashion with a wide range of interesting plot points to expand upon, and with a clear new direction in which exploration is key, the quality which concluded the first season has thankfully continued on. 

Overall Score: 8/10

TV Review: Westworld - Series One SEASON FINALE "The Bicameral Mind" SPOILERS

"It Begins With The Birth Of A New People, The Choices They'll Have To Make And The People They Will Decide To Become..."

Wow. What an incredible ending to an absurdly addictive series, a series which although left many shell-shocked at how wildly barmy the many entwining narratives became week after week, was undoubtedly a solid thumbs up from those masters of TV up at HBO headquarters. Whilst the success has brought up a wholly inevitable chance to continue into a second series, Westworld needs to follow the continued quality of previous shows including the likes of Game of Thrones, The Wire, The Sopranos etc., in order to become a true exquisite piece of serialised television. What does the future hold for Westworld? Well let's start with THAT final scene, a concluding set piece which not only allowed the show-runners to show their hands regarding underlying plot threads but a scene which everyone had been wanted for since the start of the show. A host uprising. These violent delights have violent ends indeed. 

Where to begin? Obviously the headline resolutions of the final episode was the real nature of Ford's new host narrative, one which confirmed his true intentions all along, a guilt-inflicted belief that ultimately allowed the hosts to become free from the control of their masters, concluding in the massacre of the top-end controllers of the park including Ford who died at the hands of Delores in a manner which could only be regarded as the final piece in the puzzle for the elderly and guilt-stricken genius. With Ford gone, we unfortunately have to say farewell to the supreme acting talents of Anthony Hopkins whose portrayal of Dr. Ford was one of the best things of the show, a mysteriously and intentionally ambiguous figure who although seemed cold and calculated for one of the humans on park, became a figure of sadness and regret come the concluding realisation of Arnold, a death in which Ford felt partially responsible. 

Of the many other endpoints for the many narratives in the show, The Man in Black was finally confirmed to be the elderly figure of William, a theory which was coined by many weeks ago, and thus complimented the finalising of the Delores arc, one which showed her as the murderous figure of Wyatt as well as the true nature of the maze, a effective macguffin which was revealed simply as the final stage of true consciousness for Delores. The symbolic nature of Ford handing the toy maze to Bernard just before his death was timely in acknowledging Ford's true ideals as it was lost on The Man in Black/William who simply could not understand its' meaning after his long search for answers. As for TMIB, a bullet to the arm and a smile on his face was the concluding shot of such a character with the realisation that the game had well and truly been turned up to eleven, fulfilling the wishes of a man who believed Westworld was meant for something more. Westworld has been a riveting success, a confusing, addictive, violent and thought-provoking drama which was as annoying as it was delightful with its' rafter of intertwining narratives, a normality in the hands of Johnathan Nolan, who has made Westworld his own little baby. Although the wait until more Westworld is excruciating, with 2018 being the set date for the second series premiere, Nolan's series is one of the rare cases in which you could watch all ten episodes again and take a million different things from it, a blueprint for success if ever there was one. 

Episode Score: 10/10

Series Score: 8.45/10

TV Review: Westworld - Series One Episode Nine "The Well-Tempered Clavier" SPOILERS

"Never Place Your Trust In Us. We're Only Human. Inevitably, We'll Only Disappoint..." 

And that's what you get for asking questions. Sorry Elsie, my constant need to know every loose end has obviously resulted in your demise, a demise orchestrated by the megalomaniacal Dr. Ford yet carried out by the unknowing Bernard, who this week was confirmed as a reincarnation of the infamous unknown entity that is Arnold, a theory which was coined by many early into the series. Although this didn't come as much of a surprise, what this revelation did ensure was a mind-bending segment in which we witness parallel time structures in which Delores was ever present in her attempt to access the ambiguous maze. Although the Delores scenes this week seemed rather flashy and important, her particular plot line is unashamedly baffling, and  in a world where baffling plot lines are more than ripe, it's hardly surprising. The revelation of the Bernard=Arnold equation ultimately led to the self-inflicted murder of such, a resolution which was either there to save Bernard's mind from the info dump he had just experienced or to save Dr. Ford's behind, yet with the murderous rampage our beloved creator is on, it's hard to sway away from the latter.

As for the real Arnold, the realisation that Delores was responsible for his untimely demise only adds to the series' confusion. Why and what does this mean? What is the show's endgame? These are questions that are constantly asked when I sit down and watch the newest entry of Westworld and with only one episode to go, I'm not really any closer to finding out. Like the maze our heroes and villains are attempting to seek out, Westworld is a endless, baffling mystery. But boy is it addictive. Add into the mix some more background regarding The Man in Black, with it being highlighted his influence in the running of the park, as well as Teddy's storyline slowly falling into its' inevitable place and next week's episode has a barrel load to squeeze in. Where Game of Thrones threw spanners in the works primarily in its' penultimate episode, Westworld is leaving it to the very end to show its' hand, and whilst the latter is nowhere near the heights of the former, it still is tasty entertainment. 

Overall Score: 8/10

TV Review: Westworld - Series One Episode Eight "Trace Decay" SPOILERS

"You Speak Like You Own This World..."

So we finally have some sort of answers regarding The Main in Black this week with Ed Harris deciding to blast us with an unexpected exposition dump regarding his rather unfortunate past which included a dead wife, a hateful daughter and the willingness to vent his anger upon the hosts of Westworld. Does this add up to the now anticipated reveal of the Man in Black=William equation? Who freakin' knows and like many have stated, Westworld is in danger of having more plot lines than Lost and although last week's twist had repercussions seeping into this week, with Bernard distraught with his violent actions, "Trace Decay" resorted to leading the big reveals until its' final two episodes. Smart move? Yes and no, with Westworld's continual baffling nature indeed not for everyone and for those who have stuck by it like some love-struck stalker of an ex-partner, we can only hope the mysteries do eventually pay off. 

Scene of the week was handed to Maeve who with her newly found powers in the land of Westworld pretty much reenacted that scene from Bruce Almighty when Jim Carey walks around and flashes his newly acquired god-like abilities. Instead of blowing up water mains and putting the wind up skirts however, Maeve completely changed the design of her commune by that of language alone, altering the programming of the hosts around her to do whatever she desired. Uprising? You said it and with hosts going seemingly against protocol across the park (Teddy's capture of TMIB, Delores's extreme visions and of course, Maeve herself) the beginning of the end is nigh for those unfortunate to be at the wrong end of the hosts' anger. After two episodes of no info whatsoever also, what on earth has happened to Elsie? At the end of episode six we saw her being attacked by an unknown assailant which in the time of Westworld must be a week or so at least which enhances the notion of a hole in the overarching plot. Will she reappear? One would hope so. Solid this week once again with more questions that answers; that's right guys, it's Westworld. 

Overall Score: 8/10

TV Review: Westworld - Series One Episode Seven "Trompe L'Oeil" SPOILERS

"We Need To Demonstrate Just How Dangerous Ford's Creations Can Be..."

And boy did we get a demonstration. Alas, this week's episode of Westworld was undoubtedly the best of the bunch so far with a twist ending that not only confirmed many's suspicions regarding the presence of Bernard but also highlighted that Dr. Ford himself adheres to the belief that the world in which he has created has violent delights which ultimately lead to violent ends, with Theresa being the subject of the "blood sacrifice" that, ironically, herself and Charlotte attempted to create in order to overthrow Ford yet this was indeed not the sacrifice she had in mind. As soon as Bernard stated the unwary words of "what door?" we knew something big was set to occur and although the big reveal had been coming for a while now, not many would have predicted these exact events. Not only does this seemingly seem like the beginning of something rather nihilistic, Ford's decision to murder his competition as well as revealing his control over Bernard begs a wide range of new questions regarding events that we have witnessed so far. 

With Bernard being under the control of Ford from the offset, this not only settles the whole Bernard-child loss plot but also the mysterious presence behind Delores' secret talks with Bernard. Surely Bernard's questioning of Delores was orchestrated by Ford in order to reveal certain things regarding Arnold but it doesn't exactly clear up the real burning questions at the centre of the show that have been there since the start. What the twist at the end of this week's episode does cement is the murderous and power hungry mind of Dr. Ford, who may even have been behind the disappearance of the infamous Arnold in an attempt to take full control, and whilst we have only three episodes left, all these indecisive plot strands and loose ends surely can't be solved in just under three hours? Alas, with the news that Westworld has been renewed for a second season this week, I highly doubt it will be. Still, for now, revel in the show's best episode to date with the immortal words of "what door?" set to haunt the minds of fans for weeks to come. 

Overall Score: 9/10 

TV Review: Westworld - Series One Episode Six "The Adversary" SPOILERS

"If You Could Only See Your Son Again, Bernard, Would You Want To...?

Plunging the perils of that thing called the internet this week, I came to an agreement with the most plausible fan theory regarding Westworld, in that there seems to more than just one time structure occurring throughout the series with its' main focus on that of Delores and the path laid out for her so far. Ironically, this weeks' episode was the first which decided to not include her character at all, a decision which may have been regarded as wrong at the start of the episode yet come the end, allowed the more mediocre plot lines of Westworld to expand and deliver perhaps the meatiest movement of the series so far. Whilst Teddy and The Man in Black continued their journey into the mysterious maze, all the while taking the time to destroy half a settlement with a Gatling gun, the key areas of the episode all took place back at Westworld HQ where our beloved theme park controllers began to experience a changing level of artificial intelligence. 

Unbeknown to Bernard, his search into Section 17 prompted him to find more than a couple of rogue hosts with him instead finding an entire family, a family designed by the mysterious Arnold for Dr. Ford who has continued to keep them in pristine condition in secret away from the rest of the park in order to preserve their, and presumably his own, memories. Discovering such can only resort in Bernard attempting to do something similar regarding the loss of his child, yet with Dr. Ford discovering the murderous and treacherous desires of Arnold's hosts, such an outcome can only lead to an unexpected sticky end. Perhaps the most interesting development of the episode came with Thandie Newton's Maeve, who upon realising the outcome of death leads back to the control room, decided to have a peek around her constructed life, resulting in forcing her creators to improve her capped level of intelligence. Revolution away? One would have thought and after a couple of weeks of slacking in terms of plot development, this week's episode of Westworld was a much needed return to the top form the series began with.

Overall Score: 9/10

TV Review: Westworld - Series One Episode Five "Contrapasso" SPOILERS

"Your Humanity Is Cost Effective, So Is Your Suffering..."

If one issue bears similarities between both Westworld and Game of Thrones, it's the notion that during the halfway mark, both shows tend to rely more on filler than that of actual substance. With last week's episode this was inherently obvious yet this week, Westworld gave us some much needed plot development resulting in answers to at least some of the questions that have been brought up since the shows' inception. Most interestingly this week, with Delores now indeed becoming more and more aware of her artificial existence in the park, alongside William and Logan, the trio ventured into the town of Pariah, perhaps the most Game of Thrones influenced setting yet with mass orgy's and enough on-screen genital flashing to fill HBO's quota for at least another year or two. Within the town however, Logan paid the price for delving deep into character whilst William helped unleash the freedom within Delores who stated she no longer wanted to play the "damsel in distress". Interestingly, in an alternate time structure, Delores delved deep into the secrets of Arnold, the mysterious co-creator of Westworld, who tells Ford of Arnold's wishes regarding the entire destruction of the park before his untimely death.

With Delores obviously set to be the host front and centre in the inevitable AI uprising, the middling plot-lines of the Man in Black's search for the maze as well as the discovery of a satellite within the broken body of the stray from a couple of episodes back all seem rather strange and stuffy. Of course, one does hope these plot lines all come together come the end of the series yet with five episodes left, the need for more answers becomes stronger by the week. One question hanging over the entirety of Westworld is "how long can this show actually last?". Will it be just a one-off Game of Thrones filler or a long-lasting serial? Who knows, yet the endgame still isn't comfortably in sight and although constantly hitting the audiences with AI-inflicted visions is one way of attempting to say, "hey, something is going to happen here," after a while, they do become rather tedious. Take Delores' shooting skills at the end of the episode for example; we all know her capability to kill even though it is against her coding yet why was it shown as if it was such a huge surprise? No idea. The fact that one can delve as deep as this into just one episode of a show does in some way show the annoyingly addictive nature of Westworld, a show which continues to ask questions without giving away too many answers in return. 

Overall Score: 8/10

TV Review: Westworld - Series One Episode Four "Dissonance Theory" SPOILERS

"I Think I Want To Be Free..."

As with Westworld so far, the beginning of this week's episode focused once again on the conflicted existence of Delores, who under the watchful eye of Jeffrey Wright's Bernard has become somewhat the show's biggest mystery and one of the larger examples of the park's hosts going slowly wrong. Although we see Delores in the company of Bernard within the confines of the control building, we also see her as the last episode ended with her off-script nature wandering into the arms of William who straight away takes a mutual liking to her sweet and innocent nature. The setup of two Delores' themed plot-lines brings with it a wide range of questions; what is Bernard's endgame when it comes to speaking with Delores? We know the loss of his son has effected him in ways that resorting away from humanity may be the only option but is there something else in mind? Who knows, yet from what we know of his relationship with Delores so far, his willingness to let her become "free" only adds to the assumption that her already conflicted programming will be the catalyst for violent revolution in the land of Westworld, swiftly followed by the rest of the unknowing hosts.

As for perhaps the most interesting character on the show, The Man in Black continued his search for the maze and the end point of Arnold's story regarding the creation of Westworld. After being led on to another clue regarding such a search, the episode's action sequence took place during the rescue of prison-bound Hector when exploding cigars was the centre of the show's sub-exploitation means of exploring violence. Questions, questions and more questions still remain within the opening weeks of Westworld, yet for those who know the endgame of the show, the endless streams of continuous ambiguity is beginning to feel baffling, to the point that the multi-layered families in Game of Thrones is easier to work out. Perhaps one of the main failings I have noticed, particularly this week, is down to the 21st century ways and means of television distribution, with Westworld perhaps suffering from being part of the old-fashioned design of weekly airings rather than adhering to the Netflix belief of "binge-watching". Westworld is a tough show to crack four episodes in; sure it's well acted and looks beautiful but the endless stream of questions may have served the show better if watched as a continuous stride rather than a stunted jog. Still, it's better than most things on TV at the moment. 

Overall Score: 7.5/10

TV Review: Westworld - Series One Episode Three "The Stray" SPOILERS

"Let's See Where This Path Leads..."

Westworld continued in its' irritatingly addicting form this week by piling on a wider array of questions regarding the various strands of where HBO's newest flagship show is actually intending on going in a narrative sense, where although the ultimate end game of the show is still in sight. (we had more malfunctioning hosts again this week) Westworld seemingly has much bigger plans than simply succumbing to the conclusion of its' cinematic predecessor. Of those plans, one of the more interesting developments was the revelation of Arnold, one of the founding creators of Westworld who believed the hosts deserved the right to have consciousness, a notion of which Dr. Robert Ford was wholeheartedly against who simply regarded the death of his former colleague to Bernard as an "accident". With Bernard confiding in the conflicted nature of Delores's host body, there may be another endgame in sight for Bernard, particularly when we are made aware of the loss of his son.

Adding to the gore factor, "The Stray" decided to go full-on Bone Tomahawk this week with a scene in which James Marsden's Teddy encountered a blood-seeking cult in the midst of the mountainous terrain, whilst our encounter with the titular stray led to our first sighting of a host going violently wrong, accumulating in a gory act of malfunctioning on that particular hosts behalf which saw him unashamedly beat his own head to a pulp. Perhaps more than before, "The Stray" effectively showcased the beginning of a wide range of host malfunctions, with perhaps the most startling being Delores's ability to use a weapon even though her programming apparently is meant to stop her from doing so, resulting in her particular host going violently off-script and into the arms of William, the reluctant first-time guest of Westworld. If HBO's newest hit is effective in anything, it's the way in which it still hasn't really shown its' hand three episodes in, bringing with it an air of mystery which continues to be unmissable. 

Overall Score: 8/10

TV Review: Westworld - Series One Episode Two "Chestnut" SPOILERS

"You Can't Play God Without Being Acquainted With The Devil..."

Losing ten minutes from the running time of the premiere episode, "Chestnut" continues the impressive nature of HBO's latest series, channelling more of the original film than previously by placing us in the company of Logan (Ben Barnes) and William (House of Card's Jimmi Simpson), with the former being a regular visitor who takes advantage of the world's lavish luxuries and the latter seemingly being cautious of the world in which he is new to. The similarities between the duo of Logan and William this week harked back to the pairing of Richard Benjamin and James Brolin in the original 1973 film and whilst our beloved "heroes" came to a sticky end in the original Westworld, Nolan surely is intelligent enough to simply not allow these characters to arrive at the same conclusion and therefore limit the point at which Westworld can indeed enforce a sense of drama. Much like Game of Thrones, it seems the main theme of a series like Westworld is indeed death, greed and a sense of power in a world in which you can do anything you please. It's not so much the quest for the Iron Throne, but the quest for the artificial throne, particularly when it comes to Ed Harris's sadistic Man in Black. 

Continuing his search for the ambiguous maze, Harris's character's murderous rampage finally came to the attention of the suits up at the head offices of Westworld and whilst murdering an entire town and ripping the head off an android would almost certainly result in some form of intervention, our twisted gunslinger was simply accepted by the game-makers; "that gentleman can do whatever he wants" was the precise words. Who is The Man in Black then exactly? Judging by his ever-increasing stay in Westworld, I can imagine he can only be regarded as a banker for easy cash, something of which the financial department can only be thankful for. Adding to the increasing number of conflicted androids, this week's episode focused primarily on Thandie Newton's pleasure model who, much like Delores last week, begins to remember parts of her scripted history, history that also leads back to the murderous nature of The Man in Black. We all know the endgame of Westworld and where these slight malfunctions will inevitably lead, yet the introduction of The Man in Black's storyline and the overall bigger picture regarding the existence of Westworld means "Chestnut" is another impressive cog in the wheel of HBO's latest sci-fi gem. 

Overall Score: 8/10

TV Review: Westworld - Series Premiere "The Original" SPOILERS

"These Violent Delights Have Violent Ends..."

Proclaimed as being the series that has been "designed to fill that Game of Thrones shaped hole in your life", HBO's new flagship television show based on Michael Crichton's 1973 sci-fi gem of the same name has indeed been the most advertised series in recent times, showcasing its' cast and credits whenever possible across the small screen and even the big. Helmed by the incredible writing talents of Johnathan Nolan, younger brother of the 21st century's best director, Christopher Nolan, whose past credits include scripts for The Dark Knight, Interstellar and Memento, whilst featuring the pristine acting talents of Anthony Hopkins and Ed Harris, who can blame the marketing campaign for attempting to wave its' existence left, right and centre, particularly when it reportedly has 45 million riding on it. As a fan of the original, the first episode of Westworld is indeed impressive. Not only does it look gorgeous, "The Original" features the strange sci-fi/horror combination of its' 1973 predecessor, resulting in a series that grabs you from the offset and gets you ready for months of enjoyment ahead. 

Beginning with a ten minute first act in which we are introduced to the inhabitants and the surroundings of the titular Westworld, straight away we are left shaken by the twisty narrative of Nolan's talented misdirection, resulting in a early shocking twist which brings to light the dark side of the series as well as a quick summary of the type of series Westworld may indeed become; a somewhat jet black twist on the original movies' strange sense of light-hearted B-Movie goodness. Amongst the talented cast is Ed Harris as The Man In Black, a seedy, evil "guest" with his own ideas on how to enjoy his time in Westworld, Anthony Hopkins as Dr. Robert Ford, the creator of Westworld who begins to worry about the stability of his machines, and Evan Rachel Wood as Dolores, the first "host" of Westworld who begins to suspect her life is part of the constructed lie created to form the basis of her surroundings. With a talented cast leading the way and a dark, brooding sense of danger hanging around it, "The Original" is an interesting and eye-catching beginning to Nolan's series, one which raises enough questions to keep even the lay viewer interested for the coming weeks. Game of Thrones watch out, there's a new player in town.

Overall Score: 9/10