J. J. Abrams HBO Westworld series

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by soundboy, Aug 30, 2013.

  1. Ghostworld

    Ghostworld Senior Member

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    US
    I think he's just so old now his fire is out. He's 78. There was a thread about how Chuck Berry can't rock n' roll anymore, I think even fine actors can just peter out from age. There were some lines he was reciting in Westworld that I don't think he was even thinking about what they meant -- like he was on autoplay.
     
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  2. chacha

    chacha Forum Resident In Memoriam

    Location:
    mill valley CA USA
    His wheels are always turning. I like his subtlety. It draws me in.
     
  3. jojopuppyfish

    jojopuppyfish Senior Member

    Location:
    Maryland
    IMO what this show needs is some flashbacks of the backgrounds of each of these characters that are human.
     
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  4. chacha

    chacha Forum Resident In Memoriam

    Location:
    mill valley CA USA
    Curious what makes you think that.
     
  5. Part of intrigue of the show is that right now, it is not 100% certain who is and is not human. Some we know, but some we don't, in particular the staff running the park.

    The show set us up to initially think that Teddy was a newcomer, but of course he was not.

    I think it is a fair question as to whether or not Bernard is a host, or just Theresa's walking, talking dildo. ;-)
     
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  6. Deesky

    Deesky Forum Resident

    You know, that question never even entered my mind - who's a bot and who isn't? I don't find that particularly interesting in the wider themes of the show and I prefer not to read any of the fan theories out there.

    I mentioned earlier that the show so far has been like the opening chapters of a good science fiction book, you know, the kind that almost never makes to the (big) screen intact. But this feels different precisely because they are taking their time to explore philosophical themes relating to the creation of a near sentient being and how that fuzzy line of sentience may already have been crossed and what it means for the beings and those that want to continue to 'exploit' them for entertainment purposes. I find all those themes and nuances fascinating and I appreciate the way the show is going about it, and we're just four eps in.
     
  7. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    Just some things that Anthony Hopkins has said about him to Theresa and how he seems stuck on a repeating theme (of his child's death). Also his conversations with Delores seem like he's probing into her psyche to understand more about himself. That said, I'm not even sure he knows (if he is at all).
     
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  8. Ghostworld

    Ghostworld Senior Member

    Location:
    US
    I don't see it. It's Hopkins.
     
  9. chacha

    chacha Forum Resident In Memoriam

    Location:
    mill valley CA USA
    Evan Rachel Wood on Fallon last saying next Sunday's episode is taken to "11".
     
  10. Vidiot

    Vidiot Now in 4K HDR!

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    Hollywood, USA
    My bet is that the season is going to end with a big reveal that one or more of the characters we assume are human are actually robots.

    BTW, I loved the moment in the show where the two human guests referred to Dolores as "a robot" but she ignored them. The producers have acknowledged that the "characters" in the theme park are specifically programmed not to react to anybody talking about them as if they're machines or robots or hosts. Some good comments from the producers here:

    'Westworld' Postmortem: Producers Discuss Episode 4 »

    I'm still totally digging the show and I think they're setting up a big, big story with a lot of twists and turns. I'm very curious to see how the various plotlines are going to fit together: the journey of the farm girl, Dolores, to find her greater destiny; the two young men who are visitors going off on an adventure; Anthony Hopkins' ultimate strategy with the park; the Man in Black and his search for the maze; Bernard and his secret reprogramming of the robots; the brothel madam making notes to jog her memory. I think the whole thing is fascinating as hell.
     
    Last edited: Oct 26, 2016
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  11. chacha

    chacha Forum Resident In Memoriam

    Location:
    mill valley CA USA
    I'm digging it too. I look forward to every episode and don't find it a chore to get through. It's creative and unpredictable. I wish it was less violent (that ain't gonna happen) and that some of the supporting acting was better but I'm really enjoying it.
     
  12. Not a lot of red meat in this article, but a few interesting tidbits.

    ‘Westworld’ Spoilers: Ed Harris On The Man In Black’s True Motivations »

    My favorite bit is this one from Nolan:

    With so many possibilities for “Westworld,” show creator Jonathan Nolan told Entertainment Weekly that it’s best if fans just “assume as little as possible when watching this show,” since the show is intentionally ambiguous.

    Linked from that article is this one:

    Westworld Theory: The Man In Black's Motivations »

    Really interesting stuff there. I think the jokes on us. The "maze" is not in Westworld, it's out here contructed of articles, interviews, and fan theories designed to lead us astray. ;-)
     
    Last edited: Oct 26, 2016
  13. Vidiot

    Vidiot Now in 4K HDR!

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    Hollywood, USA
    My favorite fan theory is that Westworld is not on Earth, but is instead on another planet. Hey, it's as good a theory as any at this point.
     
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  14. JasperYYJ

    JasperYYJ Forum Resident

    Location:
    Canada
    Well if it's anything like Westworld, it's gonna be good!
     
  15. Chris from Chicago

    Chris from Chicago Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes

    Any chance TMIB is Arnold?
     
  16. Bender Rodriguez

    Bender Rodriguez RIP Exene, best dog ever. 2005-2016

    I'm thinking Arnold is the man at the center of the maze.
     
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  17. Lonson

    Lonson I'm in the kitchen with the Tombstone Blues

    Right before he died, did Arnold say "I'll be back. .. "

    I wonder if Arnold had found a way to implant parts of his memory/character in the androids. . . and the maze is a part of a re-assembly process. I guess I'll find out in six or seven years . . . .

    This is going to be a "long strange trip" that I bet I really do enjoy.
     
  18. If he is, he has a weird habit of referring to himself in the 3rd person.
     
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  19. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    This was asked for before and my thinking is the TMIB can't be Arnold because Arnold and Ford built Westworld didn't they? If anyone would know where 'the maze' is, it'd be Arnold and yet TMIB seems intent on finding it and figuring it out.
     
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  20. A few thoughts about Westworld guns.

    I was reading an episode recap which explored the scene at the end of EP4 where Maeve is experiencing flashbacks of having been shot, and asks Hector to slice her stomach open. He does so, and she extracts what I assume to be a bullet.

    The fact that she did so calls into question some of what I thought we knew about the Westworld weapons protocol. I think it is accepted that a newcomer can not really be shot, although they do feel what is said to be the equivalent of getting shot be a paintball gun. I think the show runners have stated that in various interviews. However, when a newcomer or a host shoots another host, the injuries are consistent with being shot be an actual gun.

    Since Maeve appears to have pulled a bullet from her gun, that would suggest that Westworld guns can fire two kinds of rounds. I think previous speculation was that the hosts had some sort of onboard capability to appear to have been shot be a real gun, but assuming Maeve was not in another dream state, it looks like the guns can shoot the real thing.

    And if that is the case, no doubt that sooner or later, things are going to start going down hill for the newcomers when the hosts figure out how to defeat the weapons protocol. Actually, it would be a shock if that didn't happen.
     
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  21. Vidiot

    Vidiot Now in 4K HDR!

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    Hollywood, USA
    In the theme park rules given to guests, one of them is that they can't bring anything from the outside world into Westworld, and the very definitely includes weapons, cellphones, cameras, or anything technological. That makes you wonder why a photo of Las Vegas would show up, leading the robots to start freaking out.

    Even though it's impossible to bring in a real gun, it seems to me that if you clobbered anybody on the back of the head with a shovel, you could still kill them. They haven't yet demonstrated what the protocols are there.
     
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  22. I still hold the theory that the gun Delores found is either a real gun, or a Westworld gun that has been modified to be able to fire real bullets at guests.

    The Samaritan host theory would require pretty fast moves to get between a shovel and the back of one's head. :)
     
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  23. Vidiot

    Vidiot Now in 4K HDR!

    Location:
    Hollywood, USA
    Co-star Rachel Wood ("Delores") has some interesting things to say about the upcoming episode 5, as well as the finale by episodes 9 & 10 (no spoilers in the interview):

    ‘Westworld’ Star Evan Rachel Wood Teases Episode 5 Plot, Tackles Sexual-Violence Criticism »

    Evan Rachel Wood: 'Westworld' Finale Will Leave 'Your Mind Blown' »
     
  24. Ghostworld

    Ghostworld Senior Member

    Location:
    US

    I only watch these series on steaming services when they over and done. I can't imagine watching a show for six years to find out what the #$%^ it was all about. That's kind of like masochism. There's no story ever written that was that interesting. I even bailed on Stephen Kings Dark Tower series after a couple books because you know the resolution can never compensate for dragging out of the story. At some point I just say "I've spent enough time on that one." The fact that people spend so much time here guessing what it's all about, says to me that people are restless and the compensate for that by crafting their own stories in their heads, and that the actual show is wasting too much time dragging out a simple story like a soap opera. I wouldn't mind watching a series like Star Trek for five years because it would present many, many self-contained stories. But six years of one silly robots gone amuck story? Naw. This series will never last that long. American Horror Story has the best idea: One season, one completely different story.
     
  25. Deesky

    Deesky Forum Resident

    I don't agree with that. Personally, I go out of my way to avoid reading fan theories (many expressed in this thread) because I don't want to be influenced into any particular way of thinking about what's unfolding in the show itself. I consider the fan theories a kind of spoiler, even if no one really knows what will happen.

    Having said that, the fact that people are so willing to engage in speculation means that the show's struck a cord with them, not that they're 'compensating' for anything. They're eager for more episodes and they would rather binge watch the show if it was available, as per Netflix (I know I would)..
     
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