The ‘Westworld’ Q & A

By Ryan O'Connell on 10/03/2016 • ( 2 )

HBO’s new heavy weight drama Westworld premiered last night and straight up, I think I liked it. I only say that I think I do because the episode, “The Original” left me with more questions than answers, which I suppose is a good thing. It’s hard to make any proclamations about the show this early as it obviously has a lot left to unpack. It definitely has potential, though, something you couldn’t really say about Vinyl; something that is ultimately a good thing.

Yet since I’ve watched the episode, I’ve been trying to make sense of what I saw. Here, let’s do it together. It’ll be fun. Warning, spoilers (maybe) ahead.

Okay, what is this show about?

Easy way I think I can explain it is like this – it’s like Jurassic Park but with robotic cowboys and wild west people, who may be getting hip to the fact that they’re robots.

**So it’s like if the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park got wise to the fact that they were living in captivity?**

Kind of, yes. And the dinosaurs had guns. And boots.

Is this an artificial intelligence kind of thing?

Uh, maybe?

What’s the difference between a human robot and artificial intelligence?

Pass.

**Who are we rooting for on Westworld?**

I think it’s too early to tell, but if I had to guess, the robots.

But what if the robots go bad?

I think the robots will rebel and anything they might do that could be construed as “bad,” would be justified. Like if Teddy, James Marsden’s character, were to kill a member of the security team, it would likely be viewed as a good thing.

The robots are now aware, or at least partially aware, of the fact that they are robots because Anthony Hopkins…

Sir Anthony Hopkins

Sorry. Because Sir Anthony Hopkins added “reveries,” actions tied to memories?

It seems that way. It’s like he opened the door to trouble just a bit by adding little things like remembering a touch or smell and the show will be about that door being kicked open.

Would he be considered the bad guy then?

I don’t think so. I could see someone who works for him ending up being the bad guy. Like someone who sees a profit in the robots either becoming more human or going the other way and stripping them of their humanity even more.

Maybe that script writer?

Doubtful. I bet he’s one of the first humans to die.

If you had money would you visit Westworld?

Probably. 14 year old Ryan definitely would.

Do you think there are age restrictions to Westworld?

I couldn’t imagine what their insurance would be if they gave kids under 18 guns, so yes, probably.

Humans can kill robots, but robots can’t kill humans. Can humans kill other humans if they are in the game?

Beats me.

What’s the Man in Black up to?

Solving the game. Whatever that means. It’s kind of like he’s the chaos agent in the show. He’s definitely a bad guy, but I’m not sure we can totally run with that because we’re not sure what his motives are at this point.