Westworld Season 1: 7 Ups And 3 Downs From 'Chestnut'
Westworld's violent delights continue this week, but not all of the newcomers are welcome.
Even before its first episode, Westworld was being heralded as the series to 'save' HBO. After an incredibly strong pilot, those statements only gathered pace. Here was a big-budget, high-concept series that was at once ambitious, smart and thoughtful, and yet also had moments of intense action, violence, and gore.
While the series premiere left many questions in its wake, perhaps the biggest was about what came next, and whether or not the show could build on its strong start.
The second episode (which HBO have released early on HBO Now, Go, and On Demand) doesn't do anything radically different, or massively increase the pace of the show. It very much feels like a continuation of last week, and that's a good thing. We once again have an examination of Dolores, there's a lot more of the mysterious Man in Black, a couple of new newcomers, and the spotlight gets put on some of the premiere's background characters as well.
It goes without saying that it once again looks utterly stunning, because the look of the show is something they've clearly nailed. As well as that, it's another strong instalment that continues the world and character building, and gets a hell of a lot right - but not without the occasional glitch in the system (oh, and spoilers if you've not watched it yet).