Westworld Review: 10 Non-Spoiler Reasons It's HBO's Next Big Thing
With Game of Thrones nearing its end, HBO needs a new hit. Westworld duly delivers.
"Oh my God, it's incredible."
"It better be for what we're paying."
The above exchange takes place between two guests - visitors to the titular theme park - early on in the opening episode of Westworld, HBO's new, big-budget, starry drama. It's easy to imagine, however, a similar talk taking place between two execs at the cable giant.
HBO is betting big on Westworld. It has a huge cast and an even larger budget, and is setup to be their next tentpole series; with Game of Thrones gradually approaching its endgame, HBO needs its replacement to come along now, and Westworld has been given the unenviable task of filling the gap.
Whether it can ever reach such lofty heights can only be judged in the coming months, and more like years, but what about the show's own merits? The show has been massively hyped for at least a year now, and production delays and script issues have done nothing to quell it. Early reviews were extremely strong, suggesting that it would somehow manage to live up to the billing.
After having a chance to watch the first few episodes, it's hard not to come to the same conclusion. The show is worth every bit of hype and then some; a gorgeous, deep, and clever sci-fi, that can be billed as HBO's Next Big Thing.
10. It Takes Its Time, And Doesn't Make It Easy
HBO's Westworld is somewhat based on Michael Crichton's 1973 film of the same name. In the movie, things happen pretty quickly - the robots turn and begin attacking the guests in the same time it takes the TV show to get through its pilot episode.
Being on TV, and with a plan for multiple seasons, it has to take its time. Creators Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan are clearly prepared to go slowly with this, and that's no bad thing - yet it never feels boring.
There's always something happening, a feeling that what's happening in one moment will be important later on. The Game of Thrones comparison is a little simplistic, but it treads a similar path in how it begins to operate, with lots of smaller, dialogue heavy scenes, punctuated by the occasional 'big' moment.
In this approach, it'd be easy for the showrunners to have filled the time with exposition. However, it's to their credit that they don't make it easy for audiences. Not that it's too difficult to follow either, but it's not interested in giving us every answer or explanation - at least, not just yet anyway.