Westworld Review: 10 Non-Spoiler Reasons It's HBO's Next Big Thing

Something that can often blight shows in the early stages, in particular a high-concept series like this one, is the dialogue. It'd be fairly easy for it to feel strange and unnatural, or clunky, since we're watching people pretend to be or interact with robots.

Westworld manages to avoid that pitfall though, with the dialogue - whether it's between two creators, two robots, or a visitor and a host - feeling completely at home. Sure, there are some rather more grandiose moments, with a Shakespeare quote or two thrown in there, but for a series with such big ideas, it does 'normal' conversations very well.

That feeds into how well written the show is as a whole. It balances a number of characters, and even in the early stages many of them begin to be fleshed out and you begin to understand their actions, motivations, and desires. In terms of crafting a plot, it becomes clear early on something is going wrong, but the show takes its time with unspooling this; instead choosing to examine the robots and the creators, and weaving a couple of different mysteries as well (the apparently villainous man in black being a big one).

They've setup a story that feels like it should be captivating and engaging throughout Season 1, with plenty of deep examinations and twists and turns alike, but also something they can build upon for years to come.