Anyone else catch the premiere?
My short review: Has potential. Hire better writers, fire 2 or 3 actors, and you could have the DNA of something great. This is quite far from that right now.
Westworld thinks it's a lot smarter than it actually is. I'm coming to this from my Lost re-watch, and this does not fare well in comparison. There is not one kernel of mystery here. I can explain basically everything, because I was given so many explanations. I don't really have any questions or pressing curiosities. That's a really bad sign for a show with this level of ambition...
SPOILERS
You might wonder about Anthony Hopkins's ultimate motivation, but I think he essentially explained that for us. He wants to create a new synthetic evolution that mimics actual evolution, where a single "mistake" (mutation) can lead to a sudden advancement. It should be interesting to see this play out, but I don't think there's anything mysterious or mindblowing about it.
The only real question I can conjure is, what is Ed Harris? A rogue robot? Why are they not examining him? Is he hiding, and if so, how, and why doesn't he appear to be hiding? This corner of Westworld feels like a weird gap, but I'll give it the benefit of the doubt.
So, other than all of that, what's really ruining this show is the staff. The manager lady with the European accent does not work on any level. Replace this actress as soon as humanly possible. She does not competently deliver a single line of dialogue.
Jeffrey Wright is passable. But he has brought nothing to the role so far, except for his endlessly neutral face. Some actors can evoke entire worlds of emotion with the subtlest of micro-expressions. Not Jeffrey Wright. Trust me, DP, you can try all the close-ups you want, you won't find anything there.
Highlights:
- The dad's "meet my maker" speech. More intense/meaningful moments like that, please.
- Ed Harris
- "Black Hole Sun" on the saloon piano
- The whole robbery sequence scored to "Paint It Black." We've got a regular Moulin Rouge over here.
