Plotlines

I’ve now finished the second disc of the first season, and I think writing an article for each disc is a good rhythm for Westworld. The series is very dense and covers an incredible number of topics, especially regarding artificial intelligence and artificial consciousness.

Yes, artificial intelligence and artificial consciousness are two entirely different things for me. Artificial intelligence simply involves an enormous amount of knowledge that far exceeds human capacities, as well as the ability to retrieve it at inhuman speeds.

Artificial consciousness, on the other hand, is what today’s AIs still lack—a consciousness that indicates they are aware of their own existence and can understand it.

With these two forms, we quickly land in the works of Isaac Asimov, which naturally also find application in Westworld. The hosts are programmed in such a way that they cannot harm humans, which corresponds to the three laws of robotics.

However, I also feel that some things will develop outside of these rules. I believe the first signs, especially regarding Bernard (a suspicion I’ve already expressed), are starting to emerge.

When Bernard enters the old version of Westworld, it looks very much like the “old version” from the movie. And my assumption that the warehouse with the decommissioned hosts is also located in the old Westworld facility seems subtly confirmed by this.

You can also see a version of the Gunslinger from the first film in the background shortly before Bernard sits down at the computer in the old Westworld facility, the character originally played by Yul Brynner.

This creates a bridge as well, since this Gunslinger symbolizes the uprising of the machines. Back then, it was due to a malfunction; in the series, it’s designed to be more complex, but the basic principle remains intact.

The name “Delos” also reappears, here in the series, as the name of the company that created Westworld. In the original film, Delos was the name of the park where this artificial world existed.

By now, we also see or realize that William and his older version, played by Ed Harris, are one and the same person. I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this before. Strangely enough, this would annoy me in other series because these individual portrayals can be subtly confusing as they often don’t seem to make complete sense. But as everything progresses further, it will start to make sense—this much I can say in advance.

The central question that keeps arising here is about free will. Those who book a tour appear to have free will. Hosts, on the other hand, seem to have less, although it appears some may be able to break free and escape their programming. But is that really possible? Or is this new path just another form of programming? This is an insight Maeve will surely gain at some point, I’m quite certain about that.

What still eludes my understanding is how this facility looks exactly, where it’s located and how large it is. The Man in Black and William (the separation becomes clear) both travel for several days into distant regions, and yet the world seems to have no end. However, even outside of the facility, there’s no indication of its location, just this incredible number of floors that seem to increase with every episode.

Anthony Hopkins certainly deserves special mention here. I mean, obviously he’s a phenomenal actor. But here he’s particularly impressive. He truly shines on this fine line between genius and madness. Then there’s his treatment of the hosts, which repeatedly reminds viewers that these aren’t humans but machines. He knows full well that if you cross this boundary and view them as humans, things could become dangerous—and decisions might be made that aren’t beneficial to anyone. Additionally, if you see them as humans, you wouldn’t be able to treat them as hosts anymore.

What I find interesting about this aspect and my own perception is how sometimes you recoil when you see how hosts are treated. And exactly when this feeling arises, Hopkins steps in and reminds us again that these aren’t humans but machines.

Sometimes it even feels like this might be a form of admonishment, a warning to himself or his partner, that perhaps everything has been created too realistically. At the same time, I wonder whether the old version of Westworld, the one from the movie, was already built under his leadership or whether he started with an entirely new version back then. I really hope they shed some light on this mystery.

After this season, I’ll be entering unknown territory since I only watched the first season back then, and I must admit I’m a bit apprehensive about what’s coming next. I know the series was very successful at the time, and fear they might overdo it in subsequent seasons. Maintaining consistency isn’t Hollywood’s strength; they always have to escalate things, to make them bigger or expand them further. I sincerely hope my fears won’t come true!