Westworld (TV series) - Ed Harris

[Neil]

http://screencrush.com/hbo-westworld-ed-harris-james-marsden-man-in-black/


HBO’s forthcoming J.J. Abrams-produced ‘Westworld‘ adaptation continues to fire up some major star power for its pilot. Not only has ‘X-Men‘ star James Marsden been confirmed for a role, but Ed Harris has landed his first regular TV gig as the major big bad of HBO’s ‘Westworld.’

Read More: HBO TV Westworld Casts Ed Harris and James Marsden | http://screencrush.com/hbo-westworld-ed-harris-james-marsden-man-in-black/?trackback=tsmclip

[shootemindehead]

How can this be dragged out for a TV series?

Shades of 'Under the Dome' possible here.

[Neil]

How can this be dragged out for a TV series?

Shades of 'Under the Dome' possible here.
And we all know how well that turned out! Well, everyone apart from me, as I didn't bother watching it!

[MinionZombie]

And we all know how well that turned out! Well, everyone apart from me, as I didn't bother watching it!

And keep it that way. Seriously, feck Under the Dome ... it's pish.

As for Westworld - just purely going on the news of it today (didn't know of it prior to today - as an adaptation for HBO, I mean), I say it could be cool, particularly with HBO so it won't have to be all censored and soft-arsed like Under The Dome on weak-sauce US network telly with all it's rules and fear of irate 'soccer moms'.

How to extend it to a full series though, yeah, that could be difficult. I suppose it could be a slow-burn one-off mini-series.

[Neil]

A little teaser...

OM8HNuRLIBI

[Neil]

Well, this review loves it! - http://www.cutprintfilm.com/tv/tv-reviews/westworld-review/


Hiccups like this aside, the show is at times a wonder to behold. The world-building at play here is fascinating, as is the overall look of the show — a mix of cold, sterile laboratories and vast, sweeping vistas. Westworld may take some time to hit its stride, but the show is off to a strong, almost wonderful, start. The psychology at play here isn’t very deep when you get down to it, but at least this is a show willing to ask questions of its audience, and have them ask questions in return. Westworld probably won’t be the next Game of Thrones for audiences, but don’t be surprised if it builds up its own rabid following.

Grade: A-

[MinionZombie]

So I watched the first episode...

It was strong on the concept front, and the scale and look of the show is groovy, but the first episode was much more concerned with the overall idea rather than anything deeper. Perhaps it was designed that way to hook audiences with the concept first and then get into the characters more, because on a characterisation front it was a bit sketchy - Ed Harris stands out, as does the Evan Rachel Wood character, but beyond that we only get sketches of these people (plus, some little bits were kind of confusing) - and I didn't learn a single, solitary character name.

Hopefully in future episodes they'll dig far more into the characters, their motivations, who they are etc so that we have something to hook us emotionally in addition to the strong conceptual hook that already exists.

The clarity of where this show is going and what these people want is rather murky in the first episode. Compare it to something like Game of Thrones or The Walking Dead or Breaking Bad, which both set up their characters and situations very clearly from the outset, and you can see a particular weakness in Westworld's debut episode. But like I said, hopefully they'll quickly rectify these weaknesses as the season continues.

[Neil]

OK... Two episodes in and I have to say, I'm struggling a bit to enjoy it - The story lines/threads all just seems a bit "weak" so far.

I'll give it a couple more in the hope it's all going to build up...

[MinionZombie]

OK... Two episodes in and I have to say, I'm struggling a bit to enjoy it - The story lines/threads all just seems a bit "weak" so far.

I'll give it a couple more in the hope it's all going to build up...

Yeah. The concept is fine and dandy, but it's getting into the characters that is the main problem. There's so many of them, for one thing, and they've mostly only been sketched-in - or they don't seem to be making enough progress (e.g. the farmer's daughter character) ... and that's another thing: I can't remember a single one of the character's names! I'm not the best with names, but I should know a handful by now - and yet I don't know a single one of them.

The Ed Harris character is interesting, but kind of one dimensional, and other characters (such as that of Anthony Hopkins) are potentially interesting, but the writing seems to be playing it awfully coy about what anyone's intentions are. The show feels a bit distracted by the concept and the sci-fi elements.

I'll continue with it for, like you say, but I really thought I'd be more into this after a couple of episodes (the trailer looked strong) ... but wasn't this delayed a whole year for some reason? I seem to remember something about that. *checks* Yeah, it was supposed to air about this time last year - I'm not sure why it was delayed, though.

There's definitely potential in it, but with so many characters (hosts, guests, and management) scattered about with few clear goals for any of them, it's hard to find people to attach yourself to - and therefore care about. It feels like a show in serious need of focus.

[Neil]

..and the synthetic humans I'm suppose to care about with their previous histories poppnig back into their memory after a "magical phrase" is said to them? Ummm... I don't...

[Neil]

OK... Struggling more and more with it. Actually finding it tedious at times.

Not going to last more than another episode if this doesn't kick up a gear!

[shootemindehead]

Just finished the first episode of that. Thought it was very good. In fact, you could walk away and not see another. It works very well as a 'Twilight Zone'(ish) cautionary short.

While a good start, I still have the same reservation as I said above. How can Crighton's original be dragged out for a multi episode series. Or worse, a multi series TV show?

[Neil]

Just finished the first episode of that. Thought it was very good. In fact, you could walk away and not see another. It works very well as a 'Twilight Zone'(ish) cautionary short.

While a good start, I still have the same reservation as I said above. How can Crighton's original be dragged out for a multi episode series. Or worse, a multi series TV show?Let me know what you thingk after four or five episodes please?!

[AcesandEights]

Been enjoying it so far, but still an episode or two behind.

Waiting for some revelations about the background/overarching stories to really have something to dig my teeth into.

[shootemindehead]

Let me know what you thingk after four or five episodes please?!

So, I burned through 6 episodes yeasterday and I have to say I'm, enjoying it. I have niggles and nitpicks like there's no violence between guests? Blood transfusions of robot synthetic blood seems remarkably easy? and as said the story of the original won't hold up for more than one series in my opinion.

It's very much a slow burner and I've no doubt better enjoyed as a binge rather than a week to week show. Ideally, this would be a one shot miniseries, but knowing how TV companies work these days they'll try to drag it out to the point where nobody gives a shit anymore, or it's "too expesive" and we'll be left with a half baked effort, ending on a cliff hanger, that has become a feature of American TV shows.

although it's far, far more enjoyable than 'Under the Dome', I'm still thinking 'Under the Dome'.

[Neil]

Well, we're over half way through the series and it just seems to be re-treading the same stuff over and over... And we're still not really going anywhere after 6 episodes?

[shootemindehead]

But, conversely, it's only six episodes. It's not that much really.

On the opposite side of that fence, there's 'Wayward Pines' which shot it's bolt halfway through the first series.

I can't see 'Westworld' being a winner though, as enjoyable as I've found it, for the reasons already mentioned. There just isn't enough story to drag out over multiple series. 'Westworld' is essentially a disaster story. You just cannot make something like that stretch over something like 20, 30 or 40 episodes, spanning 2, 3 or 4 years.

[Neil]

But, conversely, it's only six episodes. It's not that much really.

On the opposite side of that fence, there's 'Wayward Pines' which shot it's bolt halfway through the first series.

I can't see 'Westworld' being a winner though, as enjoyable as I've found it, for the reasons already mentioned. There just isn't enough story to drag out over multiple series. 'Westworld' is essentially a disaster story. You just cannot make something like that stretch over something like 20, 30 or 40 episodes, spanning 2, 3 or 4 years.

That's 3 films or so...

For me its limping along, and I'm trying to enjoy it as I don't won't to feel like I've wasted my time so far...

Guess with 4 episodes left, I'll see it though now...

[MinionZombie]

Like Neil, I'll likely see it through to the end of the season now - I did the same with the woeful Under The Dome (which started out decent enough, but crashed through the floor faster than I've ever seen in a TV show, and meant that I never bothered with season 2).

Strangely enough, I found the most recent episode to be more interesting. It finally dripped in a bit more interest and a little bit of forward momentum was had (e.g. Maeve), but it is still being dreadfully coy with its storytelling. There's a better middle ground to be found here, somewhere that sits comfortably between 'shooting your bolt too soon' and 'dragging it out too long'.

[shootemindehead]

That's 3 films or so...

For me its limping along, and I'm trying to enjoy it as I don't won't to feel like I've wasted my time so far...

Guess with 4 episodes left, I'll see it though now...

You can say that about any modern format TV show though.

By their nature, it's going to feel like a longer journey. I think you may be giving it a tougher ride, though, because you already know the outcome?

Anyway, if you don't enjoy it or feel that you have to try, why watch it?

- - - Updated - - -


I did the same with the woeful Under The Dome (which started out decent enough, but crashed through the floor faster than I've ever seen in a TV show, and meant that I never bothered with season 2).

'Under the Dome' is a perfect example of what's wrong with today's TV. Don't get me wrong, TV is miles better than the 70's, 80's and 90's TV shows that populated airwaves, but it's the bombast that has to be generated these days that's irritating. 'Under the Dome' was ripe for a 6 episode (8 at best) mini-series, that could have told the tale and got the fuck out before anyone noticed it was getting shite.

Instead we got a network trying to shoehorn middling drama and situations that were completely superfluous to the actual central story and ended up with people figuring that nothing was behind the curtain.

I kind of blame 'Lost' for a lot of where TV has gone in the last 10 or so years. That thing was dragged out for 121 episodes and the writers hadn't a clue what it was about after the first series ended. But viewership (ie money) dictated that any old shite should be made up to keep it going regardless, leading to its inevitably disapointing ending.

Hopefully, there's a real story arc with 'Westworld', cos if they're going to jip people with an S1 cliffhanger and try to stretch it to a series 2 and 3 ad nauseum, a lot of people just won't bother, myself included.

[MinionZombie]

I enjoyed Lost. I agree that it had its share of problems and went on too long (the first three seasons flag that up majorly, with big flabby mid-sections and glacial developments in the plot), but at least in the final three seasons they laid out a certain number of episodes over three (and no more) seasons - so there was an injection of pace and intention. I also dug the ending. I don't understand why so many people seemed to not understand the whole 'flash sideways' shtick of season 6, that they really were on that island, and that the island wasn't purgatory (only the season six flash sideways were). /rant :D

Also - uh oh. :p :lol: :D

http://dailydead.com/hbo-renews-westworld-for-a-second-season/

We'll see, eh? As I've said, I'm struggling a bit with Westworld, but at the same time there's various things I really like about it ... but sometimes it only does the bare minimum to keep me interested (but that means I'm still interested, just not all that eager for the next episode) ... but then there are other times when I really enjoy it. So, in short, it's very up-and-down for me ... ... that was not the case with Under The Dome: that was just all downhill. :elol:

[shootemindehead]

It's very slow burning, there's no doubt, but it does seem to be super popular (for some reason).

Just finished episode 7 and while there's a bit of meh going on with the Delores storyline, the reveal with Hopkins at the end was great.

I'm not really liking the subplot with the whore and the two engineers though. It would just so easy simply to switch her off, but they're continually kow-towing to her. That's just not working for me.

It has it's issues and I'm not sure about another series, but for now, it's on my watch list. It's an interesting and inteligent drama and considering how much TV is just bloody awful, I'm happy enough.

[MinionZombie]

Oh yeah, no doubt. While Westworld has some sizeable flaws at times, it shits all over a vast swathe of telly out there - indeed, as we've often mentioned it in this thread, Westworld makes Under The Dome look like a stepped-in dog turd. Westworld is no classic-in-waiting at this stage (and is perhaps unlikely to ever really attain such a status), but there are many things that I really dig about it, too.

I've not seen the latest episode yet (it's on Sky Atlantic tonight, but I'll likely watch it tomorrow night).

[shootemindehead]

I think you'll enjoy it.

Let's just say it kicks things up a notch.

[Neil]

Second season is go - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-37987179

Can't believe this first season (of ten episodes) cost $100m! Wow!

[clanglee]

Huh. . .I've been enjoying the hell out the show. I just really wish they had Medieval World as well! I guess with GOT, they figure they had that covered. But yeah. . Great acting and I have been enjoying the slow burn of the show thus far.

[shootemindehead]

Yeh Medieval World would have been great.

And Futureworld!!!!

Well, maybe not futureworld.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7190/6912087307_83c2fa9fa7_b.jpg

[MinionZombie]

Okay, caught up on the latest episode - yes, now it's getting some momentum going, I'm getting reeled in, things are really starting to move. That's not to say there aren't strands or plot or characters I don't really give a toss about, but overall these last couple of episodes have improved my general opinion of the show and I'm enjoying it more.

As for the other worlds ... considering the sheer volume of characters just covering Westworld, you'd be hopelessly lost in a complete jumble if you had other worlds in there, too. Plus - seeing as the budget per episode is $10m and that's just for Westworld, you'd be looking at a vast budget of double or triple the current amount - it ain't gonna happen, at least not to the same scale. There's still the mystery of what Anthony Hopkins' character is building out there, but still...

[shootemindehead]

There's still the mystery of what Anthony Hopkins' character is building out there, but still...

If you mean what new robot is he building in his mini lab, it's a new Theresa I reckon. He'd heard about her "blood sacrifice" and made the decision to replace her. Plus with the revelation that Bernard is a bot, it begs the question who else is and under his ultimate control? If you mean what is he excavating, then god knows.

I thought the Bernard reveal was well handled. His "what door" was odd, but the "It doesn't look like anything to me" was brilliant. I genuinely didn't suspect.

[MinionZombie]

I was meaning the excavation project ... but yes, I hadn't even thought about who that body that was being built will become. It could very well be another Theresa - otherwise people will question where she disappeared to. I'd also like that to be the case as Sidse Babett Knudsen, who plays Theresa, is doing a great job in the role. I saw her in "The Duke of Burgundy" and she was superb in that, so it was a nice surprise to see her turn up in this. :)

Yes, I also thought the Bernard reveal was done very well. I hadn't considered that one (or more) of the staff might be 'fakes', if you will. As soon as he said "what door?" my senses tingled - could it be?! - and, as you say, the 'looks like nothing to me' was chilling. He had no idea and then he has to discover this - and kill his lover. A rough day at the office, eh?

I'm very interested to see where it all goes from here. It would have been nice to have felt some more of this focus and momentum earlier on as it was all a bit scattergun in the first five episodes, but hopefully the persistence will continue to pay off. I'm looking forward to the next episode now. :thumbsup:

[shootemindehead]

Week to week, it could seem slow, but I binged it in a day, so the pace feels much better to me. With three more episodes to go, we're going to be left with an awful lot left unresolved. The wait til 2018 is going to be annoying. In fact, I think it might actually hurt the show. Didn't the 'V' remake suffer from the audience getting fed up between seasons and half seasons leading to its demise?

It's one thing I liked about 'Dexter'. Each run was contained and wrapped up. There was overlap, of course, but in general at the end of a season that story was essentially done. Can't see that happening here.

[Trin]

I'm only maybe 3 episodes in but I'm enjoying it. I like how they are blurring the lines between protagonist and antagonist. The plot is inventive. The pacing seems good. I don't feel like there's a lot of extra filler consuming screen time. I like the characters (both human and host).

There's something about the show that goes beyond all that though. The whole sense of place is really well done. The atmosphere. The way the characters interact. The contrast between above ground and below ground.

I really like the jarring way that the humans (the throw-away park guests) seem so out of place amidst the storyline that is developing within the hosts. They essentially break the 4rth wall of the hosts' narrative by running around treating it like an amusement park. And you can see how humans treating the story so irreverently is building to a disastrous result.

I'm digging it. I still haven't watched the final episode of FTWD and I'm at least 2 episodes behind on TWD ... but I'm sitting down and starting up Westworld when I get home from work. Nuff said.

[babomb]

This show is fucking amazing! So much detail and character. It was a little slow to grow on me at first. But as things progressed I kept rewatching episodes and it's really incredible now.

I love the 90's music done in string quartet. It's great how everything means something. Again, so much detail done elegantly. Better than True Detective Season 1. Which is hard to top.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RS_1-_EJ0Zk

[babomb]

Week to week, it could seem slow, but I binged it in a day, so the pace feels much better to me. With three more episodes to go, we're going to be left with an awful lot left unresolved. The wait til 2018 is going to be annoying. In fact, I think it might actually hurt the show. Didn't the 'V' remake suffer from the audience getting fed up between seasons and half seasons leading to its demise? V was hoaky though. I can understand people losing interest quickly. Westworld is arguably the best thing going right now. IMO it tops TWD. I DVR TWD and watch Westworld when it airs.

[MinionZombie]

TWD still easily wins out over Westworld for me. :kiss::D

However, the back half of Westworld's first season (still to see the finale, of course) has really improved things and started bringing it all together, paying off the structuring of the first few episodes - so it's one of those shows that you have to hang in there for (a bit of a risky strategy in your maiden season, mind you).

Revealing that there are multiple time lines being shown throughout the episodes was something I hadn't considered, and the Bernard situation continues to fascinate. I'm rather looking forward to the finale and a second season (not something I would have said after the first few episodes - I almost gave up before episode six, which was when things started to pay off and come together ... so it was a good thing I stuck around).

It's not up there with the likes of TWD, Game of Thrones, or Breaking Bad, but it's a strong contender nonetheless and better than a bunch of things out there. :)

[babomb]

Can't comment on game of thrones, I've never even seen a preview for it. I don't care for the medeival times thing. If GoT were actually a simulation, that would be a game changer for me.

This season of TWD started strong but really fizzled out IMO. I just can't find a reason to care about it anymore. Westworld grabs my attention and keeps it. I watch each episode multiple times and find new things in it everytime. I watch theories of it on youtube and listen to music from it. I've never watched theories of TWD or gave a shit about music from it. By the time Talking Dead is halfway through I'm pretty much over it until the next week. I'll take NIN and Radiohead in string quartet over "Easy Street" any day of the week.
Most of all I think it's the technology and the higher levels of thought in Westworld that does it for me. Leaves a lasting impression, and gives me things to think about and look into for days to come. There's a larger scope in play, and intellectual stimulation that is just not there in TWD. With TWD what you see is what you get. When you try to think into it too much you end up disappointed at the real outcome because the story is always restricted to the source material. It's more of an emotional journey than an intellectual one and that can only take you so far before it's just reiteration.
With Westworld the source material doesn't have a large fan following that the writers have to answer to if they stray too far. It's a fresh and uncharted storyline that isn't so obviously constrained. Every character they introduce has a backstory that's explored whether it's a host, guest, engineer or combination
TWD is like a linear videogame you're being pushed through where you already know the premise and it's merely the visuals that keep you interested. Westworld is like an open world videogame where you don't know what you're gonna find next or where it's gonna take you. It reminds me a bit of GTA where new characters and storylines offer new missions and potentially change the overall story arc.
Season 2 of Westworld is a mystery, that could take you over a cliff or into a new part of the park you never expected. Let's be honest here, Season 8 of TWD is guaranteed to be more of the same stuff we expect in every new season. The only real creative freedom they have in TWD is switching the circumstances of characters. It really doesn't leave much of an impression if it's Carl who gets his hand cut off in the show as opposed to Rick in the comics.

We're 1 episode away from the break and the only episode that made any kind of impression on me was the premiere. But I'm on my 4th rewatch of Westworld now. The only episode of TWD I watched more than twice was Ep.1.
And zombies have always been my thing. I've always been put off by westerns, there's really nothing about westerns in themselves that grabs me. It's the contrast between upstairs and downstairs in westworld, and the concepts of machine intelligence, the mystery of who's a host and who isn't, the indulgence of human desire and fantasy, corporate malfeasance, wealth and poverty. There's alot of meat on the bones they throw you.

[Neil]

I'm going to try to watch Season 3... I'm going to regret it I know I am...

[MinionZombie]

I'm going to try to watch Season 3... I'm going to regret it I know I am...

:lol::lol::lol:

Why so?

I watched the first episode of season three and it was pretty good. Westworld has always been a show that my appreciation of has maxed out at "liked". It's far too clever for it's own good with its needlessly complicated 'reveal at the end that these scenes were before these ones, and those ones were after these ones, so actually Y happened instead of X as you previously thought' ... there's a cold smugness to that structure, and is generally more baffling than revelatory, with weeks worth of hidden timeline games kind of forgotten about by the time the reveal comes along.

Stepping out into the wider world opens the scope (the second season was already feeling a bit stretched out with us still being in the park), and there were some interesting ideas being set up, but we'll see how it pans out over the coming weeks.

It took me half the damn season just to finally 'click' with the first season, but then the second season got too shoved up its own arse at times - which also at times putting out some excellent material ... so season two was a mixed bag. It's all extremely well produced as a high gloss show with a big budget, but you can't help but wonder at times if it's a bit joyless, a bit too serious for its own good, a bit too cold and distanced - something which is felt all the more when you have an episode like in season two where we followed the Native American 'host', which really sucked you in and made a genuine emotional connection.

[Neil]

I actually enjoyed S03E01... Fingers crossed!

[MinionZombie]

So we're about half way through the season now. How are folks finding it?

I'm quite surprised by this season. In some ways it's the best one, having freed itself of the actual Westworld island and broadened the scope of the whole thing with all this Delos stuff and gathering of data to determine which citizens are worth investing in, trying to counteract "outliers" etc. Quite interesting stuff and, thus far, it doesn't appear to be playing overly cute with the timeline ... for now, anyway, lest we get some final episode twist or something.

[Neil]

So we're about half way through the season now. How are folks finding it?

I'm quite surprised by this season. In some ways it's the best one, having freed itself of the actual Westworld island and broadened the scope of the whole thing with all this Delos stuff and gathering of data to determine which citizens are worth investing in, trying to counteract "outliers" etc. Quite interesting stuff and, thus far, it doesn't appear to be playing overly cute with the timeline ... for now, anyway, lest we get some final episode twist or something.
I need to get back around to it... Only watched the first one :(

[bassman]

I’m super excited to start season three, but I’m trying to hold out until the whole season is available before I start.

Is Aaron Paul a main character for this season or is his part minor and his presence used to bring in BB fans?

[Neil]

I’m super excited to start season three, but I’m trying to hold out until the whole season is available before I start.

Is Aaron Paul a main character for this season or is his part minor and his presence used to bring in BB fans?

I sort of enjoyed the first episode, but I suspect like you I'll wait for all the episodes to be out before watching the rest...

[MinionZombie]

Is Aaron Paul a main character for this season or is his part minor and his presence used to bring in BB fans?

He's a main character.

[Neil]

Well my friend who was ahead of me ducked out after a few episodes, and I ended up following suit.

[MinionZombie]

Well my friend who was ahead of me ducked out after a few episodes, and I ended up following suit.

I saw the whole season. Generally enjoyed it, although I did get fed up of the number of times Dolores was able to casually kill screeds of armed (and armoured) goons with one or two shots, many of them almost 'flung' casually - and without even looking! - at the target. The goons are spraying bullets everywhere and she's just one-shot killing MFs all over the shop. Occasionally she gets grazed or takes a bullet, but they just patch her up or print a new body, so it loses a bit of tension because of that.

There was one other thing that irked me, too:
Aaron Paul's character is shown that utter calamity is in store for humanity and Earth if they don't 'stick to the plan' laid out by the machine, he sees the horror in that, but in the end it's 'ah fuck it, no matter the extraordinarily high cost, people gotta be free, yo!' ... They never fully justified that decision. We saw how much chaos was thrown up after Dolores leaked all the data and projections being kept on every citizen (chaos, destruction, death, suicide, broken families etc etc etc) ... so I doubt it'll be all puppies and kittens from this point forward. They never properly justified Paul's character making that choice on behalf of the entire global population.

It didn't play as 'cute' with the structure this time, which I did like, as season two got needlessly complicated and smart-arse with its structure, and I did enjoy quite a lot of season three, but it certainly wasn't without fault and some irritations. There's a fourth season coming.

[Neil]

This thing is still going?

mpa7JJBVLJM

[MinionZombie]

Hopefully it'll be better than season three, which just got even further lodged up its own arse. So much snobby posturing about, too ... a very arrogant cast of characters. Arrogance and smugness isn't heroism, it's just annoying.

One of the very best episodes of season two was the one with the Native American guy. That was a really well made, written, and performed episode. If only the whole show could be that good, rather than hell bent on making itself as complicated as possible. Obtuse doesn't equal intelligence, it just smacks of an inability to bring clarity to the storytelling. The viewer ends up getting lost and not caring if they don't know when they are in proceedings.

[MinionZombie]

I've watched the first two episodes of season four and not only have I found myself doing out of some 'viewer obligation' (i.e. I've watched this far, so I guess I'll keep going), but I've also found myself thoroughly underwhelmed by these episodes despite having already low expectations.

The show feels like a lot shots of pretty architecture and sleek interior design that occasionally feature people with plain expressions meandering about like a Frenchman from a 1960s New Wave film about some vague sense of ennui (sometimes doing that 'cool' thing of casually eating your lunch sat atop the precipice of a skyscraper as if it was a park bench :rolleyes: ). It feels cold and unconvincing, yet again keeping the viewer at a distance with little promise of anything truly meaty to sink your gnashers into.

The concept has so much in the way of possibility, even the third season had some cool ideas to play around with, but they always just feel kind of thrown away or squandered or wasted on pretentiousness and convolution.

There's always the hope that something great will happen, but it never really does and you just come away shrugging.

The perversity is you feel like you'd be wasting all the time you'd previously invested into the show if you just give up, but ironically you're more likely wasting your time sticking with it.

I ditched-out of Designated Survivor, though. Great first season filled with kinetic story, solid characterisation, and thrilling drama ... but season two got off to such a dreadful start I just had to abandon it. I mean, it was a shockingly bad drop from season one to season two with that show. West World, on the other hand, hasn't had that sudden drop, instead it's been a drip-drip-drip of declining quality.

Maybe one more episode and if it's still dull as ditchwater I'll bail...

[Neil]

I don't think I even made it properly into season 2... My friend made it through 2 and gave up there...