Westworld Season Three Review

When HBO released the first season of Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy’s hit series Westworld, it took everyone by storm. Set in an imaginary Wild West, season one was both visually captivating and thematically enticing, as it posed questions about consciousness, purpose, and ethics. The first season’s Western theme ended at its finale, as did the moral quandaries posed by the story, as season two decided to take a different direction.

While still intriguing, season two’s attempts at creating compelling storylines fell just short for me. The robotic artificial intelligences which grew so familiar from season one tackled the “real” world, but more of an emphasis was put on spectacle and intrigue than introducing interesting philosophical dilemmas. I hoped that this would change with season three, but unfortunately, it did not.

Season three did a lot of things right. Aaron Paul’s inclusion in this season was exciting when it was announced, but his character was more of a gateway to explore uncharted territory in the show’s universe. This world was visually fascinating, but the season’s storylines felt empty at times. The season’s villain, Serac, felt one-dimensional and poorly written, leaving an Anthony Hopkins-sized hole which still needs to be filled for this show to succeed. Pairing Dolores and Maeve against each other made little sense to me considering their unclear motives, even despite Evan Rachel Wood’s career performance. I’m worried as to where the show will go next. Ramin Djawadi’s score is still the show’s silver lining, but it loses impact when scenes aren’t earned and tension isn’t established.

I didn’t hate this season by any means, but I certainly hoped for more, especially after its promising opening episodes. Hopefully the show’s future offerings are a return to form for a show I once adored. Have you watched season three yet? Bring yourself online and let me know what you thought. Thanks for reading.