Watching Westworld

The Instant Talk podcast is our aftershow, with our own quick thoughts about the episode followed by an interactive chat discussion with our fans, live on YouTube.  The first half is released as the Instant Take podcast.  The audio from the interactive section is released as a premium podcast just for our club members. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week's episode of HBO's Westworld, "Reunion", they add three or four timelines to play with. No big deal.  We find out more about this "Valley Beyond" or "Place of Judgment" that William and Dolores seem to be racing towards to see who can get there first. William wants to burn the place to the ground, Dolores hopes to find a powerful weapon to use against her human oppressors. Maeve is caught in between, just a woman trying to find her daughter in this crazy 'World. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Instant Talk podcast is our aftershow, with our own quick thoughts about the episode followed by an interactive chat discussion with our fans, live on YouTube.  The first half is released as the Instant Take podcast.  The audio from the interactive section is released as a premium podcast just for our club members. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The opening salvo fired Westworld wasn't what we were expecting. We were expecting literal salvos fired by lots of angry hosts into lots of frightened guests, which, you know, that's certainly there.  But there is so much more.  What to make of Bernard's time bending descent into near death madness, Dolores oddly performative attempted takeover of the park, Maeve's increasing attachment to various fellow hosts, to say nothing of what Delos is up to trafficking in the rich and famous DNA and memory trade. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Instant Talk podcast is our aftershow, with our own quick thoughts about the episode followed by an interactive chat discussion with our fans, live on YouTube.  The first half is released as the Instant Take podcast.  The audio from the interactive section is released as a premium podcast just for our club members. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The long awaited sophomore season of HBO's Westworld returns this weekend, and we've been champing at the bit.  We discuss the open questions from last season, the tantalizing glimpses of the future we've seen from the trailers so far, and discuss upcoming format changes and our policy on spoilers and speculation. Why is William's past still relevant to the story? What is the door, and how are we supposed to find it? Are Dolores and Maeve running diametrically opposed armies? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jim and A.Ron put season one of HBO's Westworld in cold storage by talking about our overall thoughts, opinions, and hopes for next season. Then we consider a giant sized mailbag where we discuss scalp maps, the nature of consciousness and free will, the impact of self aware robotic hosts on fast food chains, and much more. We'll be back whenever Westworld returns, but we never really go away. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A.Ron and Jim are very pleased with how the violent delights over season one would up having violent ends in the finale episode for Westworld, "The Bicameral Mind". Sure, maybe the first third of the episode was merely review for a class that has studied their podcasts and their reddit. But once Hector and Armistice got their hands on the P90s, it was pedal to the metal until the conclusion that we found extremely satisfying. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many more puzzle pieces fell into place over the weekend as HBO's Westworld deployed episode 109, "The Well-Tempered Clavier". But there is still a lot left to uncover. Why did Dr. Ford deploy the reverie code? What is his ultimate intentions for his new narrative and indeed future of the park? What are those sentient robots doing hiding up in the hills of Westworld? And what does the Man in Black intend to do with Delores once he finds her? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jim and A.Ron take in the latest episode of HBO's Westworld, "Trace Decay".  Timelines are continuing to proliferate (we're up to four now, in case you're keeping score at home), everybody is still potentially a host, and William is probably the MiB after all.  But there's a lot of nice stuff here, from the increasingly evident narcisism and nihilism of Dr. Ford to Bernard struggling to cope with his new station in life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The floodgates have opened after the release of the newest episode of HBO's Westworld, "Trompe L'Oeil".  Everyone is a host, unless you think they're a host, then they're a double secret human.  There are at least five timelines, six of which take place on Mars.  The robots can kill, unless they're Clementine, but then again she's an expert at faking it.  If you've experienced trauma from watching this episode, never fear. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Seems like whether you loved the latest episode of HBO's Westworld, "The Adversary" depends on how much you bought into Maeve running roughshod over two bumbling technicians toiling in the bowls of Westworld's meat department.  Jim's struggling with this.  Meanwhile A.Ron might very well be teetering too close to the crazy town of Tinfoil.  We record, you decide! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Looks like multiple timelines is back on the menu!  Just when we had completely written of the various timeline theories, they come roaring back in episode 105, "Contrapasso".  Not saying that any theory at this point is on entirely solid ground, but let's just say we've got our laser-based satellite receivers aimed squarely at Orion's belt. The point is a lot went down this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Another intriguing and informative episode of HBO's Westworld is in the books, and we continue to have a lot to discuss.  In "Dissonance Theory", we learn that Ford has god-like control of the park, that the robots are largely made of "meat", that Maeve is coming dangerously close to unraveling the illusion of her life, and that Bernard is intentionally steering Dolores towards the mysterious end-game of Westworld, the maze. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jim and A.Ron try to round up Westworld's latest episode, "The Stray", but corralling the big ideas this show brings to the table is proving to be quite a challenge.  We appreciate the focus on the "human" element of Westworld, getting much more backstory for Bernard and Dr. Ford.  But how straight a shooter is Dr. Ford?  How much of his tale is fact, and how much of it carefully curated legend, intended to deceive both Bernard and the audience?  Wheels within wheels! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jim and A.Ron have a lot to say about the second episode of HBO's new hit series, Westworld, entitled "Chestnut".  We talk a lot about the developing characters and mysteries of the show, trying to figure out what Bernard and Dr. Ford are up to, while trying to understand the motives and mind of Dolores.  Along the way, we find out surprising things about each other, like our true feelings about dusty old prospectors found lying in the street.  It's quiet beautiful, really. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are incredibly impressed with the first episode of HBO's new sci-fi western, Westworld.  It was one of the best pilots we've ever seen, packing an amazing amount of mystery and world-building in just one hour, laying a great foundation for the rest of first season.  We discuss our relative comfort with the concept of Westworld at the outset, investigate the strange actions of Ed Harris's Man in Black, and praise the acting abilities of malfunctioning androids. All this and tons of early feedback! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jim and A.Ron spend a bit of time talking about the upcoming season of HBO's new sci-fi/western, Westworld.  We discuss the multiple reasons to be excited, from the creative and talent pedigree of the project, to the stellar advance reviews the series has enjoyed.  Can the series live up to it's promise, and hype, to become HBO's next Game of Thrones sized megahit?  Will the concept be able to sustain more than just one or two seasons?  What does Westworld look like in four seasons? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices