Westworld season four rewarded those who stuck with it
When Westworld first premiered in 2016, it felt like everyone was talking about HBO’s big new show, yet four years later, by season three, I didn’t know anyone else who was still watching it. The buzz around it just completely dropped off and the ratings hit a new low (S3 was the weakest, to be fair). Despite that, I remained loyal and stuck with the show throughout its most recent season and I’m glad I did.
*SPOILER ZONE*
The show became exciting and interesting again and I was often gripped by the new twists and revelations (particularly the Caleb twist in episode four). I once again tuned in every Monday to make sure I beat the spoilers. The season explored intriguing ideas about whether there’s much difference between humans and hosts and whether all sentient life forms are geared towards violence and annihilation. It was cutthroat, brutal and there were so many deaths – although, in Westworld, no one is ever really dead.
One of the most unexpected surprises of this season has been Aaron Paul as Caleb Nichols. He gives the best performance of his career here. This role demanded so much from him and he delivered a deeply moving, emotionally exhausting and impressive performance that I hope gets noticed by awards voters. Elsewhere, Thandiwe Newton was ace as Maeve (always!) and Tessa Thompson really sunk her teeth into her nasty role as Dolores/Charlotte Hale.
There have been some negatives, of course. I personally grapple with the complexity of the show. Despite watching a detailed video recap of season 3 as a refresher, I still constantly found myself pausing the series to get things straight in my mind or reading explainers to clear something up. I don’t look at my phone while watching the show as it requires my full attention and I still struggle to understand it. In my defence, it is very complicated and there is a lot to remember!
Evan Rachel Wood as Dolores was sorely missed and we spent a bit too much time with her as Christina. The new mystery was interesting and having her take a backseat gave others a chance to shine, but I thought it was dragged out for too long and I wanted Wood to be reunited with her old character again.
For that reason alone, I would like Westworld to have one more loop. I’m excited by the prospect of seeing Wood as Dolores once again and the show going full circle and returning to the theme park where it all began. Plus, I want to know which familiar faces come back for one more go and who is actually dead after all and what happened to the human outliers who escaped the downfall of civilisation.
Co-creators Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan have made it clear that they want to do one more season but it has yet to be confirmed by HBO. I won’t be hugely disappointed if it doesn’t get renewed as the end of S4 is satisfying enough but I think the creators should be allowed to finish the story where they’ve always intended to end it.