Tony Black reviews the first episode of Westworld…
Given the end of Game of Thrones is a year or two at most away around the corner, HBO is banking a lot on Westworld to fill a void, not just of multi-million dollar, event series television, but also that heightened level of mythology and intrigue the world of Westeros has immersed viewers in. It’s an irony therefore that immersion is precisely what lies at the very core of Jonathan Nolan’s adaptation of Michael Crichton’s 1973 movie starring Yul Brynner; a film that has passed into the annals of niche, 70’s science-fiction in the days eccentrics like Boorman were making quasi-futuristic, man against myth tales with Sean Connery in nappies, the days before Star Wars and blockbuster escapism. ‘The Original’ immediately stands out as a remarkable pilot because it’s both relatable, distant, human, niche and populist all in one, and that takes some serious skill to pull off.
If you haven’t seen the original movie or read the book, the concept goes like this: in the near future, a company have devised an American West ‘theme park’ of sorts where wealthy people can immerse themselves in narratives with androids who populate the 19th century world, all of whom are programmed to follow a storyline and not to deviate. Nolan, who directs and co-wrote the teleplay with Lisa Joy, side foots us immediately by making us believe James Marsden’s handsome gunslinger Teddy is a ‘newcomer’ (as the visitors to Westworld are called) before encountering Ed Harris’ mysterious newcomer the Man in Black, as crucially newcomers cannot be killed by ‘hosts’ as the androids are called. The object of Teddy’s affection is Dolores, played by Evan Rachel Wood, and in bookending scenes she’s our entry point to a thrilling, creepy, complex and layered world that from the get-go establishes a sense of scale and mythos which will immerse you as much as the newcomers we see.
Our viewpoint isn’t just inside Westworld, you see, as we also focus on the staff in the cliff-side, futuristic administration facility where the park’s creator, Dr. Ford (played with the kind of innate, enigmatic calm only Sir Anthony Hopkins can do), leads a team of staff all with their own approaches and idiosyncracies. Lead programmer Bernard (Jeffrey Wright) cannot understand why the hosts seem to be starting to malfunction after a fresh, unique upgrade while Danish drama Borgen‘s Sisde Babett Knudsen as terse operations manager Theresa is being encouraged to mount a takeover of the whole kaboodle. We have the mystery of what’s becoming of the host mixed with the corporate intrigue of the Westworld developers, topped off with a layer of symbolism and neo-Biblical commentary which touches on some many potential theological and philosophical touchstones – the primary one being, of course, what does it mean to be human?
This is all without talking about the style and sheen Nolan gives to the 19th century textures in contrast to the stark, cold futurism underpinning the park, or how the script manages to be both clever and sprightly all at the same time – this pilot does more than some shows would do in its first three episodes, and given the complexity and depth at work, that’s remarkable. Nolan’s level of detail, equally, is superb – all the way to background points like Soundgarden’s ‘Black Hole Sun’ being played on a saloon piano, further displaying the anachronistic blend of ideas and styles at work in the concept. It’s all on the screen, Nolan’s shows instead of tells, and gets excellent performances out of his talented, A-list cast that have been assembled for this adaptation.
Simply, Westworld‘s pilot is probably the best opening hour of television since Lost in 2004, and if it can maintain this level of quality, within a year it’ll be Westworld everyone is talking about instead of Westeros.
Rating: 10/10
Tony Black
Originally published October 8, 2016. Updated April 16, 2018.
