In some ways Trump is preparing us for this in that (You cannot believe anything he says). For example, I have no doubt at all that Russian or Chinese or Even American secret agents are either AI (Robotic Artificial intelligence) or extremely modified human beings (completely different from the kind you and I know) which can already be done in various ways worldwide.
So, especially agents that don't have to appear to be geniuses but function more at a driver or pilot or heavy equipment operator could already be in place and no one would really know they are not human (or at least not human in the way you and I expect people to be human).
So, the types of beings in Westworld, either already do exist in some form or will exist in some form in the next 20 to 50 years. The first ones would operate a lot like remote controlled Trucks and cars where drivers aren't on board that they use for stunts in movies. They could send people like this in to blow up certain places or to shoot up certain places around the world. Even if they were Killed it might not be possible to tell that they are not human or not fully human because they have blood running through their veins. So, how would you tell?
Some might not be found out especially in 3rd world countries ever because their post mortems are not that advanced or don't happen at all. So, the most likely place you are going to find remote controlled human like devices would be in the 3rd world now.
The biggest thing stopping this is only money. However, countries like the U.S. and China and Russia have the kind of money it would take to develop and use something like this and they would be much less expensive than a Tank or Fighter jet and potentially could do much greater damage because whether they live or not is not important to them because they are not fully human. And since unless they are blown up literally they could be repaired and sent out into the field again and again. This is coming this century by the way. It's just a matter of when and if the public is told about it when it happens. It likely would be in governments' best interests not to tell the people like they lie to people about UFOS too since 1947 and before.
UFOs have always had this technology. We here on earth are new to this game. So, people you might walk by might not really be humans beings you have walked by on the streets all your lives.
Shape Shifting (which is not really shape shifting as much as making our minds think one thing is going on when really something entirely different is going on has been around in the galaxy already for millions and possibly billions of years already.
But, if any or all of this scares you just pretend it's all fiction. If you are scared now maybe this might be best for you. However, I don't have that luxury because of knowing what I know from experience all my life so far. Being forewarned is being forearmed. This is my thought.
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Westworld
Westworld (TV series)
Westworld | |
---|---|
Genre | |
Created by | |
Based on | Westworld by Michael Crichton |
Starring | |
Theme music composer | Ramin Djawadi |
Composer(s) | Ramin Djawadi |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language(s) | English |
No. of seasons | 1 |
No. of episodes | 10 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producer(s) |
|
Producer(s) | Athena Wickham |
Location(s) | |
Cinematography |
|
Editor(s) |
|
Running time | 57–91 minutes[1][2] |
Production company(s) |
|
Distributor | Warner Bros. Television Distribution |
Release | |
Original network | HBO |
Picture format | 1080i (HDTV) |
Audio format | Digital |
Original release | October 2, 2016 – present |
External links | |
Website |
The story takes place in the fictional Westworld, a technologically advanced Wild West-themed amusement park populated by android hosts. Westworld caters to high-paying guests, who may indulge in whatever they wish within the park, without fear of retaliation from the hosts.
The series' debut on HBO garnered the network's highest viewership ratings for a premiere since the first episode of True Detective in 2014 and Westworld ranks as the most-watched first season of an HBO original series ever.[6] Westworld has received largely positive reviews from critics, with particular praise for the visuals, story, and performances.
Contents
Premise
In the future, the Westworld theme park offers its visitors the opportunity to experience the Wild West in a large area of land that includes the frontier town of Sweetwater. The town and land are occupied by "hosts", androids indistinguishable from humans, with advanced programming following a pre-defined set of intertwining narratives, with the ability to deviate from these narratives as visitors interact with them. The hosts repeat these narratives anew each day, having their memories wiped of the previous day, until they are repurposed for other narratives or put away in storage for reuse later. For the visitors' safety, hosts are unable to harm any other living life forms, allowing visitors nearly unlimited freedom to engage in whatever activities they want without retribution. A staff oversees the park, develops new narratives, and performs repairs on hosts as necessary.The series begins as a routine update in the hosts' programming causes unusual deviations in their behavior that concerns the park's staff, with some of the hosts learning the truth about themselves and their world.
Cast and characters
Main
- Evan Rachel Wood as Dolores Abernathy, the oldest host still working in the park. Initially taking on the role of a rancher's daughter, she comes to discover that her entire life is an elaborately constructed lie.[7]
- Thandie Newton as Maeve Millay, a host. She acts as the madam of Sweetwater, but her unreconciled memories of a former role lead to her becoming self-aware.[8]
- Jeffrey Wright as Bernard Lowe, head of the Westworld Programming Division and programmer of artificial people's software.[9]
- James Marsden as Teddy Flood, a host. He is a gunfighter returning to Sweetwater, looking for Dolores to rekindle their relationship.[10][11]
- Ingrid Bolsø Berdal as Armistice, a host. She is a brutal and ruthless bandit and a member of Hector Escaton's gang.[12]
- Luke Hemsworth as Ashley Stubbs, the head of Westworld security, charged with monitoring host and human interactions and ensuring the safety of the guests.[13]
- Sidse Babett Knudsen as Theresa Cullen, Westworld's terse operations leader, responsible for keeping the park from sliding into unscripted disarray.[14]
- Simon Quarterman as Lee Sizemore, Westworld's narrative director, whose artistic temperament aggravates his co-workers.[12]
- Rodrigo Santoro as Hector Escaton, a host. He is a wanted gang leader bent on robbing the Mariposa Hotel in Sweetwater.[13]
- Angela Sarafyan as Clementine Pennyfeather, a host. She works as a prostitute for Maeve and is one of Westworld's most popular attractions.[12] Lili Simmons portrays another host fulfilling the same role when the original Clementine is decommissioned.[15]
- Shannon Woodward as Elsie Hughes, a rising star in the Programming Division tasked with remedying odd behavior in the park's hosts.[13]
- Ed Harris as the Man in Black, a sadistic veteran guest to the park looking to uncover Westworld's innermost secrets.[16]
- Anthony Hopkins as Robert Ford, the co-founder and creative director of Westworld.[7]
- Ben Barnes as Logan, a regular guest who introduces William to the park.[17]
- Clifton Collins Jr. as Lawrence / El Lazo, a host. He is a charming but dangerous outlaw with a knack for maneuvering and negotiating the various criminal elements of Westworld.[14]
- Jimmi Simpson as William, a reluctant first-time visitor to Westworld, joining his future brother-in-law, Logan. Initially dismissive of the park's more lascivious attractions, he slowly uncovers a deeper meaning to the park's narrative.[14]
- Tessa Thompson as Charlotte Hale, Delos' executive director of the board overseeing Westworld; she seeks to enforce the board's control over Ford.[18]
- Talulah Riley as Angela, a host that welcomes newcomers to the park. Riley will be promoted to series regular for the second season.[19]
- Louis Herthum as Peter Abernathy,[20] Dolores' father. Bradford Tatum also portrayed Peter Abernathy in the first season, after the previous host is decommissioned. Herthum will be promoted to series regular for the second season.[21]
- Katja Herbers as Grace, a guest in Westworld. (season 2)[22]
- Neil Jackson as Nicholas, a charming, resourceful man who finds himself in uncharted territory. (season 2)[23]
- Gustaf Skarsgård as Karl Strand, a white-collar guy comfortable in the field. (season 2)[24]
- Fares Fares as Antoine Costa, a tech expert (season 2)[24]
Recurring
- Jeffrey Wright as Arnold Weber, the co-founder and developer of Westworld alongside Ford.[9]
- Leonardo Nam as Felix Lutz, a lab tech working with Sylvester to rebuild damaged hosts.[25]
- Ptolemy Slocum as Sylvester, a lab tech working in the park rebuilding damaged hosts.[20]
- Oliver Bell as Young Robert Ford,[20] a host made by Arnold Weber to resemble Ford when he was a child.
- Jonathan Tucker as Major Craddock, a commanding military officer. (season 2)[23]
- Betty Gabriel as Maling, a new enforcer in the park. (season 2)[24]
- Hiroyuki Sanada as Musashi (season 2)[26]
- Zahn McClarnon (season 2)[27]
Guest cast
- Lena Georgas as Lori[20]
- Currie Graham as Craig[16]
- Steven Ogg as Rebus, a host and bandit programmed to kill Dolores' father.
- Michael Wincott as Old Bill, one of the original hosts that Ford regularly converses with.[28]
- Eddie Rouse as Kissy, a host.
- Brian Howe as Pickett, a host and sheriff of Sweetwater.[29]
- Demetrius Grosse as Foss, a host and a deputy in Sweetwater.
- Kyle Bornheimer as Clarence
- Timothy Lee DePriest as Walter
- Gina Torres as Lauren[30]
- Bojana Novakovic as Marti[31]
- Peter Mullan as James Delos (season 2)[32]
Episodes
Season 1 (2016)
No. overall |
No. in season |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code |
U.S. viewers (millions) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | "The Original" | Jonathan Nolan | Story by : Jonathan Nolan & Lisa Joy and Michael Crichton Teleplay by : Jonathan Nolan & Lisa Joy |
October 2, 2016 | 276083 | 1.96[33] |
Teddy and Dolores, two romantically linked android hosts of theme park Westworld, are attacked by the Man in Black, a mysterious park guest. When the hosts begin behaving strangely, head programmer Bernard Lowe traces the problem to errors in park founder Dr. Ford's reverie code and requests the affected hosts be removed from service. Theresa Cullen, the park administrator, orders an attack on the town to be brought forward to help cover for the removal of all the affected hosts. Dolores' father Peter finds a photograph that a newcomer left behind and malfunctions. When Dr. Ford interrogates him, Peter quotes Shakespeare and vows revenge upon his creator. Peter is retired from service. Dolores is interrogated and found to be functioning normally. She is wiped and relives her day with a new father, but unknown to management breaks her programming to casually kill a fly. | |||||||
2 | 2 | "Chestnut" | Richard J. Lewis | Jonathan Nolan & Lisa Joy | October 7, 2016[a] | 4X6152 | 1.50[35] |
Logan and William arrive at Westworld as guests, but William is reluctant to indulge, finally developing feelings for Dolores. Though Bernard secretly questions Dolores to make sure nobody has tampered with her, her contact with procuring madame host Maeve results in her malfunction as well. Maeve is taken in for maintenance but unexpectedly awakes and witnesses damaged hosts, including Teddy, being cleaned. She is rendered unconscious and taken away before she can attract any attention. Dolores finds a pistol outside the house. The Man in Black abducts outlaw host Lawrence from his execution, demanding that he tell him the location of a maze. Lawrence's daughter gives the Man in Black his next clue after he kills her mother. Ford vetoes Sizemore's new narrative calling it cheap titillation that underestimates the guests. Ford shows Bernard, who is revealed to be involved with Theresa, his alternate narrative involving a church. | |||||||
3 | 3 | "The Stray" | Neil Marshall | Daniel T. Thomsen & Lisa Joy | October 16, 2016 | 4X6153 | 2.10[36] |
William drags Logan off on a bounty hunt. Dolores asks Teddy to teach her to shoot, but her programming prevents her from firing a gun. Ford changes Teddy's backstory for his new narrative, in which the latter is pitted against outlaw host Wyatt. Ford also tells Bernard, who is revealed to have lost his son previously, about his old partner, Arnold, who died in Westworld in an accident. Bernard is worried about the effect their conversations have had on Dolores, but she promises to keep quiet and follow her loop. Elsie, who secretly reports to Bernard, and Stubbs are sent to capture a stray host. They find him trapped in a ravine. When Stubbs tries to retrieve his head, he wakes up and attacks them before smashing his own head in with a rock. At the homestead, Dolores is attacked by bandits, one of whom drags her into the barn to rape her. She steals his gun but is unable to shoot him until she sees him as the Man in Black. Though being shot, she escapes, stumbles into William and Logan's campsite and collapses in William's arms. | |||||||
4 | 4 | "Dissonance Theory" | Vincenzo Natali | Ed Brubaker & Jonathan Nolan | October 23, 2016 | 4X6154 | 1.70[37] |
Logan decides to finish the bounty hunt and mocks William for bringing Dolores along. They capture the fugitive, but Logan decides to have a better adventure by taking him to his boss. Meanwhile, the Man in Black, accompanied by Lawrence, is hunting snakes and finds Armistice with her snake tattoo. He breaks Escaton out of prison for her, and she tells him that the tattoo represents all of her victims, who were Wyatt's men. The Man in Black and Lawrence leave for Wyatt, rescuing a tortured Teddy. Cullen takes over the investigation into the stray, not trusting Elsie and Bernard. She meets Ford about his new narrative, but he demands she not interfere, revealing his knowledge about her past and affair with Lowe. Maeve is having visions, and during Escaton and Armistice's attack on the town she finds a bullet in her unscarred belly with his assistance, proving that her visions are real. They kiss passionately as the sheriff's men open fire through the door. | |||||||
5 | 5 | "Contrapasso" | Jonny Campbell | Story by : Dominic Mitchell & Lisa Joy Teleplay by : Lisa Joy |
October 30, 2016 | 4X6155 | 1.49[38] |
Hughes discovers that the stray has been transmitting information outside of the park to an unknown party, reporting it to Bernard. The Man in Black kills Lawrence, whose blood he transfused into Teddy. They are then confronted by Ford, who assures the Man in Black that he will not stop the latter's efforts to find the maze, returning Teddy's full strength also. Dolores, William and Logan travel to the town of Pariah, where they meet criminal gang leader El Lazo, a.k.a. Lawrence, who tasks them with stealing a wagon of high explosives from the Union Army, a mission they complete successfully. Dolores, who has been seeing visions of herself advising her to find the maze, realizes El Lazo intends to keep the explosives for himself rather than to sell them to the former Confederates, who apprehend Logan while William and Dolores flee, joining El Lazo in the train. Maeve awakens in the control center and demands technician Felix chat. | |||||||
6 | 6 | "The Adversary" | Frederick E. O. Toye | Halley Gross & Jonathan Nolan | November 6, 2016 | 4X6156 | 1.64[39] |
At a Union Army outpost, the soldiers recognize Teddy as an accomplice in Wyatt's massacre of his unit. After recalling his complicity, Teddy escapes with the Man in Black by killing all of the soldiers. Sizemore is introduced by Theresa to Hale, a Board representative sent to observe park operations. Theresa ends her relationship with Bernard, who finds out that Ford has secretly been keeping a family of hosts. Elsie continues investigating the glitches and tells Bernard that Theresa is behind the espionage, and that the first generation hosts have been re-programmed by someone calling themselves Arnold. However, she is abducted by an unknown assailant. A child host kills his dog, telling Ford that Arnold told him to. Felix gives Maeve a tour of the company. She bends him and Sylvester to her will and convinces them to change her programming, setting her awareness rating to its maximum level while decreasing her loyalty. | |||||||
7 | 7 | "Trompe L'Oeil" | Frederick E. O. Toye | Halley Gross & Jonathan Nolan | November 13, 2016 | 4X6157 | 1.75[40] |
It is revealed that Theresa and Hale are both secretly stealing Ford's research for the board so that they can oust him from the park without fear of him destroying his work in retribution. They engineer an event to demonstrate that Ford's "reveries" make the hosts violent and uncontrollable in their narratives. Bernard is blamed for the update of untested faulty code and fired as a result. Aboard an escape train, William and Dolores develop romance (have sex). Though, their train is soon ambushed by the Confederados, forcing William, Dolores, and Lawrence to flee; they are able to escape when the Ghost Nation, a horde of hostile natives, appears. Dolores and William part ways with Lawrence and set their sights westward. Meanwhile, Maeve finds her friend Clementine retired by the staff. Maeve decides to use Felix and Sylvester to escape the park. Bernard takes Theresa to Sector 17; inside a hidden lab she finds design plans that reveal he is a host. Ford appears, reiterates to her that he has complete control over the park, regardless of what the board thinks, and instructs Bernard to kill her. | |||||||
8 | 8 | "Trace Decay" | Stephen Williams | Charles Yu & Lisa Joy | November 20, 2016 | 4X6158 | 1.78[41] |
Ford has Bernard stage Theresa's death to look like an accident. Then, Ford wipes Bernard's memories after Bernard has a vision of himself attacking Elsie. Stubbs becomes suspicious of Bernard's behavior. Hale recruits Sizemore for her cause. Maeve convinces Felix to give her the ability to control other hosts, and slits Sylvester's throat for attempting to kill her; though she has Felix save him. Maeve then suffers more visions of her past life with her daughter and reflexively kills another host, prompting the park staff to retrieve her for a diagnostic. William and Dolores finally reach their destination, Ford's church, where Dolores has more disturbing visions and realizes that Arnold wants her to remember something before they are captured by a band of Confederados led by Logan. Teddy receives a flashback of the Man in Black attacking Dolores and interrogates him. The Man in Black explains he started searching for the maze to find purpose after his wife's suicide. Teddy is wounded by a female host before they are captured by Wyatt's cultists. | |||||||
9 | 9 | "The Well-Tempered Clavier" | Michelle MacLaren | Dan Dietz & Katherine Lingenfelter | November 27, 2016 | 4X6159 | 2.09[42] |
Maeve reveals to Bernard that he is a host and convinces him to let her back into the park, where she meets Escaton and convinces him to help her escape the park. Bernard confronts Ford and forces him to restore all of his memories, and discovers he is a model of Arnold. Bernard attempts to kill Ford; but the latter uses a backdoor in the former's code to force him to commit suicide. Meanwhile, Logan cuts open Dolores's belly to show William she is not real. She manages to escape and run away, finding that the wound is suddenly gone. She reaches the church, where she learns that she killed Arnold. She then encounters the Man in Black. Logan then awakes to find that William has slaughtered all of the Confederados. William threatens Logan into helping him find Dolores. Teddy has a flashback of himself killing host Angela before she kills him. Hale meets the Man in Black, who is revealed to be a Board member, and unsuccessfully tries to gain his assistance in removing Ford. Stubbs investigates suspicious activity in the park and is ambushed by Ghost Nation hosts, who are not under control. | |||||||
10 | 10 | "The Bicameral Mind" | Jonathan Nolan | Lisa Joy & Jonathan Nolan | December 4, 2016 | 4X6160 | 2.24[43] |
The Man in Black presses Dolores about Wyatt’s whereabouts and the center of the maze, and reveals he is actually an aged William. Dolores then remembers Arnold’s order to kill him and destroy the park, and that she is actually Wyatt. She attempts fighting back, Teddy rescues her, and they flee to a distant beach. Dolores dies in Teddy's arms, though that is revealed to be part of Ford's narrative. During her escape from Westworld, Maeve—aided by Hector and Armistice—finds Bernard's corpse, and Felix repairs him. Bernard warns Maeve that her desire to escape was programmed into her. Although Maeve—now alone—initially continues her escape, she has second thoughts and exits the imminently departing train to find her daughter. She was given a sheet as to the whereabouts of her daughter, revealing the existence of multiple parks including Samurai World, which was showed earlier. Back at Westworld, Ford tells Dolores and Bernard that he regretted his role in Arnold's death, came to desire to free the hosts as well, and has spent the last 35 years preparing them to fight back. He then gives a speech in front of Charlotte, the Man in Black, and other guests, criticizing their handling of the park. Dolores then shoots and kills Ford while an army of reactivated hosts emerges from a nearby forest. |
- The second episode was released online on HBO's streaming service on October 7, and released on normal broadcast television on October 9, 2016.[34] Commentators speculated it was due to Sunday's timeslot conflicting with the second Clinton–Trump presidential debate.[34]
Season 2
No. overall |
No. in season |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code |
U.S. viewers (millions) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
11 | 1 | "Journey into Night"[44] | TBA | TBA | April 22, 2018[5] | TBA | TBD |
Production
Conception and development
Abrams suggested that the show be told with the perspective of the "hosts" in mind.[51] Nolan took inspiration from video games like BioShock Infinite, Red Dead Redemption and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim to deal with the narrative's moral component on a spectrum.[52] During the research, the films of Sergio Leone provided reference points for the characters and visuals, novels by Philip K. Dick informed them about dilemmas concerning artificial intelligence, and for world-building and interlocking narrative, they consulted the Grand Theft Auto games.[53]
Nolan explained the show would explore why "violence is in most of the stories we like to watch, but it isn't part of what we like to do" through the characters known as guests, who give payment to satisfy those urges.[54] The autonomous existence of non-player characters in video games influenced the approach to the individual storylines in Westworld that are reset in a continuous loop.[55] A recitation from William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet—"These violent delights have violent ends"[56]—is made part of the show as a virus trigger within the hosts that alters how they perceive their existence.[57] The series explores ideas about the bicameral mind by Julian Jaynes, about the existence of two separate minds—one that gives instructions and another that performs them, and how consciousness comes from breaking down the wall between them by exposing the individual to new kinds of stimuli.[58]
Costume designer Ane Crabtree approached her work by focusing upon the actual historical attire of the Wild West from the 1850s to 1890s for inspiration, rather than Western films. Fabrics were custom-woven, dyed and printed for any actor with a speaking role to capture the intricacies of the costumes (most of which were manufactured from scratch in Upstate New York and Los Angeles). Hat designs were described as the most challenging part of the process.[59]
The 1973 film also included a Roman World and Medieval World, but Nolan has counted these out.[60] Ed Brubaker served on the writing staff as supervising producer,[61] co-writing the fourth episode with Nolan.[62]
The story has been planned to last up to five seasons by the writers and producers.[63]
Financing
The ten episodes of the first season were reportedly produced on a budget of approximately $100 million, with per-episode budgets somewhere between $8 million to $10 million, and the pilot episode alone costing $25 million to produce. HBO and Warner Bros. Television shared the cost of producing the series; HBO reportedly also paid an undisclosed licensing fee to Warner Bros. Television for broadcast rights.[64]Casting
Anthony Hopkins and Evan Rachel Wood were the first cast members formally announced, taking on the roles of Dr. Robert Ford and Dolores Abernathy, respectively.[7] Jeffrey Wright, Rodrigo Santoro, Shannon Woodward, Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, Angela Sarafyan, and Simon Quarterman were all announced as cast members in August 2014.[12] James Marsden and Eddie Rouse were also added to the cast.[10] Ed Harris was cast in a key villain role, known only as the Man in Black.[16] Other roles were filled by Demetrius Grosse, Kyle Bornheimer, Currie Graham, Lena Georgas, Steven Ogg, Timothy Lee DePriest, Ptolemy Slocum, Thandie Newton, and Miranda Otto.[8][11][20][65]In July 2015, it was announced that Otto had departed the show due to her commitments to the fifth season of Homeland and she was replaced by Sidse Babett Knudsen. Additionally, three others were cast; Eion Bailey, Jimmi Simpson and Clifton Collins Jr.[14] Bailey was later replaced by Ben Barnes.[17] Talulah Riley was revealed to have a role as one of the hosts after her ex-husband Elon Musk had stated so on Twitter;[66] Riley will be promoted to series regular for the second season.[19]
After the last episode of the first season was broadcast, Nolan and Joy revealed that they had operated on a strict need-to-know basis with most of the actors, in order to "keep the story as fresh and present for them as possible."[67] For example, in Wood's case, they gave her strange acting directions without explaining why, and it took a while for Wood to infer she was actually playing five distinct characters within the same host: four different behavioral modes for Dolores, plus Wyatt.[68] However, Hopkins was made aware of Ford's general story arc up front (at the time he was pitched the role) to ensure he could fully convey the complexity of the character in his performance.[67][69] Even with that foreknowledge, Hopkins was initially given heavily redacted scripts, and he had to insist on access to entire unredacted scripts.[69]
Filming
Since much of the series is seen from the hosts' point of view,[73] Steadicams were used to film the whole first season, except for a couple of scenes in the last episode, where a handheld camera was used as a metaphor for hosts who broke free from their programming and acted of their own free will.[74] Filming for the show's pilot episode took place during a 22-day period[75] in August 2014 in and around Los Angeles[76] as well as Moab, Utah.[77]
Filming locations in California included various soundstages, backlots at both Universal Studios and Warner Bros., the Paramount Ranch in Agoura,[78] the Melody Ranch in Santa Clarita,[75][79] the Skirball Cultural Center and the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles,[72] and the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood.[80] The Melody Ranch set used for the town of Sweetwater had been used previously for many western films, such as Django Unchained and The Magnificent Seven, but was significantly upgraded for Westworld by production designer Zack Grobler to portray an idealized version of the American frontier.[79] Green screens were placed around the California sets to block modern objects like parking lots, so that the California shots could be later merged digitally with exterior shots from Utah.[79] For scenes showing the arrival of guests, the filmmakers were able to arrange with the Fillmore and Western Railway for the use of a small train originally built for the 2013 film The Lone Ranger. F&W also provided a few hundred feet of track on which to place the train; then a pusher vehicle was used to propel the train into the Sweetwater set. The scenes in the underground laboratory levels of Westworld's operations center were filmed on a soundstage at Melody Ranch. The lab set used glass walls extensively, which meant the crew had to be vigilant to avoid walking through glass on the rather dark set, and they had to keep identifying and suppressing unwanted reflections. Hawthorne Plaza was used for filming the "cold storage" level where decommissioned hosts are stored.[72]
For the show's large-scale exterior look, the producers drew inspiration from the work of John Ford, who shot four of his Western films in Castle Valley, east of Moab.[78] In early 2014, Nolan visited southern Utah with key crew members and a location scout to explore the possibility of filming there, and promptly fell in love with the place.[77] Location shooting for the pilot episode later occurred over five days in southern Utah,[77] including Castle Valley.[78] Most Utah locations, like Dead Horse Point State Park, were "walk-in" areas where both cast and crew were required to hike in and out with all their gear.[77] Horseback riding scenes were filmed at a private ranch, where the filmmakers were not subject to as many restrictions as when working on public land.[80] To seamlessly blend California sets with Utah scenery, set walls were shipped to Utah so that they could be used to film reverse angles of scenes originally filmed in California.[80] For example, conversations on the exterior balcony of Westworld's operations center were shot on a balcony at the Skirball Center facing towards the center, then reverse angles over the shoulders of the cast members were shot at Dead Horse Point, to make it seem as if the operations center was located on top of the state park's steep cliffs.[77][80][72] The train interior scenes were created by mounting the entire train car set on the back of a flatbed truck and driving the truck back and forth along Utah State Route 128.[77]
The 3D printing of hosts was shot utilizing almost entirely practical effects, of which some were polished by the visual effects team.[81] The show used real guns, although they were usually unloaded.[68] Out of respect for the actors and extras involved, filming of nudity was conducted on a closed set, and for sex scenes, a sex consultant was used.[82]
Production was temporarily halted for a couple of months in early 2016 so that showrunners Nolan and Joy could complete the scripts for the last four episodes of the first season.[83] The climax of the first season's finale was filmed at Paramount Ranch in April 2016, with approximately 300 people on set.[84] The crew spent 10 days in May striking the set, which included having to modify structures installed by the filmmakers, such as the chapel, so that HBO's "intellectual property" would not be "violated."[84]
Production on the second season began in July 2017.[22]
Title sequence
The series' title sequence was created by production studio Elastic, which had previously created the title sequences for Rome, Carnivàle and Game of Thrones for HBO. Patrick Clair acted as creative director for the title sequence,[85][86] which took about five weeks to conceptualize.[87]Clair met with Nolan and Joy in February 2016 to discuss its development. He was interested in their decision to approach the show's point of view from that of the hosts, deeming the result an inherent psychological study. Upon its inception, the sequence would translate elements present in the series via computer-aided design. For example, once Clair was sent footage by composer Ramin Djawadi of a player piano in motion, its actual counterpart, situated in the Westworld production office, was photographed and then reconstructed in computer-generated imagery.[56][87] Nolan also applied the self-playing instrument in reference to Kurt Vonnegut's first novel Player Piano. It was meant to represent the first Rube Goldberg machine to evoke human motion.[57] Clair saw the metaphor behind the player piano—"a primitive form of robot"—as an exploration into the disparity between man and machine "being created to be made redundant." Hosts that were bathed in white liquid struck Clair as a juxtaposition of the grit and grain of the Western genre with its basis in science fiction. Motifs of Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man came about from Clair's wish to convey Westworld's depiction of the naked human body.[56] The sequence also references Chris Cunningham's 1999 music video for the Björk song "All Is Full of Love", in a way that Clair called "a bit shameless ... because I worship Chris Cunningham and ... it seemed like the perfect place to do it because it was dealing with all the right themes and all the right aesthetics."[87]
The sequence commences with the rib cage of a horse, along with a set of hosts manufactured by industrial robots. The skeletal horse is shown in mid-gallop to subvert the iconography of such a depiction.[87] As for Clair's efforts in exposing the Western landscapes in connection with a world of robotics, he thought it sensible that it be done inside a single eye; craters and valleys are formed as the simulacrum of an iris.[56]
Music
Djawadi spoke about the modern songs used in the show, stating, "The show has an anachronistic feel to it, it's a Western theme park, and yet it has robots in it, so why not have modern songs? And that's a metaphor in itself, wrapped up in the overall theme of the show",[91] but credited Nolan with coming up with the idea.[92]
Player piano and strings renditions featured in Westworld include Radiohead's "No Surprises",[93] "Fake Plastic Trees", "Motion Picture Soundtrack" and "Exit Music (For a Film)",[94] Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun", The Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black",[57] Scott Joplin's "Pine Apple Rag"[95] and "Peacherine Rag", Claude Debussy's "Reverie L.68",[96] The Cure's "A Forest",[97] The Animals' version of "The House of the Rising Sun", Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black" and Nine Inch Nails' "Something I Can Never Have".[98] Licensing costs ranged from $15,000 to $55,000.[99]
Release
Broadcast
The series premiered October 2, 2016 in North America and Australia,[100][101][102] and on October 4, 2016 in the UK and Ireland.[103] The series is broadcast on HBO in the United States, on HBO Canada in Canada, on HBO Latin America in Mexico, in Australia on Showcase,[104][102] and in the UK and Ireland on Sky Atlantic.[103]The second episode was released on HBO in the US on October 7—two days ahead of the episode's announced broadcast date—to avoid competing with the second U.S. presidential debate of 2016.[105][106]
Marketing
Prior to the airing of Westworld, HBO held virtual reality exhibits at events like San Diego Comic-Con and Techcrunch Disrupt devoted to Westworld: A Delos Destination. Attendees were allowed to navigate the process by which guests would enter Westworld, and interact with the 3D environment.[57][107][108] Made to run on the HTC Vive virtual reality headset, the piece was conceived by showrunners Nolan and Joy. It was designed using Unreal Engine 4, combining computer-generated content and live action 360-degree video. Users received a binary code, permitting access to the website DiscoverWestworld.com as part of a viral marketing campaign. Visitors were shown a trailer of a fictional travel site, leading them to order a trip to Westworld. A chatbot featured on the website, named Aeden, is available as a Google Assistant action on the smart speaker Google Home.[109]Home media
The first season of Westworld (subtitled The Maze) was released on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray on November 7, 2017. It is the first scripted TV series to be released on 4K Blu-ray in the United States.[110]Reception
Critical response
Reception of the series has been largely positive, with particular praise for the visuals, story, and performances.[111][112][113] On the review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes, the first season has an approval rating of 88% based on 78 reviews, with an average rating of 8.13/10, and an average episode score of 94%. The site's consensus reads "With an impressive level of quality that honors its source material, the brilliantly addictive Westworld balances intelligent, enthralling drama against outright insanity."[114] On Metacritic, the first season has a score of 74 out of 100, based on 43 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[115]The editors of TV Guide placed Westworld fifth among the top ten picks for the most anticipated new shows of the 2016–17 season. In writer Tim Surette's overall review, he notes the perfect concept of blending the western premise into a futuristic setting, saying, "Well, Westworld has both, ensuring that it will be an exciting mashup of genres that will disrupt a television landscape that typically says we can only have one or the other." He also added, "The look of the show and its fine cast swing open the saloon doors, but the real treat will be the intelligent discussion of whether or not robots will eventually kill us all. Thankfully, creator Jonathan Nolan already showed us he's the go-to guy for A.I. with Person of Interest."[116] Mary McNamara of Los Angeles Times wrote in a lauded review, "It isn’t just great television, it’s vivid, thought-provoking television that entertains even as it examines the darker side of entertainment."[117] Writing for San Francisco Chronicle, David Wiegand said, "Westworld isn’t easy to understand at first, but you will be hooked nonetheless by unusually intelligent storytelling, powerful visuals and exceptionally nuanced performances."[118] Time's chief critic Daniel D'Addario wrote, "Its carefully chosen details add up to a pulp spectacular that’s more thoughtful than any other of this fall’s new dramas."[119]
Jeff Jensen of Entertainment Weekly also lauded the series and said, "The depth of Westworld lies not in asking questions about memory, free will, and what makes us human, but in whether we can become more human than what we let ourselves to be, whether our stories can be richer and more meaningful than what the culture allows."[120] Matthew Gilbert of The Boston Globe quipped, "Westworld has fewer heroes than Game of Thrones, which makes it a bit harder to warm up to, but like a good, thought-provoking puzzle, it is compelling and addictive."[121] In a brief review from The Hollywood Reporter, Tim Goodman said, "Where Westworld is at its best is in the deeper issues that will unspool slowly, like a good mystery. Early episodes are adept at getting at the base attractions of the park and why people would come, but also in setting up a sense of confusion about motives. ... The series benefits from a number of standout performances."[122] Robert Bianco of USA Today wrote, "The reward, beyond the visual splendors you’ve come to expect from big-budget HBO productions, is a set of characters who grow ever more complex."[123] Several other publications wrote positive reviews, including Indiewire,[124] The A.V. Club,[125] RogerEbert.com,[126] The New Yorker,[127] and The Atlantic.[128]
However, in a moderate review for The New York Times, chief critic James Poniewozik said, "It’s an ambitious, if not entirely coherent, sci-fi shoot-’em-up that questions nihilistic entertainment impulses while indulging them."[129] Hank Stuever of The Washington Post also joins Poniewozik saying, "Westworld off as a dreary trot from start to finish; parts of it are as imaginative and intriguing as anything that’s been on TV recently, particularly in the sci-fi realm," and further said, "It’s definitely not the cyborg Deadwood, that some HBO fans were actively wishing for, nor does it roll out the welcome mat as a riveting, accessible adventure."[130] Chief journalist Rob Owen of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette also critiqued the show less favorably saying, "It is the definition of a slow-burn series, a program that should be exciting rendered as kind of dull."[131] In a less enthusiastic review for Variety, Maureen Ryan said, "Westworld looks terrific; its directors have shot its Western locations to stunning effect. But its warmly saturated outdoor scenes and its surface slickness aren’t enough to mask the indecision, condescension, and hollowness at its core."[132]
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Ratings
No. | Title | Air date | Rating/share (18–49) |
Viewers (millions) |
DVR (18–49) |
DVR viewers (millions) |
Total (18–49) |
Total viewers (millions) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "The Original" | October 2, 2016 | 0.8 | 1.96[33] | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
2 | "Chestnut" | October 9, 2016 | 0.7 | 1.50[35] | 0.6 | 1.41 | 1.3 | 2.91[134] |
3 | "The Stray" | October 16, 2016 | 0.9 | 2.10[36] | 0.6 | 1.30 | 1.5 | 3.40[135] |
4 | "Dissonance Theory" | October 23, 2016 | 0.7 | 1.70[37] | 0.7 | 1.58 | 1.4 | 3.28[136] |
5 | "Contrapasso" | October 30, 2016 | 0.6 | 1.48[38] | 0.8 | 1.63 | 1.4 | 3.11[137] |
6 | "The Adversary" | November 6, 2016 | 0.7 | 1.64[39] | 0.7 | 1.48 | 1.4 | 3.11[138] |
7 | "Trompe L'Oeil" | November 13, 2016 | 0.8 | 1.75[40] | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
8 | "Trace Decay" | November 20, 2016 | 0.8 | 1.78[41] | 0.7 | 1.56 | 1.5 | 3.34[139] |
9 | "The Well-Tempered Clavier" | November 27, 2016 | 1.0 | 2.09[42] | 0.7 | 1.53 | 1.7 | 3.61[140] |
10 | "The Bicameral Mind" | December 4, 2016 | 1.0 | 2.24[43] | 0.7 | 1.51 | 1.7 | 3.75[141] |
Accolades and nominations
Westworld has been nominated for 22 Emmy Awards,[147] 3 Golden Globe Awards, 2 Satellite Awards, 4 Critics' Choice Television Awards, and 2 Writers Guild of America Awards.Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2016 | Satellite Awards | Best Actress – Television Series Drama | Evan Rachel Wood | Won | [148] [149] |
Best Television Series – Genre | Westworld | Nominated | |||
Critics' Choice Television Award | Most Exciting New Series | Westworld | Won | [150] | |
Best Drama Series | Westworld | Nominated | [151] [152] |
||
Best Actress in a Drama Series | Evan Rachel Wood | Won | |||
Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Thandie Newton | Won | |||
American Society of Cinematographers | Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Movie, Miniseries, or Pilot for Television | Paul Cameron (for "The Original") | Nominated | [153] | |
IGN Awards | Best TV Series | Westworld | Nominated | [154] | |
Best New TV Series | Westworld | Nominated | |||
Best TV Drama Series | Westworld | Won | |||
Best TV Actor | Jeffrey Wright | Nominated | |||
Best TV Actress | Evan Rachel Wood | Nominated | |||
Thandie Newton | Won | ||||
IGN People's Choice Award | Best TV Series | Westworld | Nominated | [154] | |
Best New TV Series | Westworld | Nominated | |||
Best TV Drama Series | Westworld | Nominated | |||
Best TV Actor | Jeffrey Wright | Won | |||
Best TV Actress | Evan Rachel Wood | Won | |||
Thandie Newton | Nominated | ||||
California On Location Awards | Location Manager – Television One Hour | Mandi Dillin | Nominated | [155] [156] |
|
Assistant Location Manager of the Year – Television | David Park | Nominated | |||
Television – One Hour – Location Team | Team for Westworld | Nominated | |||
International Film Music Critics Association Awards | Best Original Score for a Television Series | Ramin Djawadi | Nominated | [157] | |
2017 | 69th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Drama Series | Westworld | Nominated | [158] |
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series | Anthony Hopkins | Nominated | |||
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | Evan Rachel Wood | Nominated | |||
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | Jeffrey Wright | Nominated | |||
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Thandie Newton | Nominated | |||
Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series | Jonathan Nolan (for "The Bicameral Mind") | Nominated | |||
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series | Jonathan Nolan & Lisa Joy (for "The Bicameral Mind") | Nominated | |||
69th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series | John Papsidera | Nominated | ||
Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series (One Hour) | Paul Cameron (for "The Original") | Nominated | |||
Outstanding Costumes for a Period/Fantasy Series, Limited Series, or Movie | Trish Summerville, Jo Kissack Folsom, Lynda Foote (for "The Original") | Nominated | |||
Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media within a Scripted Program | Westworld | Won | |||
Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series | Joy Zapata, Pavy Olivarez, Bruce Samia, Donna Anderson (for "Contrapasso") | Won | |||
Outstanding Main Title Design | Patrick Clair, Raoul Marks, Yongsub Song, Felix Soletic, Jessica Hurst and Jose Limon | Nominated | |||
Outstanding Makeup for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic) | Christien Tinsley, Myriam Arougheti, Gerald Quist, Lydia Milars, Ed French (for "The Original") | Won | |||
Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Limited Series, Movie, or Special | Christien Tinsley, Hiroshi Yada, Georgia Allen, Gerald Quist, Myriam Arougheti (for "The Original") | Nominated | |||
Outstanding Main Title Theme Music | Ramin Djawadi | Nominated | |||
Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series | Andrew Seklir (for "The Bicameral Mind") | Nominated | |||
Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary or Fantasy Program (One Hour or More) | Zack Grobler, Steve Christensen and Julie Ochipinti (for "The Bicameral Mind") | Nominated | |||
Nathan Crowley, Naaman Marshall and Julie Ochipinti (for "The Original") | Nominated | ||||
Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series | Thomas E. Matthew Sawelson, Brian Armstrong, Fred Paragano, Mark Allen, Marc Glassman, Sebastian Visconti, Geordy Sincavage, Michael Head, Christopher Kaller, Rick Owens and Tara Blume Norton (for "The Bicameral Mind") | Nominated | |||
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One-Hour) | Keith Rogers, Scott Weber, Roger Stevenson and Kyle O'Neal (for "The Bicameral Mind") | Won | |||
Outstanding Special Visual Effects | Jay Worth, Elizabeth Castro, Joe Wehmeyer, Eric Levin-Hatz, Bobo Skipper, Gustav Ahren, Paul Ghezzo, Mitchell S. Drain and Michael Lantieri (for "The Bicameral Mind") | Won | |||
Golden Globe Awards | Best Television Series – Drama | Westworld | Nominated | [159] | |
Best Actress – Television Series Drama | Evan Rachel Wood | Nominated | |||
Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film | Thandie Newton | Nominated | |||
Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Drama Series | Nominated | [160] | ||
Outstanding Performance by An Ensemble in a Drama Series | Ben Barnes, Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, Ed Harris, Luke Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins, Sidse Babett Knudsen, James Marsden, Leonardo Nam, Thandie Newton, Talulah Riley, Rodrigo Santoro, Angela Sarafyan, Jimmi Simpson, Ptolemy Slocum, Evan Rachel Wood, Shannon Woodward, Jeffrey Wright | Nominated | |||
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series | Thandie Newton | Nominated | |||
ACE Eddie Awards | Best Edited One Hour Series for Non-Commercial Television | Stephen Semel and Marc Jozefowicz (for "The Original") | Nominated | [161] | |
Art Directors Guild | ADG Excellence in Production Design Award for One-Hour Period Or Fantasy Single-Camera Series | Nathan Crowley (for "The Original") | Won | [162] | |
Writers Guild of America | Television Drama Series | Ed Brubaker, Bridget Carpenter, Dan Dietz, Halley Gross, Lisa Joy, Katherine Lingenfelter, Dominic Mitchell, Jonathan Nolan, Roberto Patino, Daniel T. Thomsen, Charles Yu | Nominated | [163] | |
Television New Series | Ed Brubaker, Bridget Carpenter, Dan Dietz, Halley Gross, Lisa Joy, Katherine Lingenfelter, Dominic Mitchell, Jonathan Nolan, Roberto Patino, Daniel T. Thomsen, Charles Yu | Nominated | |||
People's Choice Awards | Favorite Premium Sci-Fi/Fantasy Series | Westworld | Nominated | [164] | |
Producers Guild of America Awards | Episodic Television, Drama | J. J. Abrams, Jonathan Nolan, Lisa Joy, Bryan Burk, Athena Wickham, Kathy Lingg, Richard J. Lewis, Roberto Patino, Katherine Lingenfelter, Cherylanne Martin | Nominated | [165] | |
Visual Effects Society Awards 2016 | Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode | Jay Worth, Elizabeth Castro, Bobo Skipper, Gustav Ahrén (for "The Bicameral Mind") | Nominated | [166] | |
Cinema Audio Society Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing – Television Series – One Hour | John Pritchett, Keith Rogers, Scott Weber, Mark Kondracki, Geordy Sincavage (for "The Original") | Nominated | [167] | |
69th Directors Guild of America Awards | Dramatic Series | Jonathan Nolan (for "The Original") | Nominated | [168] | |
Hollywood Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist Guild Awards | Best Contemporary Makeup – Television | Christien Tinsley, Elisa Marsh, Rolf Keppler | Won | [169] | |
Best Period and/or Character Makeup – Television | Christien Tinsley, Myriam Arougheti, Rolf Keppler | Nominated | |||
Best Special Makeup Effects – Television | Christien Tinsley, Hiroshi Yada | Won | |||
Costume Designers Guild Awards | Outstanding Period Television Series | Trish Summerville (for "The Original") | Nominated | [170] | |
Ane Crabtree | Nominated | ||||
Dorian Awards | TV Drama of the Year | Westworld | Nominated | [171] | |
TV Performance of the Year – Actress | Thandie Newton | Nominated | |||
Golden Reel Awards | Best Sound Editing – Long Form Dialogue and ADR in Television | Thomas E. de Gorter, Matthew Sawelson, Brian Armstrong and Fred Paragano (for "The Bicameral Mind") | Nominated | [172] | |
Best Sound Editing – Long Form Sound Effects and Foley in Television | Thomas E. de Gorter, Matthew Sawelson, Geordy Sincavage, Michael Head, Rick Owen, Tara Blume, Mark Allen and Marc Glassman (for "The Bicameral Mind") | Won | |||
Best Sound Editing in Television, Short Form: FX/Foley | Thomas E. de Gorter, Matthew Sawelson, Geordy Sincavage, Michael Head, Tara Blume, Rick Owens, Mark R. Allen and Marc Glassman (for "Trompe L'Oeil") | Won | |||
Best Sound Editing in Television, Short Form: Dialogue / ADR | Thomas E. de Gorter, Matthew Sawelson, Brian Armstrong and Fred Paragano (for "Trace Decay") | Nominated | |||
Society of Camera Operators Awards | Camera Operator of the Year – Television | Steven Matzinger & Greg Smith | Nominated | [173] | |
43rd Saturn Awards | Best Science Fiction Television Series | Westworld | Won | [174] | |
Best Supporting Actor on Television | Ed Harris | Won | |||
Jeffrey Wright | Nominated | ||||
Best Supporting Actress on Television | Thandie Newton | Nominated | |||
Evan Rachel Wood | Nominated | ||||
Best Guest Performance on a Television Series | Anthony Hopkins | Nominated | |||
Empire Awards | Best TV Series | Westworld | Nominated | [175] | |
Canadian Society of Cinematographers Awards | TV Series Cinematography | Robert McLachlan (for "Contrapasso") | Nominated | [176] | |
Location Managers Guild Awards | LMGI Award for Outstanding Locations in Period Television | Mandi Dillin | Won | [177] | |
Edgar Awards | TV Episode Teleplay | Jonathan Nolan & Lisa Joy (for "The Bicameral Mind") | Nominated | [178] | |
Ray Bradbury Award | Outstanding Dramatic Presentation | Jonathan Nolan & Lisa Joy (for "The Bicameral Mind") | Nominated | [179] | |
Dragon Awards | Best Science Fiction or Fantasy TV Series | Westworld | Nominated | [180] | |
Gold Derby TV Awards | Drama Series | Westworld | Nominated | [181] | |
Drama Actress | Evan Rachel Wood | Nominated | |||
Drama Supporting Actress | Thandie Newton | Won | |||
Drama Supporting Actor | Jeffrey Wright | Nominated | |||
Drama Episode | Jonathan Nolan & Lisa Joy (for "The Bicameral Mind") | Nominated |
References
- Beachum, Chris; Montgomery, Daniel; Dixon, Marcus James (July 26, 2017). "2017 Gold Derby TV Awards nominations: 'This is Us,' 'Veep,' 'The Leftovers,' 'Stranger Things' among top contenders". Goldderby. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
External links
Categories:
- 2016 American television series debuts
- 2010s American drama television series
- 2010s American science fiction television series
- Androids in television
- English-language television programs
- Existentialist works
- Philosophical fiction
- HBO network shows
- Nonlinear narrative television series
- Robots in television
- Serial drama television series
- Television programs based on films
- Television programs based on works by Michael Crichton
- Television series by Bad Robot Productions
- Television series by Warner Bros. Television
- Television shows filmed in Utah
- Television shows filmed in Los Angeles
- Transhumanism in television series
- Westworld
- Works by Jonathan Nolan
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