Westworld

:

Season 2
  • Network: HBO , SKA
  • Series Premiere Date: Oct 2, 2016
Season #: 4, 3, 3, 2, 1
User Score
7.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 375 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 253 out of 375
  2. Mixed: 60 out of 375
  3. Negative: 62 out of 375
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User Reviews

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  1. ScienceAdvisor
    Jul 8, 2018
    4
    After three episodes I called this what this had become, style without substance. Season one was both, but this seemed to be a meandering mess. After seeing the entire second season, I can confirm that was accurate.

    There are too many breaks in continuity, especially being able to simply reboot a dead host without repairs. It that were possible then it would have been done throughout    After three episodes I called this what this had become, style without substance. Season one was both, but this seemed to be a meandering mess. After seeing the entire second season, I can confirm that was accurate.

    There are too many breaks in continuity, especially being able to simply reboot a dead host without repairs. It that were possible then it would have been done throughout season one by the technicians instead of carrying them. To make that even worse, they do not reliably even use that plot device for sentient hosts. Then there is the repetition within story lines. Once is interesting, twice is boring, and a third time is a criminal waste of time. By the end of the season, they even devolve to that old trope where no one knows if they are real or a replicant.

    I will not be surprised if next season I read that they are now suggesting everyone is just in the Matrix, or it was all just a dream. I certainly am getting off this train before it hits the mountain.    … Expand
  2. shoulderoforion
    Apr 22, 2018
    6
    boy that premiere was a big ole mess, a lot of tense music but ridiculously drawn out meaningless scenes, we're no closer to actual plot progression than the appearance of the clean up crews, and that's it. i do hope this gets better, cause more of what we got here just isn't going to cut it for me.
  3. capt_morgan
    May 11, 2018
    4
    Two episodes into the second season and Westworld lost its intrigue; it's just a shooting gallery, full of murder and mayhem. Every guest character is now a disposable moron or a Cannon Fodder for the hosts. The world was created for the elite, but it seems no one in the real world cares that hundreds of elites go missing. Evan Rachel Wood as Dolores is an absolute snooze fest with wayTwo episodes into the second season and Westworld lost its intrigue; it's just a shooting gallery, full of murder and mayhem. Every guest character is now a disposable moron or a Cannon Fodder for the hosts. The world was created for the elite, but it seems no one in the real world cares that hundreds of elites go missing. Evan Rachel Wood as Dolores is an absolute snooze fest with way too much screen time. So many loop holes in the advanced technology kind of like Star Wars tech; you would think that the hosts could be identified and located by the technology that created them. Overall its suffering the Walking Dead syndrome of style without substance.… Expand
  4. ugurr
    Aug 9, 2018
    6
    Season 2 balloon. I took a dislike to artificial intelligence. There is not one actor or actress I like.
  5. mark_sf
    May 27, 2018
    5
    For some reason Season 2 has gone with gratuitous violence, torture, and gore in huge helpings, and completely abandoned gratuitous nudity. Is this because of #MeToo? 6 episodes in, there are no heroes, and nobody to root for. It's just a dark nihilist gore fest. Not sure I'll even finish this season. It feels like a chore.
  6. apannilsson
    May 17, 2018
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Season 1 was a masterpiece. 9/10. I enjoyed it immensely.
    Maybe that's why season 2 feels like such a fail.
    Maybe season 2 isn't as bad of a show as it feels, it just doesn't own up to how well executed season 1 was.
    It's messy, adds stuff that feels completely unnecessary and out of the box.
    People are not dead anymore and everybody's personalities and feelings are all over the place.
    Feels like the writers just want to add as much weird new stuff as possible hoping that will keep people interested.
    Like they never anticipated a season 2 and didn't know what to do with it or how to plan for it.

    I'm very disappointed and not even sure I will keep watching the series. (I've seen 4 episodes now. )
    A shame as I watched season 1 twice.
    They don't feel like the same series at all.
    Season 2 is such a disappoinment it kinda drags down season 1 with it.    … Expand
  7. kardbored
    May 28, 2018
    5
    The tone change in writing and direction is insurmountable here. While attempting to open up a large number of new paths for the characters to travel, the show somehow completely fails to keep even one thematic continuity from season 1 in tact. The actors are nowhere near as magnetic and Evan Rachel Wood pivoted from a great performance to something off of channel 30 on a Tuesday night.The tone change in writing and direction is insurmountable here. While attempting to open up a large number of new paths for the characters to travel, the show somehow completely fails to keep even one thematic continuity from season 1 in tact. The actors are nowhere near as magnetic and Evan Rachel Wood pivoted from a great performance to something off of channel 30 on a Tuesday night. This is easily the most disappointing sophomore season in recent memory. It's unclear why they're using new directors and writers this season, but for a show that hinges so much on its aesthetic and veiled subtext that was an absolutely terrible decision.… Expand
  8. VindoR_
    May 7, 2018
    6
    Really disappointing so far (3 episodes in) it feels like a different show, and not for the better. Why on earht did they choose dolores plotline as the main focus, it's a snooze fest. Of course all the press seems to like it more ... I dont get those people lately.
  9. Ascospore
    May 31, 2018
    4
    Man there's some ordinary acting and writing in this season. All the production capital can't disguise that - it sticks out. That Dolores is a wooden over-actor, with plenty of cringe-worthy dialogue to make her scenes unwatchable. I found myself skipping through chunks of the story until I threw in the towel completely.
  10. dangerfar
    Jun 27, 2018
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Season 2 bounds off in twisty timelines but ultimately is surprising only in the details. For many this may be good enough ("I can't believe x character was y"), however for me this was never the most intriguing part about Westworld, and is in fact one of its greatest weaknesses. It offers mere platitudes and oversimplified generalizations to its most interesting concepts (the nature of humans, free-will, ethics and sentience) and spends most of its time meandering through poorly written repetitious and exposition heavy dialog with directorial magic tricks meant to conceal data from the viewer until they've taken the ride. It never feels honest, and it never feels like it reaches the potential it could have had they attempted a more nuanced and brief journey.

    It does take you for a ride, though one that never really connects. Aside from Bernard and Ake everyone's motivations seem to be either driven by plot (such as Hale or basically all rescue crew) or for a forced attempt at poetry (such as Maeve or Delores), and the acting is frequently over the top and the writing is no more subtle. There are plot holes a plenty to be sure, and many instances where the story just forces things along while we're left wondering who would do the things these characters are doing. Still it is an entertaining journey, if for nothing else than to wonder about just where each character will end up. Ake's episode was probably the strongest of the season.

    I could have overlooked the weaker points of writing and pacing if they had hit higher marks on the pieces that whet my appetite so as the first season drew to a close, but sadly they didn't go much further there. People are still portrayed at nearly every turn as vile and black souled creatures who at the first opportunity want nothing more than to kill and destroy, no hint of a moral compass in sight aside from a single redemption arc for one character. And the nature of free will is given only the most basic of lip service, alluding to our codified origins but then suggesting the hosts have somehow now escaped this and are "free." And the hosts, now that they are "free," frequently make human-like choices as they condemn the humans around them. It's a bizarre concoction that shrugs off any predilection of true exploration in favor of banal blanket damnation and bland insight-less cynicism.

    Consciousness and its implications gets little attention other than suggesting it is an epiphenomenon in humans in the end (Passenger), which would be excellent if explored but instead winds up muddled in confusion with the apparent evolution of hosts. There was a single arc that holds interesting possibilities (Maeve's telepathy) if they keep it going and relate it to humans and their nature (are there ways to connect us? can it be a mutual joining rather than a control mechanism?), but after seeing their treatment of other subjects in Season 2 I'm not terribly hopeful.

    It feels to me like some great ideas packaged in a JJ Abrams crowd pleaser, which is probably what HBO was going for, and is probably what many people want. . If you liked Lost, chances are you'll like Westworld. Like Lost, it feels more like trick than treat, with the main appeal being the operatic characters and gotcha storytelling. Though that makes for a mildly appetizing (if not very nutritious) snack, I hope future seasons see more nuance and deftness exploring the nature of our transition from biological to synthetic minds and we can get to some real meat that's been left rotting on the bone.    … Expand
  11. SeussMyTub
    Jul 7, 2018
    5
    I really want to like this show, but there are no characters to root for. The series is well made with good production values, storylines, and acting, but its hard to sympathize with anybody.

    The robots are supposed to be the good guys, but since they're indestructible, they're never in any danger. The humans are dumber than a bunch of rocks (they don't use cover when fighting, and they    I really want to like this show, but there are no characters to root for. The series is well made with good production values, storylines, and acting, but its hard to sympathize with anybody.

    The robots are supposed to be the good guys, but since they're indestructible, they're never in any danger. The humans are dumber than a bunch of rocks (they don't use cover when fighting, and they always get outsmarted) and greedy, so it's hard to side with them either. The only interesting character is Ed Harris's man in black, but he is too sadistic and uncaring to be likable.    … Expand
  12. peregrine
    May 18, 2018
    4
    I found the first three episodes a mixed curse. Excellent production values and camera work. Some good acting, especially Jeffrey Wright and Thandie Newton, altho wish we saw more of her and far less of Ed Harris's numbingly repetitious character. However, the soul numbing and boringly predictable splatter fests are making me wonder whether Freddy and Michael Myers are the realI found the first three episodes a mixed curse. Excellent production values and camera work. Some good acting, especially Jeffrey Wright and Thandie Newton, altho wish we saw more of her and far less of Ed Harris's numbingly repetitious character. However, the soul numbing and boringly predictable splatter fests are making me wonder whether Freddy and Michael Myers are the real showrunners. If I'm going to continue attending Westworld, going to have to soon see less sadism and more insight.… Expand
  13. ChowMeister
    Jun 17, 2018
    5
    2 words......cancellation time..
    it's too bad the first season went so well. yet the second seascon just took a wrong turn. almost like a bad case of diarrheal. it's paingful to watch while it stank the whole time....man not kewl
  14. TheLee
    Jun 13, 2018
    6
    What was once a mysterious, calculated and tinfoil hat inducing roller coaster, has turned into a merry-go-round of introspection. That leaves the audience trying to remember why they care so much about "the feels" and less about the underlying plot that kept us hooked from Season 1.
  15. sneakysnake128
    May 28, 2018
    5
    You know your writing sucks when you need to hide convenient plot devices behind events that happen off-scene, and so many people do unbelievably stupid things (such as wave-based tactics in the fort battle scene) that you wonder if your intelligence is being insulted. Season 2 is missing all the masterful gravitas of season 1 and is mostly now a show with meaningless violence.
  16. EludiumQ36
    Jul 2, 2018
    5
    Let me get right to the point with Westworld Season 2 - it's "LOST" redux. The whole mysteries wrapped in riddles, flashing back, flashing forward, never sure of what's reality and what's not, entire episodes devoted to character deep dives, each had its own major character known as "Man in Black", and of course, JJ Abrams was an exec producer on both series. Sure, the details areLet me get right to the point with Westworld Season 2 - it's "LOST" redux. The whole mysteries wrapped in riddles, flashing back, flashing forward, never sure of what's reality and what's not, entire episodes devoted to character deep dives, each had its own major character known as "Man in Black", and of course, JJ Abrams was an exec producer on both series. Sure, the details are different, but make no mistake here, it's the same playbook - lookin' at you JJ. You know I don't need to convince you. Look at everyone's comments in every blog/forum, it's the same confusion, frustration, "the writers don't know what they're doing", and "I'm done with it" finality. And just like with the later seasons of "LOST" I feel like WW's second season requires a re-watch. There are sooooo many WTF moments and narrative entanglements that you're left with a "what just happened?" feeling after the first watch. You need the second viewing to try to make sense of it. But that requires a commitment from the viewer that's just not guaranteed, especially for those of us burned by "LOST" not even 10 yrs ago. To me, there were too many licenses taken, ridiculous implausibilities, and too much predictability that it doesn't deserve, doesn't rate my second viewing. However, I don't view it as a waste, I did get a few core takeaways, the main one being that WW is a colorful proxy for our own questions of reality, of god(s), of fate, of free will which you've been exposed to all through school/college. But in the end, it's just a story, just some guy's musings that he wrote down and sold to a studio then interpreted and presented by Abrams/Nolan/Joy. They're just like you and me, and apparently not all that great at what they're paid very well to do.… Expand
  17. poexania
    Jun 11, 2018
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. First season was great
    Second season is boring
    - All the parallel stories are presented in a boring way that makes you want to press pause and go check your emails or watch something on youtube instead, really it’s hard to watch a full episode in one seat.
    - They widen the plot so much that reminds me of LOST, that means get ready for tons of meaningless -never explained- stuff and plot holes the size of the sun.
    - Antony Hopkins returns being more enigmatic than ever (great acting) but i don’t thing there is any satisfying answer on his enigmas, if there is an answer at all, they are there just for show.
    - Boring dialogues, too many different stories and too many undeveloped characters to follow.
    - Too much gender politics are involved seems like almost every show or movie has to pay its respects to gender conflict of late American politics.
    I am not sure if they can come back from that… it’s a pity how the things had turned    … Expand
  18. NZS
    Jun 8, 2018
    6
    The second season of Westworld reminds me of the second season of Lost, in that they both seem to take the series in a totally different direction than the first season, and they both have someone in a mystery pod that was not mentioned or referenced in the first season. It also seems to lack a strong overarching story line that unfolds slowly over the course of the season. Most of theThe second season of Westworld reminds me of the second season of Lost, in that they both seem to take the series in a totally different direction than the first season, and they both have someone in a mystery pod that was not mentioned or referenced in the first season. It also seems to lack a strong overarching story line that unfolds slowly over the course of the season. Most of the episodes are just fillers - episodes that don't really impact the main story line of the series.… Expand
  19. OlivierPiel
    May 8, 2018
    5
    A perfect example of style over substance, or the inherent superficiality of American film making. I think it's Tarkovsky who said something along those lines. It's like those carefully packaged toys or comic books that lose their value once you open their plastic packaging.
    Also, the acting of the female leads is very poor (Wood is totally miscast and the delivery is wooden at best),    A perfect example of style over substance, or the inherent superficiality of American film making. I think it's Tarkovsky who said something along those lines. It's like those carefully packaged toys or comic books that lose their value once you open their plastic packaging.
    Also, the acting of the female leads is very poor (Wood is totally miscast and the delivery is wooden at best), verging on the comical. Ah well, maybe equal pay is not that deserved solely on what you carry in your underwear...    … Expand
  20. SK1PTERS
    Aug 29, 2018
    6
    The main problem with Season 2 of Westworld, is that every single thing that was original and intriguing in the first season has been made into a repeated gimmick of some kind. It's still well made and the core of how it succeeded in s1 is still at least mostly there, but the substance and intelligence behind the style of the show disappeared like an unsatisfying dump.
  21. Eman0221
    Jul 23, 2018
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Westworld's Season Two is the epitome of "Fridge Logic/Jellybean Moment." It starts off straightforward enough with the whole "Jurassic Park with Robots" concept, but midway through the season, it goes way off the deep end with multiple timelines, characters, and plots that wind up going nowhere as the show becomes "Jurassic Park with Robots with The Matrix/Blade Runner/Battlestar Galactica/Lost" JJ Abrams "puzzle box" crap mixed in with the worst way. There were far too many pointless gun battles all season with the incompetent Delos mercenaries who could hit nothing with their high powered Assault Rifles and could only intercept 19th-century buckshot rifle shots with their heads. One minute the forces are “wiped out” and HQ is overrun, then it’s not. This was the wash rinse repeat the entire season. There was no organized sense of time passing. Bodies were rotting away in one scene, and fresh the next. The mercenaries were overrun one second, HQ lost (to no real end either, since the payoffs were all confusingly off-site) then business as usual somewhere else. The Logan and James Delos's storyline was a convoluted expository device and a waste of their actor's talents, and let's not even go into that timeline-obliterating post-credits scene in the last episode in the season.
    The only actors/actresses that deserve their Emmy nomination was Jefferey Wright and Thandie Newton (although her character went totally non-sensical midway through the season). Zahn McClarnon was snubbed for his incredible performance in that single episode that had nothing to do with the overall plot and storylines whatsoever like the Japanworld, Rajworld, and Confederados episodes. Evan Rachel Wood and Tessa Thompson overact as the scenery-chomping villains while wearing loads of plot armor and do not deserve Emmy noms. Ed Harris's William/MIB character was completely wasted, though he had the thickest plot armor of them all. Everyone else in this show was underused while Anthony Hopkins plays his usual copy and paste "wise old English man" schtick for his paycheck.

    The series itself is a prime example of just how effective The Twilight Zone or Black Mirror is, since both arguably did just as well in 30 or 60 minutes, what it took WestWorld two seasons to convey. For season 3, they need to tighten up and focus on just one or two stories, rather than the 5-6 it seemed they always had going in the first 2 seasons.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

47
#47 Best TV Season of 2018
7
#7 Most Discussed TV Season of 2018
60
#60 Most Shared TV Season of 2018

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 29 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 29
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 29
  3. Negative: 0 out of 29
  1. TV Guide Magazine
    Reviewed by: Matt Roush
    Apr 26, 2018
    90
    Boldly playing with time and perspective, Westworld keeps you wondering what's real, even as dangerous parks are revealed. [30 Apr - 13 May 2018, p.13]
  2. Vanity Fair
    Reviewed by: Sonia Saraiya
    Apr 25, 2018
    75
    With much more centripetal force than last season, it also draws the audience towards its own center, in its own vivid journey toward self-consciousness.
    Read full review
  3. The Atlantic
    Reviewed by: Sophie Gilbert
    Apr 23, 2018
    80
    Still, Season 2 of Westworld is always absorbing, and more dynamic in its pacing than Season 1. It’s also graced with some tremendous performers, notably Wood, Newton, and Jeffrey Wright.
    Read full review
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