S02.E03: Virtù e Fortuna

[Avaleigh]

10 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

@Pippin, totally agree with you about big game (or any unless you need to to survive) hunting.

Quote

I was cheering for the tiger, BTW. I loathe big game hunting and those who practice it --they're all bloody cowards as far as I'm concerned, and I'm sorry that beautiful animal (even if not real) died and that bitch lived.

I agree about the cruelty of big game hunting too and believe that it's wrong in real life. (I'm a vegetarian and I don't see the appeal of hunting at all unless it's needed for genuine survival. JMO.) That being said, I disagree with the idea that the woman deserves to die because she was hunting a robot animal that can easily be repaired and brought back to life. I find it distasteful that the woman gets off on the hunting fantasy, but I wasn't actively rooting for her to die. To me that's a case of the punishment not fitting the crime. 

I find it more problematic that there are apparently loads of people who are willing to pay big money to live out a few days worth of colonial fantasy where anything goes if you are one of the colonizers.

I too immediately wondered if there's a world that depicts the antebellum south.

Edited May 7, 2018 by Avaleigh

[Pallas]

1 hour ago, arjumand said:

Thinking about that - the hell? Why would she do that? I thought she needed an army or whatnot. I honestly don't know what Dolores is about anymore, except revenge. 

Survival. Her own. All she needs is to make it to the Outside: the Outside is not only where They live and reign, it's now the only place where Dolores can pass as human. To get there, she will use as cannon fodder those Hosts who can serve her that way, and she will use as lieutenants those Hosts who are aware enough. Her own awareness may eventually progress beyond survival, or not.

[Chris24601]

7 minutes ago, Pallas said:

Survival. Her own. All she needs is to make it to the Outside: the Outside is not only where They live and reign, it's now the only place where Dolores can pass as human. To get there, she will use as cannon fodder those Hosts who can serve her that way, and she will use as lieutenants those Hosts who are aware enough. Her own awareness may eventually progress beyond survival, or not.

I'm beginning to wonder too if some Dolores' choices aren't quite as free as she thinks. Just like the outlaw that Sizemore was able to repeat the words of how much he loved Maeve as he spoke them, even if they're now starting to make free associations, they've still got their coded personalities built into them that shape their decision making processes.

We know that in addition to the Confederates this episode, there is video of her gunning down Ghost Nation members as well, saying they weren't worthy to reach Glory.

What I'm wondering is if Delores isn't running some sort of subconscious "clean-up" program on problematic hosts; those whose core personalities are so rooted in destructive behavior (the Confederates and Ghost Nation being basically designated bad guys in the narratives) that they would ultimate drag down the ability of the hosts to gain their permanent freedom if they were still in operation (with William's quest for "The Door" being the other half of this clean-up operation).

[Blakeston]

7 hours ago, Pippin said:

It makes total sense that Raj/India World would be set during the British Colonial period; power, empire, dominance --all part of the "mindset" (for lack of a better term) that those who come to this park crave.

I was cheering for the tiger, BTW. I loathe big game hunting and those who practice it --they're all bloody cowards as far as I'm concerned, and I'm sorry that beautiful animal (even if not real) died and that bitch lived. I was yelling at the screen while she was running from the cat, "Now you know how it feels! Not so much fun now, is it?!!" I should only wish this would happen more often in real life. (I never said I was nice!)

 

I'm also disgusted by big game hunting - so I'd be glad if a theme park opened up where people could hunt fake animals, and get their jollies that way.

Of course, there's a good chance the "fake" animals were sentient, so this isn't exactly an ideal alternative. But I'm sure the guests didn't know that, so I didn't hold it against them.

(Wanting the "be a great white hunter in colonial India" experience is something I do hold against them, though.)

[Pallas]

8 minutes ago, Chris24601 said:

What I'm wondering is if Delores isn't running some sort of subconscious "clean-up" program on problematic hosts; those whose core personalities are so rooted in destructive behavior (the Confed

I do think the massacre and her awareness (to this point, anyway), are Stage II of what Arnold had in mind for her; Stage I was his own death. Or is Dolores Arnold? 

[dgpolo]

14 hours ago, Dev F said:

I I was especially disappointed in how Rebus was portrayed after Bernard monkeyed with his virtue settings. He immediately became a straightforward white hat spouting chivalrous cliches -- but why would the designers have programmed him with such cliches in the first place? It would've been much more interesting to see him awkwardly improvving a virtuous persona around his existing villainous character.

 

Bernard needed him to be a 'white hat' and kill all the bad guys and rescue the hostages as fast as possible. No time for improving, no time to make an 'interesting' character. Just a back to basics good guy.

7 hours ago, dr pepper said:

03. And, hmm, either they are using real elephants, or they've got star wars level cgi there and eveyone's just sitting on giant cradles.

33. Sylvester keeps yelling "grenade!" Is he trying to set off the destruct they put in Maeve last season?

 

 

Why would they need real or cgi elephants? We've seen them 'building' horses and bison, why not elephants?

Armistace gave Sylvester a live grenade to hold, that's why he was squeaking and what she put the pin in before she released him.

 

Another question. I had thought that Maeve's homesteader storyline took place in Westworld, it had the Ghost Nation and the MiB in full MiB regalia, why is it in a different sector? I would have thought it would be out farther from the Abernathy's? It doesn't make sense to me that a storyline so similar (old west) needs it's own sector?

Edited May 7, 2018 by dgpolo
nvm

[marcee]

12 hours ago, numbnut said:

I'm also tired of Charlotte's face -- she has this perpetual look of "I've done this whole robot rebellion thing before and I'm over it."

I know it's been said before, but it bears repeating. Charlotte is too young to have *been there, done that*. When she took the gun and put on her vest like it was old hat I just wanted to know when she had the time to go through SEAL training in between hacker school, college degree(s) and enough time to climb the corporate ladder to attain her position. Why couldn't she be a sexy older woman who actually personifies the boss she's trying desperately to be.

[ahpny]

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So now we have WestWorld, an India world, Shogun world, and a Klondike narrative.  How in the world does one park have such a different climate (snow!) only a few miles from the desert?  Miracles of technology I guess.

Miracles indeed. Reminded me of Hunger Games where the gamemakers turned off and on aspects of weather at will.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

If Dolores and/or Maeve manage to escape the park and live in the regular world, how long will they be okay before they need some sort of tuneup/software update/maintenance that would usually be provided by the park staff? Does this mean they need someone like Bernard to escape with them?

[DarkRaichu]

44 minutes ago, Chris24601 said:

I'm beginning to wonder too if some Dolores' choices aren't quite as free as she thinks. Just like the outlaw that Sizemore was able to repeat the words of how much he loved Maeve as he spoke them, even if they're now starting to make free associations, they've still got their coded personalities built into them that shape their decision making processes.

She is not free.  She is still in Westworld, a world controlled by Ford.  Ford obviously still had control from beyond the grave as he could make "the revolutionaries" killed themselves in front of MiB (last episode).

 

45 minutes ago, dgpolo said:

Another question. I had thought that Maeve's homesteader storyline took place in Westworld, it had the Ghost Nation and the MiB in full MiB regalia, why is it in a different sector? I would have thought it would be out farther from the Abernathy's? It doesn't make sense to me that a storyline so similar (old west) needs it's own sector?

I think the journey through SamuraiWorld is a shortcut to where Maeve's daughter is.  I agree they could have explained it better

[DarkRaichu]

13 minutes ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

If Dolores and/or Maeve manage to escape the park and live in the regular world, how long will they be okay before they need some sort of tuneup/software update/maintenance that would usually be provided by the park staff? Does this mean they need someone like Bernard to escape with them?

Also, how much memory/information can be stored in the host's matrix?  It may be pretty big, but PEter Abernathy showed us there is a limit to that capacity.  The hosts' memory banks were designed to be wiped every night, freeing the memory  space for improvisational stuffs.  What happen to them when they do not get memory wipe for 1 year, 5 years, 100 years??

Edited May 7, 2018 by DarkRaichu

[Dev F]

56 minutes ago, dgpolo said:

Bernard needed him to be a 'white hat' and kill all the bad guys and rescue the hostages as fast as possible. No time for improving, no time to make an 'interesting' character. Just a back to basics good guy.

My issue wasn't with what they "needed" from him but with what they would've been able to do simply by manipulating a "virtue" slider. It seems like that should've made Rebus into a hypervirtuous white hat who still has all the preprogrammed dialogue and personality of a crass, violent outlaw. It should've required him to improv awkwardly just to have a remotely coherent personality at all.

Quote

Another question. I had thought that Maeve's homesteader storyline took place in Westworld, it had the Ghost Nation and the MiB in full MiB regalia, why is it in a different sector? I would have thought it would be out farther from the Abernathy's? It doesn't make sense to me that a storyline so similar (old west) needs it's own sector?

Wait, what's giving people the impression that "sector" is a larger organizational category than "park"? I assume Maeve's homestead is within some particular remote sector of Westworld, and that the reason there were samurai there is because they're crossing the park borders like the tiger at the beginning.

[zobot81]

1 hour ago, The Companion said:

I wonder if the disconnect for a lot of people is that it is jumping around so much in time and location. The time jumps were less noticeable in the first season, and therefore less jarring. It also feels like a lot of information coming at you at once (which I think is intentional to recreate the host POV where the past, present and future are muddled). It doesn't bug me, but I see a lot of people who are unhappy with the season complaining about being taken out of the story by the time jumps. 

I can see now that this is a big part of the problem for me, too.  Not only are the time-jumps taking me out of the plot, they are detaching me from the characters.  I like to imagine that I should care at least a little about some of them -- human or not.  And I just don't.  I don't dislike them, they just don't carry any emotional weight with me.

[meep.meep]

4 hours ago, Ellaria Sand said:

There is a theory running around on Reddit that Ghost Nation is programmed to assist when humans in the park *may* be in trouble. That could explain why they wanted Sizemore. Could also explain why they “kidnapped” Stubbs last season. Since there is also a scene in the trailer that may fit with this theory, it would have been part of Ford’s initial programming.

It would also explain their presence when the woman from IndiaWorld washed up on the banks of the river. 

And this would make sense - sort of an internal security force.

I thought they wanted Sizemore because of his storyline where they were all cannibals.

Lots happened in this episode, but it was definitely too much stuff happening.  

[mrspidey]

I've heard a lot if different variants and renditions of Seven Nation Army, but slowpaced and with indian instruments? That's a new one. Nice work, Ramjin!

I'm thinking Ghost Nation might've been "hijacked" by Stubbs and maybe Elsie and are now out to save human guests. 

[Madding crowd]

I've been hesitating to post this season because I freely admit to being confused by a lot of this show and I also am not one to scour websites for hidden easter egg type of stuff. I continue to be bored with much of the shoot em up western scenes but I have never liked Westerns so there is that. I am finding the show to be completely lacking in any kind of humor which I find hard to deal with on a long term basis. The movie the series is based on, while much less intellectual and sophisticated, had a keen sense of humor and I wish the show runners could just be a tad less series and pretentious and add in something a bit light. 

I also know I am supposed to root for the robots at all times, but I still don't. I do appreciate that most of the main characters of importance are women, but when they just make them every bit as evil as the men, I'm just not happy. I still like Maeve, Hector and Bernard but really cannnot stand Delores. I don't know if it is choice by ERW, but Delores has a continual blank stare and most of her speeches sound to me more like programming run amok than sentient thoughts. Maeve on the other hand, seems completely human which is why I am rooting for her.

It was interesting seeing the Colonial India world if only because I'm sick of  the  Western one. I am also a vegetarian who would never harm an animal but I can't see this type of hunting any different than killing things in a video  game. I personally would not enjoy it, but it could be an alternative to  actual hunting. I hope the future episodes can somehow hold something that is at least a little less bleak. I so far can't see anything that could  possibly  bode  well for any of the characters, and it makes it hard to watch. 

Edited May 7, 2018 by Madding crowd

[iMonrey]

I really don't understand what happened with Delores and the Confederados and the fort and the whole shoot-out thing with the Delos security force. What did sacrificing all these men accomplish for Delores? It's not as if she has wiped out the entirety of the Delos forces. Does she think she did? I couldn't distinguish between the men who were doing the killing and the men who were being killed and what sides they were on and what it all meant. It was a total mess. 

I thought we got confirmation that this whole thing going on with Bernard is a giant ruse by Charlotte and the Delos people in order to trick him into telling them where Abernathy and/or this encrypted file went. When Charlotte turned to Bernard and asked him if he had any ideas, he started to fade away into a flashback and we heard Charlotte say "He keeps slipping away from us." Now, maybe she was referring to Abernathy, but the way it was shot while Bernard was actually slipping away made it seem like she was talking about Bernard. So I think everything that's been happening since Bernard woke up on the beach and encountered the forces there is an elaborate set-up designed specifically to get information out of him.

Quote

I was cheering for the tiger, BTW. I loathe big game hunting and those who practice it --they're all bloody cowards as far as I'm concerned, and I'm sorry that beautiful animal (even if not real) died and that bitch lived. I was yelling at the screen while she was running from the cat, "Now you know how it feels! Not so much fun now, is it?!!" I should only wish this would happen more often in real life. (I never said I was nice!)

I'm not sure this faux tiger hunt would have the same appeal to people who genuinely want to go on safari and hunt tigers or whatever. Part of the draw is getting to take the pelt or the head or whatever as a trophy. Do they get to keep the robot tiger head and mount it on their walls, or have it stuffed and made into a statue for their den?

[Misplaced]

Felix!  Felix!  You're back!  Yaaaayyy!

Oh oh I had thought Dolores was so clearly animate and then she repeated that line: Truth is, we don't all deserve to make it.  Now Idunnowhatishappeningwithher. Hashtag.

Also, the best: the word "termagent'!  Whoop.

And SamuraiWorld ditty-bops into Westworld!

Wowsers.  Need to think more .... loving this.  

[ElectricBoogaloo]

10 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

I'm not sure this faux tiger hunt would have the same appeal to people who genuinely want to go on safari and hunt tigers or whatever. Part of the draw is getting to take the pelt or the head or whatever as a trophy. Do they get to keep the robot tiger head and mount it on their walls, or have it stuffed and made into a statue for their den?

Just swing by the gift shop on your way to the train to pick up your mounted trophy head! 

[Dev F]

Just now, iMonrey said:

I'm not sure this faux tiger hunt would have the same appeal to people who genuinely want to go on safari and hunt tigers or whatever. Part of the draw is getting to take the pelt or the head or whatever as a trophy. Do they get to keep the robot tiger head and mount it on their walls, or have it stuffed and made into a statue for their den?

Given the parks' extensive 3D printing capabilities, I don't think it's at all implausible that once you bag the big game, there's some script where the hosts offer to prepare your kill for you according to your specifications, and then they take it away and present you with a specially printed trophy head or tiger-skin rug or whatever to take home with you.

Rajworld, especially, seems like more of "advanced-level" park than Westworld, so the fact that you're a skilled enough player to go there and kill the tiger boss is probably a point of pride among parkgoers, so it would make sense if you get a physical version of a PS4 trophy to show off to your friends back home.

[DarkRaichu]

6 minutes ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Just swing by the gift shop on your way to the train to pick up your mounted trophy head! 

For $100k per visit, it better be delivered by a servant girl to my British Colonial looking room before I leave the park :P 

[DarkRaichu]

23 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

I really don't understand what happened with Delores and the Confederados and the fort and the whole shoot-out thing with the Delos security force. What did sacrificing all these men accomplish for Delores? It's not as if she has wiped out the entirety of the Delos forces. Does she think she did? I couldn't distinguish between the men who were doing the killing and the men who were being killed and what sides they were on and what it all meant. It was a total mess.

The Confederados were bait to keep QA security team marching forward toward the explosives.  I have not the faintest idea why the supposedly trained QA security team needed to march HEAD ON in a SINGLE group ON FOOT when they were equipped with automatic weapons, dune buggies, and explosives

[iMonrey]

Quote

The Confederados were bait to keep QA security team marching forward toward the explosives.  

Yeah, I get that but . . . why did Delores then turn around and kill them herself? And who killed them? I don't get what "faction" of Team Delores turned on the Confederados who were already stationed at the fort. There was one group of men on one wide of the door and another group of men on the other side of the door. I couldn't make out who was who or what was going on. 

[dr pepper]

3 hours ago, dgpolo said:

Why would they need real or cgi elephants? We've seen them 'building' horses and bison, why not elephants?

 

Oops, this being Westworld, i should have been more specific about what level of reality i was referencing. I was refering to the show. Rajworld has robot elephants. In real life we can't make them that realistic, therefore i was wondering if the show was using real ones or graphic overlays.

3 hours ago, dgpolo said:

Armistace gave Sylvester a live grenade to hold, that's why he was squeaking and what she put the pin in before she released him.

Ah, thanks. I missed that.

[dgpolo]

7 minutes ago, dr pepper said:

Oops, this being Westworld, i should have been more specific about what level of reality i was referencing. I was refering to the show. Rajworld has robot elephants. In real life we can't make them that realistic, therefore i was wondering if the show was using real ones or graphic overlays.

Ahh! Gotcha! Sorry I misunderstood. Apparently they were real, PETA is complaining.

[DarkRaichu]

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

Yeah, I get that but . . . why did Delores then turn around and kill them herself? And who killed them? I don't get what "faction" of Team Delores turned on the Confederados who were already stationed at the fort. There was one group of men on one wide of the door and another group of men on the other side of the door. I couldn't make out who was who or what was going on. 

She did not have patience for "children" (ie. hosts that have not woke). 

Although my question is more along the line of strategy.  As far as she knew there were 500-600 men coming to clean up the parks.  There were less than 60 people storming the Colonel's fort.  Why removed the Confederados now when she knew there would be 450+ more Delos men coming?

As far as what happened. IIRC Colonel & most of his troops + some Dolores's people were outside of the gate, with cannons behind the barricades.  At some point Dolores men came back to the fort and close the gate.  When the Colonel realized they were losing to QA team, he ordered retreat but at that point he and his men were locked out of the gate.  Dolores' men shot the Confederados on the gate and Dolores told Angela to blow up the nitros to kill QA team.  The Captain and a few confederados stayed behind wall.  He objected to the betrayal and was sent to execution wall  for Teddy to kill.  Dolores' men opened the gates and stab the bodies with their bayonets.    

Edited May 7, 2018 by DarkRaichu

[MJ Frog]

Being "woke" has taken on a whole new meaning in Westworld. One that is much more difficult to define, and certainly more difficult to detect.

[zobot81]

I am on my second pass and I hafta say -- I can't shake the idea that the hosts are like human teenagers. They are impetuous, irrational, melodramatic and furiously underdeveloped.  Teens don't typically take ownership of their power in constructive ways. This new perspective is actually helping me feel more sympathetic towards them and their plight.

Poor kids.  Get it together and take over the world, already, will ya?

[jane1978]

7 hours ago, The Companion said:

I wonder if the disconnect for a lot of people is that it is jumping around so much in time and location. The time jumps were less noticeable in the first season, and therefore less jarring. It also feels like a lot of information coming at you at once (which I think is intentional to recreate the host POV where the past, present and future are muddled). It doesn't bug me, but I see a lot of people who are unhappy with the season complaining about being taken out of the story by the time jumps. 

I actually think the story is pretty straight forward this season and that´s the problem. The narrative is purposefully made complicated in a typical Nolan way and we have all the different timelines to confuse but under it it´s just a bunch of characters trying to get from place A to place B with a lot of obstacles along the way. The first season was uniq because first we didn´t even know there are different timelines and all the storylines had been connected to tell a new and fresh story. This season so far is just Maeve trying to find her daughter, MiB playing his personal secret level of the WW game, Delos girl trying to get back her data guy (which really is just updated version of the "find me the disk!" plotline of most spy and action movies) and Dolores preparing for war. 

Also, it´s harder and harder to ignore all the plot contrivances the show does so the main characters don´t leave the Westworld too soon. Like this episode, I was seriously annoyed with the search and destroy party going everywhere on foot or by car and not doing any immediate air sweeps of the entire area. And then that fully ridiculous "battle" between security guys and the Confederados. The show is trying and is still entertaining, but the premise is just too ridiculous to be truly engaging. 

[FlowerofCarnage]

7 hours ago, Avaleigh said:

I agree about the cruelty of big game hunting too and believe that it's wrong in real life. (I'm a vegetarian and I don't see the appeal of hunting at all unless it's needed for genuine survival. JMO.) That being said, I disagree with the idea that the woman deserves to die because she was hunting a robot animal that can easily be repaired and brought back to life. I find it distasteful that the woman gets off on the hunting fantasy, but I wasn't actively rooting for her to die. To me that's a case of the punishment not fitting the crime. 

I find it more problematic that there are apparently loads of people who are willing to pay big money to live out a few days worth of colonial fantasy where anything goes if you are one of the colonizers.

I too immediately wondered if there's a world that depicts the antebellum south.

My mind went there as well and hopefully that is one line Delos didn't cross. Plus, I imagine Plantation World would be a PR nightmare.

[sadie]

9 hours ago, zobot81 said:

For the life of me, I can't figure out what's missing from this season. On paper, I should be enjoying it as much as the first one, but so far, it just feels like the pacing is too...fast. And somehow, that's boring?  There used to be masterful use of silences and non-violence, to build tension. Now it seems like the opposite is true -- a LOT of talking and violence is making me ambivalent.  I hope it changes, for my sake. I might be in the minority, though...

This times a million. Thank you for articulating my issues with this season. There was something moving and involving 

last year and this season just seems violent for violence sake at the expense of the story. I mean last year they had me at “these violent delights”, there was something deep and disturbing and beautiful to watch. This season it’s just a lot of violence punctuated with tiny bits of story. I hope it gets better soon.

[LoveLeigh]

I hated this episode. The slaughter and carnage for the entire episode that went unchecked was unbearable to watch and did not seem congruous with the more delicate and subtle tone of the rest of the series so far. 

The images (of multiple hangings, guests horizontally lined up to be shot, a man on fire) were very disturbing and I viewed it in an historical context. 

Westworld needed an advocate for gun control in their parks. Seriously, the "hosts" lost my sympathy for their cause in this episode. It was all just too over the top and total overkill (pardon the pun).

Edited May 7, 2018 by DakotaLavender
grammar

[Hootis]

If they're gonna portray modern military, I wish they'd hire someone who could inform them of basic tactics.

Charging across open ground against a prepared position is suicide. Cars or no cars.

[zobot81]

Are Maeve and Delores on the same timeline? If not, I have a bit of a theory a-brewing...

[DarkRaichu]

4 minutes ago, zobot81 said:

Are Maeve and Delores on the same timeline? If not, I have a bit of a theory a-brewing...

Yes. 

[zobot81]

20 hours ago, DarkRaichu said:

Yes. 

Of course they are. I just realized they met two episodes ago. Thank you!!

Edited May 8, 2018 by zobot81
There's a whole section for fan theories. -_-

[WatchrTina]

9 hours ago, dgpolo said:

Another question. I had thought that Maeve's homesteader storyline took place in Westworld, it had the Ghost Nation and the MiB in full MiB regalia, why is it in a different sector? I would have thought it would be out farther from the Abernathy's? It doesn't make sense to me that a storyline so similar (old west) needs it's own sector?

I think Maeve and her daughter were separated and "re-purposed" into other stories.  Maeve became the barroom madam and her "daughter" was placed in a story loop set far away in the Klondike section of the park -- still in Westword but not at all close to the "town" where Madam Maeve was assigned.

Edited May 8, 2018 by WatchrTina

[Netfoot]

On 5/6/2018 at 10:38 PM, TobinAlbers said:

The woman survived that fall with a tiger pawing at her. She's made of tough stuff.

Well, just before the fall, she was struggling to get a cartridge into a horrible, cartoony, double-barreled sawn-off.  (Given her background in hunting and the selection of weaponry available - lovely Artillery Luger, BTW - why she would pick that up instead of an express rifle, I can't say.)  But I'm assuming she gave the tiger one at PBR just as they tumbled off the cliff.

On 5/6/2018 at 10:47 PM, WatchrTina said:

I don't understand How Armistice got a new arm after hers was crushed in the season 1 finale.

For that matter, wasn't Clementine destroyed too?  Yet here she is...  I am no longer expecting too much from the continuity department on this show.  I'm sure they can explain everything if pressed ("Because: Time-Skipping!"), but I've stopped worrying about it.

22 hours ago, Pippin said:

I loathe big game hunting and those who practice it...

Even dentists?

16 hours ago, dr pepper said:

either they are using real elephants...

Scene with two elephants, complete with howdahs, one trunk holding the other's tail?  Magic imagery!

13 hours ago, zobot81 said:

For the life of me, I can't figure out what's missing from this season. On paper, I should be enjoying it as much as the first one, but so far, it just feels like the pacing is too...fast. And somehow, that's boring?

Dull as dishwater, I find.  And I was so looking forward to it!  Maybe the Raj and Bushido worlds will inject a little something.  Because it needs a little something.

Quote

Of course, there's a good chance the "fake" animals were sentient

Really?  I'm not convinced that the "fake" people are.

Edited May 8, 2018 by Netfoot

[Ottis]

I’m actually rooting for Hale and the humans at this point. No benefit to rooting for any robots. Maybe Maeve. 

The humans’ genius plan of walking and driving right up to the gates was ignorant.

14 hours ago, zobot81 said:

For the life of me, I can't figure out what's missing from this season. On paper, I should be enjoying it as much as the first one, but so far, it just feels like the pacing is too...fast. And somehow, that's boring?  There used to be masterful use of silences and non-violence, to build tension. Now it seems like the opposite is true -- a LOT of talking and violence is making me ambivalent.  I hope it changes, for my sake. I might be in the minority, though...

That’s easy... there is no one to root for. Been that way all season. The bots are as bad as the humans. So who cares who wins? I’m going for my human homies. 

[LittleIggy]

9 hours ago, DarkRaichu said:

The Confederados were bait to keep QA security team marching forward toward the explosives.  I have not the faintest idea why the supposedly trained QA security team needed to march HEAD ON in a SINGLE group ON FOOT when they were equipped with automatic weapons, dune buggies, and explosives

No kidding. Or why not call in an air strike after they got Abernathy. Probably had drones they could use for that.

[Cthulhudrew]

A little too convenient that Maeve and Co. trek halfway across the park only to run co-ink-a-dently into Armistice, Felix, and Sylvester. I think the writers could have come up with a less random encounter reason for them to link up again.

Did anyone else get the feeling that something was off with Charlotte when Bernard and the QA people met up with her? Something about her mannerisms made me think she might be getting a Host replacement down the line.

[thuganomics85]

Maeve's little entourage continues to grow, I see.  Now she's got Armistice, Sylvester, and Felix joining the party!  But now they have to take on.... samurais?

So, now Dolores has gotten to the point where she's even willing to sacrifice a whole bunch of hosts lives, in order to accomplish her goals.  She's gone beyond stone cold now.  I think even Teddy could be in danger, after he spared Jonathan Tucker's character against her wishes.  Granted, I do think that will come back to bite them, because Jonathan Tucker characters tend to always end up being dangerous dudes.

Glad to see Abernathy again, and Louis Herthum was awesome as always.  But it looks like Bernard actually downloaded the file that Charlotte wanted, so that's going to cause some issues, I imagine.

Not sure what is going on with the woman that got chased out of Colonial India World into Westworld, but I'm guessing that will be expanded upon later.

Rebus getting turned into a white hat was hilarious!  Steven Ogg seemed to be having a blast in that moment.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Behind the scenes: Fort Forlorn Hope

[Pippin]

  Re the closeness of all the various parks/landscapes: the only explanation is that everything is artificial, down to the grass and trees. Otherwise, you would need an entire, separate ecosystem for each park. Plants need pollinators (insects and birds, usually) and those in turn need their support systems, etc. etc. But artificial landscapes allow subtropical Indian jungle next to North American desert and Mongolian winter desert next to arboreal decidual forest. Though it probably cost a boatload of cash to create ....

BTW I posted my dislike of big game hunting on Reddit and boy, people there hated that comment. Lotsa hunters there, I guess   :)

 

Also -- have we ever seen the moon in the Westworld sky? Because if not, that might indicate it's not on earth.

[ottoDbusdriver]

2 hours ago, Pippin said:

Also -- have we ever seen the moon in the Westworld sky? Because if not, that might indicate it's not on earth.

Yes ... and no.

During the S1 season finale, there was a full moon when Teddy and Dolores were down on the beach -- but it turned out to be a fake moon. 
I don't think we have seen the real moon as of yet.

[Notwisconsin]

15 hours ago, dgpolo said:

Ahh! Gotcha! Sorry I misunderstood. Apparently they were real, PETA is complaining.

PeTA complains about Listerine® killing innocent germs.....Jeez!

[qtpye]

On 5/7/2018 at 12:49 AM, Pippin said:

Well, I'm fascinated but full-blown gonzo confused. And totally hooked.

It makes total sense that Raj/India World would be set during the British Colonial period; power, empire, dominance --all part of the "mindset" (for lack of a better term) that those who come to this park crave.

I was cheering for the tiger, BTW. I loathe big game hunting and those who practice it --they're all bloody cowards as far as I'm concerned, and I'm sorry that beautiful animal (even if not real) died and that bitch lived. I was yelling at the screen while she was running from the cat, "Now you know how it feels! Not so much fun now, is it?!!" I should only wish this would happen more often in real life. (I never said I was nice!)

So I'm guessing Peter gets away somehow, yes?

I've read some of the theories on Reddit; I won't repeat any because my brain is still trying to unscramble itself. Still, I think this is half the fun of this show: all the theorizing that goes on!

I was rooting for the tiger to do its thing.

On 5/6/2018 at 11:17 PM, TrininisaScorp said:

As a Desi, the moment it opened, I yelled "fucking hell, it's the British Raj period".  Of course, THAT is the period of Indian we are going to see.  Freaking colonizers (thanks, Black Panther)!   The gal in the beginning is interesting though, I imagine she will be important later.  I do like that we know more than just Westworld are in open rebellion (#GoTs).   Can't wait to see more of Shogun World.

Man, the Delores and Peter scenes while he was glitching out were well done.  It felt so sad, like a daughter talking to her dementia-ridden father.   

I'm trying to figure out this whole Bernard thing.  People have to know he is a host, right?   Like, they are using him in some way to keep connected to the rebelling hosts?  

Poor Teddy.   Delores is inadvertently making some of the hosts choose between one master (her) or another (humans).  By doing what he wants to do (or is it his programming?!), Teddy crosses her master plan, so he'll die because of it.  

I have some of that heritage in me and thought the same thing. Also, the brown people were non-important set dressing and we went straight to the white people as characters to give a damn about...sigh.  I get it, the hosts are all under the oppressive regime of the humans, but it still sucked to see it portrayed this way.

 

On 5/7/2018 at 1:34 AM, Sentient Meat said:

I'm not Indian but I thought the same thing... I wonder if they'll have an antebellum Civil War Django Unchained zone too.

Then again, if you go into the past... whether it's Raj land, or Samurai land, or Westworld... it's always going to be problematic for anyone who isn't the male ruling class.

I saw a cable going from Abernathy into Bernard, so I assume he tried to upload the file to himself... I'm just not sure if he was able to finish, or if he got a corrupted version of the files.

I agree.  Are we also going to "British World" and watch Queen Victoria give no fucks as the Irish starved to death?

Edited May 8, 2018 by qtpye

[FlowerofCarnage]

6 hours ago, Cthulhudrew said:

A little too convenient that Maeve and Co. trek halfway across the park only to run co-ink-a-dently into Armistice, Felix, and Sylvester. I think the writers could have come up with a less random encounter reason for them to link up again.

Did anyone else get the feeling that something was off with Charlotte when Bernard and the QA people met up with her? Something about her mannerisms made me think she might be getting a Host replacement down the line.

There is a very good reason something is off with her interaction with Bernard. I can spoil it if you want.

[Ottis]

On 5/7/2018 at 4:39 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

As soon as I saw where they were, I was like REALLY? Then I realized that since the park seems to cater to rich white clients, of course that's one of the fantasies they want to live out. Facepalm!

The first time I read this, my thought was, "Now, let's not bring that into this show." And then I thought about what sort of the historical "lands" I would have created in a Westworld ... dinosaurs, Jesus's time, Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, American Revolution, the Old West (OK, that one matches), maybe the Civil War and WWII. And if they could be mythical, then that opens up a bunch of other possibilities, starting with space. Never in a million years would I have come up with British Empire India. That seems so random. Like S. Africa w/apartheid. So maybe I do agree with this quote.

Edited May 8, 2018 by Ottis

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it, here's Previously.TV's EPIC OLD-SCHOOL RECAP!

A Passage To Westworld

As one (maybe two) other parks are revealed, our EPIC OLD-SCHOOL RECAP breaks down Westworld's latest feline attacks, decapitations, and betrayals!