Westworld is in a unique place for a modern television show. Usually we’re used to getting almost more TV than we can handle all at once. In the age of streaming, hits like Stranger Things and House Of Cards come out in season-long batches all at once. Westworld not only exists as a more traditional show on HBO, but took the entirety of 2017 off. That’s why now is a good time to remind everyone that the second season arrived on April 22. All of a sudden we’re going to be back in Westworld, and there are some serious lingering questions after the first season.
Some spoilers follow.
1. Are There New Worlds?
Even according to HBO sources, there are almost certainly other worlds like Westworld under the control of the fictional company Delos. In fact, there are six of them. The end of season one showed us hints of what many have taken to be Samurai World (though some believe the known name “S World” could also stand for Shogun World), and now the only question is whether or not we’ll see it in season two. The logical answer would be yes, or else season one wouldn’t have dropped the hint. Given how much we have left to resolve with Westworld characters though, it’s anybody’s guess if we’ll venture into other places. And given that Westworld has already given us the most vivid depiction of the Old West since The Lone Ranger (hey, it was pretty even if it was ridiculous), we have to s
ay we wouldn’t’ even mind staying put.
2. Is Ford Coming Back?
The people behind Westworld have made it clear that they want us to believe Sir Anthony Hopkins’s Dr. Ford character really died. But in some ways it’s hard to believe. For one thing, the whole first season set up ways in which he could be preserving himself. Second, Hopkins was an extraordinarily important part of the show, even landing him in Emmy consideration. As one preview for the show said, his enigmatic turn in Westworld gave him some of the best odds for Best Lead Actor in a Drama. It’s just hard to believe Hopkins and the showrunners alike moving away from that kind of impact completely. But the truth is that we just don’t know.
3. Is The Man In Black Coming Back?
Where Ford is concerned, we saw a pretty definitive kill shot, and it’s going to come down to some kind of trickery or deception if he’s back in the show. The fate of the Man In Black, however, was left more ambiguous – which is to say he’s probably still out there. Then again, cutting him out wouldn’t ruin any narratives or go back on anything we saw, because based on what we know he could have died. It’s a genuine toss-up that could go either way easily.
4. Will Bernard Take On A Bigger Role?
It feels like a no-brainer that Bernard will be a major part of season two. But how major is an interesting question. For one thing, there’s an argument to be made that Jeffrey Wright actually gave season one’s best performance (and certainly should have been in the running for an Emmy Award). For another, the character is about as complex as they come, having learned in heartbreaking fashion that he isn’t real, but being in a position to plug along anyway. Of all the characters in the show – including some who seem to have the potential for brighter futures ahead – Bernard feels like the one with the biggest story left to tell.
5. Is Maeve’s Daughter Important?
Maeve’s escape sort of dominated the final stages of the first season, and it revolved at least in part around her memory of her own daughter from a previous version of her artificial existence. In the show up to this point, that daughter feels more like a prop than anything else. However, given that Maeve actually succeeded in getting out of Westworld (possibly with some help from the outside), we may be about to get to know her daughter a little bit more. And given this show’s propensity for hiding fascinating nuggets in plain sight, we shouldn’t’ be surprised if she’s a more important character than she seems.
Pinstripe Magazine Staff
Online Men’s Lifestyle Magazine on Gear, Grooming, Girls, Gadgets
