'Westworld: Season 3' Review (Episodes 1 - 2)

A Potpourri of Vestiges Review

By Murtaza Ali Khan

GoT showrunners make special cameos in Westworld: Season 3
*****SPOILER ALERT***** 

Episode 1

The third season of Westworld, streaming on Hotstar, started on a very convoluted note. It's as if the series is trying to create a fresh identity for itself. Given the cerebral nature of the show I don't appreciate it very much when it tries to borrow elements from a cyberpunk series like Altered Carbon. Yet again the season seems to rest on the shoulders of Evan Rachel Wood. Her Dolores seems really committed to take the fight against the human race to the next level. But in the moments Dolores goes off-screen the show offers little excitement. Also, this is really the first time all the action is set outside the Westworld park originally created by Dr. Robert Ford (Anthony Hopkins). So questions do arise if it still should be called Westworld but I feel park one (Westworld) is where all these characters will eventually return to. So hopefully by the end of this season the series will reclaim its title for what's it is worth. Aaron Paul, however, is the welcome new addition to Westworld. I really hope he is able to give back the season's coming episodes the kick that's been missing in the recent times. Remember, it's HBO and so binge watching isn't available.

Aaron Paul joins the principal cast of Westworld: Season 3
Episode 2

After a nearly somnolent season premiere, Westworld Season 3 seems to have picked up some much needed pace in episode 2. All thanks to Thandie Newton's Maeve. She no not the audience's favorite for no reason. Here, I must confess that as a school kid I had a big crush on Newton when I first saw her opposite Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible 2 (2000). 20 years later, the elegant British actress looks just as stunning. Of course, part of Newton's charisma also has to do with the fact that she is a natural when it comes to playing intelligent characters. And Maeve's level of intelligence is really the next level. Any Westworld fan can vouch for that.

Thandie Newton as Maeve in Westworld: Season 3
The second episode has a lot of enigmas. And I am not just talking about the changing aspect ratios to differentiate between reality and simulation. We are introduced to an enigmatic Park four where we encounter the Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss making cameo appearances alongside an inanimate version of Drogon, making for an interesting Westworld/GoT crossover. However, the majority of the episode is set in Park three — War World where we encounter Nazis for the first time in the show. Let's hope that the season can build on this momentum in the coming episodes.
Thandie Newton in Mission: Impossible 2 (2000)
Evan Rachel Wood's Dolores united with Aaron Paul's new character in the first episode and so one can expect some interesting development there. But for me the biggest new attraction has to be the suave French actor Vincent Cassel who is certainly going to play an important role in the coming episodes, possibly as the show’s new big villain. Speaking of villain, we are yet to come across the Man in Black this season.

Readers, please feel free to share your opinion by leaving your comments. As always your valuable thoughts are highly appreciated!


People who liked this also liked...
Share on Google Plus

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Thanks for sharing for valuable opinion. We would be delighted to have you back.