Looking Ahead to Season 2:
Bill Bodkin: I skipped the previous section since I gave my thoughts on the finale in my review. However, I did not speculate on Season 2 in it. What I really want to happen here is that the writers take their time with fully fleshing out the story for Season 2. I do not want a repeat of True Detective. This was a really strong series, that could’ve been a lot better. I want the team behind the series to learn from their mistakes. Please cut down on these extended and obtuse dumps of dialogue. If you’re going to have rules (which I don’t really care too much for, but others do), please follow them. But most importantly – samurais, guys. Samurais.
Daniel Cohen: One prediction I had all along is that the next season was going to focus on another theme park. Samurais, baby! Hell, yeah. I’m sure we’ll get a bunch of new characters out of this. My first prediction will be a casting announcement on Ken Watanabe. You can take that to the bank.
I’m not going to lay out anything I need to see. With a show like Westworld, it’s best to just let it come to you. My biggest curiosity will be how they handle all the old Hosts. Won’t this Westworld massacre get out in the news? Why would people still go? Where does that leave the Hosts?
We’ll find out soon enough, or in 2025 when season two premieres.
DJ Chapman: For Season 2 of Westworld I have no idea what to think. First, we’ll have to see if anyone made it out of Dolores’ attack. If not what does this mean for Delos? The only thing I can see happening is a scenario where a new Westworld is made that takes place years after this attack. Otherwise, how else would people be willing to go into Westworld without feeling threatened. However because Maeve still has an open-ended story we need to see what’s going to happen with her. It is possible that now the hosts will be hunted down in Westworld and the show may become more of a survival show while Delos rebuilds.
It also might be interesting to see how the outside world deals with the Westworld incident, although since we do not know much about what is going on in the outside world we might need some context for what technology exists in the outside world so we can know how people view Westworld. I’m also hoping to see more of Delos and what research they are getting from the hosts inside Westworld. It’s probably going too crazy, but maybe they want to be able to replace humans with hosts in powerful positions so they can be an illuminati level organization! But that’s probably pushing it. Either way I must say I am very excited for the next season of Westworld and was ultimately satisfied with the season finale, I look forward to more.
Taylor Bowne: I’m curious to see how the new power dynamic between the androids and the humans plays out next season. Throughout this season it was hard to not feel for the androids and the endless suffering they seemed to be doomed to live. Now that they are starting to break free of the chains their creators have put on them I hope they don’t bite off more than they can chew but I also know that will make for good drama. Maybe the real awakening for them happens when there is no one left to rebuild them after they “die.” Maybe death is the final frontier for them? One thing I do know for sure is that The Man in Black is in for a world of pain now that the host’s can fight back. It’s time for him to put up or shut up.
Matthew Kelly: DO SAMURAI WORLD!
Forget Westworld. Call the show something else. Misadventures in Delos is a little wordy but who cares. Take another stab at all of this “am I human” nonsense but with Samurai. They’re better.
I was initially worried about the potential Westworld expansion. There are several other “______worlds” featured in the film the show is based on, but they are all coincidentally too similar to HBO shows that already exist. You can’t have a Camelot World without ripping off Game of Thrones and you can’t have a Classical World without ripping off Rome. Originally, it looked like we were going to be confined to Sweetwater for the future of the show.
Imagine my surprise when Thandie Newton ran through a lab filled with what appear to be robot Samurai. We have an out. HBO, here’s your opportunity to forget about all of the paper thin cowboys you have painfully exposited on us this year and focus on the good stuff. We can spend all of next season watching a similar (but hopefully less clunky) story unfold in Samuraiworld and you can pretend that was the plan all along.
No more maze. No more Bernarnold. No more Wyatt. Instead we get a new story about warring Shoguns that eventually turns out to be some kind of existential robot whatever. These hosts can even be part of a different line, so they don’t have all of the dumb logical inconsistencies that this season had to deal with. And on top of that, imagine how excited everyone would be when in the Season Finale, Deloros and the rest of the Westworld cavalry ride up to tip the scales in the Samurai war. It would be your Nick Fury post credits sequence moment, which would set up some world building and connectivity that the show desperately needs.
Listen, this show should be great. SHOULD. Robots are only getting more relevant and video games are a huge part of our collective consciousness that get very little respect in television. Just start fresh with Season 2. Give it another go with Samurais. Or don’t. I couldn’t care less.
Ryan DeMarco: My expectations for season 2 could not be any higher. I’m really digging the little Easter Eggs that we’re thrown in giving us a little sneak peek at next season. First off the Samurai Park moment was amazing. I love that idea of the park expansion and will bring in a new exciting feel to the show that will keep the story fresh. Also, I love how the season ended with the chaos just starting-with one moment in particular sticking out, William getting shot in the arm and just grinning. I love how his character has finally gotten his wish- a world where actions have consequences and where results won’t always be beneficial to the guests. I’m really excited to see where that character goes in Season 2.
