Five episodes to watch before 'Westworld' returns on Sunday
Hey, remember “Westworld?” That HBO show with the robot cowboys and the dead-eyed naked people sitting in glass-walled rooms? I can't really blame you if you don't — it last aired June 24, 2018, and hasn't exactly been a part of the national pop culture conversation since then, Thandie Newton's Emmy win notwithstanding.
It's back at 8 p.m. Sunday, March 15, and the trailers tell us they've fulfilled at least two of the three items on my Season 3 wishlist, namely that Newton's cybernetic hero would be resurrected as the show's new villain, and that the main action would leave the titular setting.
If you've never seen “Westworld” and wonder whether you can jump in Sunday without seeing a single episode, I'd say no — even if you're the biggest Aaron Paul fanatic on earth. (The “Breaking Bad” actor joins the cast for the first time Sunday.)
“Westworld” is one of those shows that sounds like a joke if you try to describe it to the uninitiated. Multiple actors play the same characters in different time periods, robotic theme-park “hosts” upload themselves to a virtual heaven, there's a Man in Black who's also William, there's a Dolores who's also Wyatt who's also Charlotte ... if you love this kind of labyrinthine stuff as I do, then you should watch “Westworld” from the beginning.
And if you're already a fan, here are five essential episodes you might want to review on your HBO GO app before Sunday's premiere:
“The Original,” 1x01
The premiere episode introduces us to all the main players, the theme park that's like a living game of “Red Dead Redemption,” and the show's penchant for re-imagining pop songs as honky-tonk piano melodies or string concertos. My favorite: Nirvana's “Heart Shaped Box.”
“The Bicameral Mind,” 1x10
A rocky first season that bore the scars of trouble in the writers' room ends on a high note as park overlord Robert Ford (Anthony Hopkins, devastating as always) springs a huge surprise on his guests and the audience with the help of his first robotic creation, Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood).
“The Riddle of the Sphinx,” 2x04
Peter Mullan terrifies in his guest appearance as James Delos, the head of the company that created the Westworld park. Here we learn Delos' real motivation for building the park and its hosts, and how resourceful guest Emily (“Evil” star Katja Herbers) is connected to William (Ed Harris).
“Akane no Mai,” 2x05
After seeing glimpses in Season 1, we finally visit Shogun World, a sister park to Westworld set in feudal Japan, where rogue host Maeve (Thandie Newton) uses her mind-control powers to exact bloody justice on another host's tormentors.
“Kiksuya,” 2x08
The best episode of the series. The entire hour focuses on Akecheta (Zahn McClarnon), a host who was the first in the park to realize his existence is artificial. McClarnon's performance is an emotional tour de force, the finest acting in a series full of fine actors.
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