Content warning for sexual assault.
On Nov. 4, 2022, HBO announced that “Westworld” will not return for a fifth season, leaving the show with no official ending. Despite critical acclaim, high viewership and much love from fans, the cancellation received little attention. While the first season of Westworld was the most watched of any HBO original, season four experienced an 80% drop in viewership. How exactly did a standout critical darling fade into virtual obscurity in only six years?
Season one of “Westworld” is one of the strongest first seasons of any HBO original. The show opens with Teddy, a handsome, heroic-looking gunslinger played by James Marsden. We follow his path to meet his lover Dolores, played by Evan Rachel Wood. One scenic horseback ride later, the audience is lulled in. The story feels like a traditional Western; we have our heart-of-gold gunslinger, struggling with a dark past, and his virtuous partner, who wants to get out of the small town she’s always known. Suddenly, we hear gunshots. A gang of outlaws has killed Dolores’ parents and while Teddy battles them, she’s cornered by a man in black, played by Ed Harris. Strangely, he greets her as if they’re old friends. Teddy fires at him, but he doesn’t die, walking forward as each bullet hits him. He kills Teddy quickly, and we watch through our hero’s closing eyes as The Man in Black drags Dolores off to assault her.
Then, we’re pulled out of the game. Teddy and Dolores are robots that have been running through storyline loops for 30 years. Westworld is a theme park, a place for the wealthy and privileged to experience the thrills of the wild west without any danger. The show confronts religious ideology, conceptions of power and what it means to be human all while unraveling mystery after mystery. The first season cemented “Westworld” as the king of plot twists, inspiring viewers to take to social media to discuss theories and predictions for the next season. The finale holds an impressive 9.7 on IMDB. Gaining popularity around the end of HBO juggernaut Game of Thrones, “Westworld” seemed set to become the network’s new star.
However, one key issue quickly became apparent. The plot twists that garnered widespread attention and praise from the first season were now a burden. The writers found themselves stuck trying to constantly subvert audience expectations. While the first season’s twists strengthened the show’s themes and defined the story, the second season was needlessly confusing. The constant timeline jumps made it difficult for the audience to follow the plot. The last 10 minutes of the season two finale conclude the series relatively well. Dolores escapes Westworld, a natural ending for the story. After 30 years of being raped, murdered and tortured for the pleasure of human guests, she fully intends to eradicate human life. Her ideological opponents are dead, the park is in ruins and the possibilities are endless. This open-ended conclusion would have been a decent ending. Unfortunately for the show, this meant fans were not particularly invested in following the story further.
Season three saw a steep drop in both viewership and quality. With poor character arcs, messy writing and the death of several key characters, season three put the nail in the coffin that season two built. The majority of episodes barely clear a seven on IMDB, and the season continued to bleed viewers until its finale. While the first season asks questions about human nature and identity, the third season asks which robot can beat up the other first. This disappointing addition cemented the show’s decline and eventual cancellation.
Surprisingly, “Westworld” had one last twist to pull on its viewers; season four was good. The plot twist in episode four rivaled the best of season one, and the writing finally recaptured its original dark, mysterious tone. The violent finale is a full realization of concepts presented in season one. Sentient life on earth is eradicated, and all android hosts are dead. The only thing left of our world is a version of Dolores that contains its legacy. But are we more than our thoughts, our decisions and our actions? Are we dead even if every part of us besides our human body lives on? Were hosts and humans ever really free or were they just following a new loop? Season four presents a strong exploration of the human condition, with a dark, violent conclusion.
Dolores remakes a virtual version of Westworld, with everyone, human and otherwise, inside of it. She proposes a final test, to see if humanity is capable of change. The show ends the way the first season began, with Teddy meeting Dolores. The entire show could be rewatched and interpreted as Dolores’ loop. Does humanity ever break the loop? Do the hosts? Do people actually change or do we make the same mistakes forever? It’s up to the audience to decide.
Westworld never recovered from season three, with most fans never making it to season four. HBO’s cancellation announcement received positive feedback from social media, with many commentators arguing that the show should have been canceled sooner. In the end, Westworld’s legacy is a reminder that nothing can be too big to fail. Great visuals, music and acting are never as important as strong writing. As HBO originals such as “Euphoria,” “Game of Thrones,” “The Sex Lives of College Girls” and “Westworld” crash again and again after strong debuts, one wonders whether HBO can escape its loop.
