This season was terrible. I was not thrilled about the second half of the first season. This season bad, beginning to end. Was there an open writing contest and they just took all of the submissions and patched them together to make the scripts? Don't care about season 3.
Make the show a little more streamlined, dial down the pretentiousness (for example, no more shifting aspect ratios), turn up the philosophical complexity (which I felt was completely lacking in this season, except from a few speeches by Anthony Hopkins), and keep the emotional reasonance (Dolores/Bernard, William/daughter and Maeve/daughter relationships), and we might just return to the greatness of the first season.
I loved the first season, and eagerly waited for the second season but 6 episodes in I'm feeling bored and confused. Whatever magic the first season had I feel like the second season has lost. The season has certainly had it's moments but not enough of them.
I've now finished the season, and I really wish I'd cut my losses and stopped watching after 6.
Season 2, in my opinion, was just a little bit too much of everything. Too many twists, too many side storied, too much violence. On the other hand it lacked in mystigue. The implied story of the evolution of an AI into independence degenerates into the old story of the search for immortality. With the upper echelon having the upper hand because of their money. As for the violence in this season: I don't think it was nessessary. In S1 the violence shown by the guests towards the hosts made sense to underline that human thought of them as toys, as a lower form of existence. After all, a host can't die so what do we care. Now it seems violence is just there to be there, everything has to be bloody. And we have a load of muscle packed, stupid security that gets shot down at every instance.
While watching further and further I wondered how this could ever generate into a third season. To be honest I am totally fine if the ending of this season beeing the end of the show. A kind of open ending where you can let your imagination fill in the rest. We know that a third season is already confirmed and the post credit scene of the final episode layed the foundation. But I am not sure it would be a direction that interests me.
This could've been a good season if it wasn't preceded by such an amazing one, maybe? I wish they had gone into the backstory elements more, that might've been more interesting than watching the downfall of the park. Or maybe having a simpler timeline would've helped? Honestly, it would take forever listing all the ways they could have made this season better...
Bad follow up, adding to the other comments: Its really annoying how they dealt with the concept of copying minds for immortality. They didn't even touch on the transporter paradox; presumably because it would break their plot if they did. The low effort job at presenting these concepts in season 2 contrast greatly with season 1's job in concepts like consciousness, memory, etc. The latter kept us intrigued and questioning what constitutes the conscious experience, the former didn't have one hint of exploration into their potentially interesting idea of digital immortality.
After a critically acclaimed first season, “Westworld” changed its writing approach and took a huge step back with this second season. It's all right until episode four (one of the best so far), then it all falls apart from episode five onwards. All important questions have already been answered at the end of the previous season, leaving the characters without a clear purpose or a consistent goal. There are just too many cheap tricks, too many convoluted plot points and multiple timelines for their own sake, too many endless shootouts that end up in nothing, too many pointless flashbacks to bring back dead characters, and too much unexplainable plot armor. The non-linear storytelling in season one had the purpose of hiding a couple of major plot twists, but this time it's just to mislead and confuse the viewer so that we can forget the plot holes. It felt like they ran out of things to write and improvised on the go for some characters. In particular, Maeve's story arc has been the most painful to watch. Her adventures don't add anything to the plot, and they even ask us to elect her as the new hero and forget all the things she did last season. Wasn't it obvious that another host has been placed to play the child's mother's role? What purpose did Lee's sacrifice have? No one ever thought of shooting him as he is a human and a trusted Delos employee. He could have gained way more time by simply surrendering himself. Why didn't Maeve join the others past the door? (They need her in Season 3 with the others who got killed, obviously).
Except for Akecheta, there are no good guys this time, but William is still the only character to be somehow fascinating. The big secret behind his wife's death was kind of underwhelming, but Emily's addition to the cast was appreciated. I just wonder how William could have forgotten about the card he received from Ford though. Not to mention that it took like ten minutes for his wife to find it, read the whole data, fill the bathtub, and kill herself, all while William and Emily were chatting downstairs. I hope he is not a host, though, as the "I was secretly a host" trick is starting to wear a little thin.
Dolores went from one extreme to the other, but her character is still as thin. Teddy is completely useless, but that's not news either.
The season has its moments, and production value is still excellent. However, the above-mentioned "little problems" with the writing and characterization are so many that honestly, I am not sure if I want to keep watching anymore.
Season 1 was entertaining, this season is long winded and boring for the most part.
So, for me the 2nd season it was waste of my time. Nothing more, big dissapoint
The only thing good about this season was Shogun World. Really disappointing after season 1.
Shout by DudaaiBlockedParent2018-07-21T11:20:50Z
Agree with all the comments posted already. Season 1 was great but season 2 just draaaaaaaaaaaags on and on. The endless flashbacks coupled with the dreary and overly long 'deep and meaningful' monologues trotted out by the lead characters at every opportunity (and way too often) just make this a season I wish I hadn't bothered with. It was bad enough after the first couple of episodes but I persevered with it hoping it would improve, it didn't. Each episode could easily have been 30 minutes shorter (and would still likely be too long and boring). Episode 8 was by far the most boring, I dread a new character being introduced, you just know your'e gonna get 1-2 hours devoted to their back-story at some stage! It's as if this season moved away from the rather interesting theme of season one to probing in at greaaaaaaaat length and in minute (and boring as hell) detail of what's in the 'mind' of these robots. Won't be venturing into season 3 that's for sure; a season to be endured rather than enjoyed.