After several years' hiatus season 4 of Westworld is back, and fans have been celebrating with the sort of stimulating memes that would make Dr. Ford proud. When it premiered five years ago, Westworld was unlike anything on television, taking inspiration from Michael Crichton's sci-fi Western classic — about robotic hosts breaking free from a Wild West theme park — and exploring its creationist themes in new and arresting ways.
Since that time, there's been a theme park collapse, a robot uprising, and a flurry of new characters. Though not every single plot twist lands and not every creative change is welcomed by fans, Westworld is true to form and never predictable.
After Every Episode Of Westworld
From the very first episode, Westworld has left clues for fans to decipher, leading them further into a narrative maze that is as thought-provoking as it is terrifying. From the Man in Black's quest for "the map" to Dolores' search for a way out of the park, there have been many exciting mysteries to follow.
Westworld has great examples of foreshadowing that pay off, such as Dolores' first interaction with a fly, and Bernard's mention of being in the park, "forever," to name a few. It ensures that in every episode, fans will be combing every frame for breadcrumbs that reveal the writers' intentions.
Teddy Vs. The Man In Black
The first episode of the series really captures what the rest of the series is all about. If a person isn't hooked after their first viewing, they probably won't continue watching it. It's an amalgamation of intellectual curiosity, gruesome violence, and poetic symbolism.
With this meme Redditor SirJordi shows the fear in Teddy's eyes as the Man in Black rises again after being gunned down, giving rise to the thought that he must be a robot host, which makes his true identity even more mind-blowing. It ranks high among TV shows with the best plot twists in the pilot.
Let's Play Whose A Host?
In a series like Westworld, where humans are capable of the greatest atrocities and robots the most compassion, it's difficult to decide who's a host and who isn't. Ever since the first episode, it's been an enticing part of the maze, as the plot subverts expectations at every turn.
It's difficult not to read into every inflection, tick, and mannerisms of each new character as they arrive, causing fans to immediately wonder if blood runs through their veins or something more like white fluid. Making a sociopath like the Man in Black a human but a tender person like Bernard a host poses all sorts of fascinating questions about human nature.
Explain Westworld In 5 Words Or Less
Even if there are other movies and TV shows like Westworld, the series itself can be difficult to describe succinctly. At its most fundamental, it's about the repercussions of a monolithic corporation pushing the boundaries of science and technology by giving future humans a chance to enact their wildest fantasies in a theme park devoted to the Wild West.
It's about so much more than that, however, as fans follow the internal motivations of every human, host, and orbiting character connected with the park. Once the park is left behind in season 3, there's another corporation Rehoboam, and even more complications of trying to course-correct humankind's evolution.
One Of The Best Theme Songs In The Business
Not only has Ramin Djawadi composed a beautiful melody for Westworld's opening credits, the credits themselves function as a roadmap for the season to come. Every season has a variation on the theme and a different series of animated credits that offer clues to the plot and character development.
Eagle-eyed fans will be able to dissect each animation and make conjectures about what a horse, a fly, and a harpsichord might have in common, while the haunting notes convey the emotional resonance.
Who Doesn't Love A Good Piano Cover?
Think Bridgerton has the best instrumental versions of pop songs? Westworld has a mellifluous way of sneaking popular music into its soundtrack and making it feel natural and resonant for the emotional beats. Season 4 began with a stunning cover of "Video Games" by Lana Del Rey getting the Ramin Djawadi treatment.
Not only was the song perfect to play over a moment shared by Christina and Teddy, but it was also apropos considering Christina's job working as a video game designer. Not only is the melody perfect for the scene, snippets of the lyrics — "It's you, it's you, it's all for you, everything I do." — is perfect for the bond that exists between them.
Sleeping Dolores
Having Teddy interact with Christina in season 4 (who looks suspiciously like Dolores Abernathy) brings up a common theme of rebirth that began in season 1. Dolores had to be woken up from her state of ignorance, and Christina may need the same jolt to spark her memories.
In the park, neither Dolores nor Teddy could remember their interactions with guests by design, but when they began to remember things, they began to evolve and learn, much like humans. With learning came a quest for freedom of choice from their overlords, and only time will tell what Christina will "wake up" from.
Westworld's State Bird, The Fly
Flies are a common sight in Westworld and have come to represent a lot of different things, most often the cycle of life. Dolores swats a fly to represent her "birth" from being a mindless drone, and they're often found buzzing around dead bodies, symbolic of life passing into another phase.
Season 4 has seen flies take a more literal manifestation as possibly tiny robots themselves, capable of invading a human's brain and making them do the bidding of others. Though fans don't get to see the process, it's probably very similar to this meme containing a scene from the Nicolas Cage remake of The Wicker Man.
Season 1 Vs. Season 3
There's been a division among Westworld fans for the last several years since season 3 debuted. While season 1 is seen as a near-perfect masterpiece and season 2 as a slightly worse successor, season 3 is considered the worst of the series by far.
Perhaps it's because it took place outside of the theme park, introduced too many new characters, or with its chrome skyscrapers and hovering cars no longer resembled the series fans had come to love. Whatever the reason, Redditor oskskisosk91 has recreated it in this drawing showing a horse from photo-realistic to elementary.
Plot, What Plot?
For a series as complex as Westworld, it's almost imperative to rewatch the previous season every time a new season debuts - it might even be prudent to watch certain episodes multiple times in a row. Otherwise, fans will be like this meme, as confused as Oprah Winfrey trying to follow the plot.
It doesn't help that season 4 only contains flashbacks of the uprising fans expected to see by the end of season 3. That was glossed over in favor of jumping years ahead, to Caleb and his new family, and Christina, a video game designer who eerily resembles Christina. Even when it doesn't make sense, no one can accuse Westworld of being predictable.