The premiere title for season 2 of Westworld has mostly been revealed, teasing the fallout from the show's first season. While Game of Thrones has provided HBO with an epic fantasy story that has become a smash hit, Westworld has allowed the network to wade into similar prestige waters with sci-fi. Like Lost before it, the series traffics in a large ensemble, multiple timelines, and mind-bending twists. Though it didn't draw as many viewers as either Lost or Game of Thrones, it still garnered plenty of buzz and praise for its exploration of personhood and what makes us human.
Given the mysterious nature of the show, season 2 has a number of avenues it can explore. From the real world that we've only seen the smallest glimpses of, to the other parks that exist, Westworld has no shortage of stories it can tell inside its world. Of course, no matter where the writers hope to take things next season, they'll have to address the aftermath of the show's epic finale. Following a number of reveals involving key characters, the finale showed the park and its attractions finally go off the rails. But while the visitors of Jurassic Park were able to get away, Westworld's patrons won't all be so lucky.
Westworld co-creator and co-showrunner Jonathan Nolan recently did a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) where he teased the title of the first episode of the new season. Thanks to Den of Geek, we can see it for ourselves, and parse out what it means for the future of the show.
Though partially obscured by a maze toy, the title is most like 'Journey Into Night.' Aside from being a Eugene O'Neill reference, the title is the same one Ford gave his last narrative on the show. It's that narrative that resulted in his death and unleashed the park's robots on the guests.
We've known for some time that the new season will see a jump in time, meaning we won't dive right into the moments after the finale. Still, it will be a crucial development and will likely get explored in flashbacks. After all, HBO has proven that blood and spectacle are its bread and butter, so we can expect to see the chaos at some point next year.
More than likely, the title refers to the new future for the robots of the show. We've heard that Dolores will be more evolved next year, so expect to see an exploration of her new freedom. Meanwhile, her father will be a more prominent character, as will greeter Angela. With more focus on the robots and less on the humans, season 2 of Westworld could be a wildly different take on the show's central premise.
Westworld season 2 will premiere on HBO in 2018.
Source: Den of Geek