A Terrible Beauty Is Born

Published May 9, 2020 · Updated July 6, 2022

Shat team – so season 3 is a wrap and I have a few comments on it.

The Good

1. I liked the “grey morality” this season – as Robo William said in the postscript “there are no sides” (good or bad). This really comes into play with Serac and his new world order – is the price of civility worth it? I do see what Serac was saying (don’t say I agree with)….Humans greatest differentiation from other animals is we have the ability to control our natural instincts – a lot a time that is not a good thing. Controlling our ability to choose provides balance but can be brutal in a Darwinian way.

2. This “grey morality” also aligns very well with the undertone of realpolitik this season – the end justifies the means. Both Delores and Serac were both practitioners of this approach.

3. Interestingly some of the best known quotes from Westworld season 1 and 2 from within the park, also relate to the real world thus showing their universality. “If you can’t tell does it really matter”
“Have you questioned the nature of your reality”

The Bad

4. Action – not Nolan and Joys area of expertise – riot was a yawn and bad shooting all season was very off putting. Fight scenes looked like I was watching a straight to video John Wick.

Wish for/hopes

5. Would have liked to see a deeper understand of Serac’s journey to his solution (Rohobo) – this would be a great standalone bottle episode like Akecheta last season.

6. Can we please have back the the old Maeve in season 4 and get rid of the stupid sword. I love Maeve for her sassy witty comments, who had a soft spot for people but can be brutal when she needs to be. Also I loved the moral anxiety of Bernard in season 1 &2…where was that in Season 3? Sad to say Season 3 was waste of the awesome talents of Tandie Newton and Jeffrey Wright.

7. Please, please don’t “do a Sizemore” next season (that is bring back ‘well loved” characters after they die). Leave Delores dead – her story has ended in the best way it could….don’t spoil her legacy in fan service.

8. I so so hope the negative step function (each season not as good as the last) is broken in season 4.

9. So where do we go from here……who knows but as WB Yeats said “All has changed, changed utterly,
A terrible beauty is born”
I am sure Yeats was talking about the WW Host Revolution and not the Irish independence struggle. :>

Thanks for all your awesome work this season – will miss this 3 times a week escape from the craziness we are all going through.

Best.
Tom from Chicago

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