Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy have really done something remarkable. Everyone knows that the 70s were a tremendous time for sci-fi. We had simple stories, with simple setups. Relatable heroes battling things from beyond the realm of normality. In 1973, Michael Crichton, of Jurassic Park fame, made Westworld. We follow two friends as they spend the week in an advanced amusement park set in the Old West, and populated by lifelike androids. Of course what can go wrong does go wrong, and our heroes are forced to run for their lives from an unshakable gunslinger. Nolan and Joy took this simple thriller setup, and have churned out two seasons now, of one of the most compelling dramas on television today. It can be hard to comprehend at times, but once you wrap your head around it, it’s incredibly addictive.

“Congratulations; this game is meant for you.”

After the bloodbath finale of season 1, Westworld picks up this year just after the massacre has ended. Like the first season, episodes span across multiple timelines. Years back, we see how William and Delos first invested in the park, and what their true motivation was in the Host technology. A couple weeks ago, we see how Bernard, William, Dolores, and Maeve survive the ordeal, and each move toward their goals, be it meaning, freedom, or revenge. And in the present, we follow Bernard as he tries to piece together what happened to the Hosts, and what Ford’s ultimate game was all about. We also meet a few new characters along the way, including other woken Hosts, and a surprise guest with a close tie to William. And we finally get a look at a couple of the other parks teased last year.

Now, This Guy has never been a fan of stories that feel the need to use a disjointed narrative or multiple timelines just for the sake of “creative flair.” The Walking Dead has been guilty of this for multiple season now, and has suffered for it. But with Westworld, Nolan and Joy juggle numerous timelines with ease, and while it may seem convoluted at first, it never feels superfluous or wasted. Much like Nolan’s Memento screenplay, if it were told chronologically, it’d be a bit too straightforward to be interesting. Here, everything has a purpose, and plot points and themes from the various timelines flow into each other almost seamlessly. And it’s all tied together by the Host characters, who we know don’t experience time as linearly as we do.

“You sleep on the broken bodies of the ones who were here before you.”

Much of the cast from last season returns, including a couple in quite surprising ways. Nothing and no one is ever truly lost in Westworld it seems. One of This Guy’s least favourite tropes, the dead character returning in a “devil on the shoulder” role is actually used quite effectively. And it gives us more time with one of season 1’s most interesting characters. Meanwhile, our other returning white hats and black hats continue to develop and grow, through flashback and new developments. Seeing Maeve in particular, interact with a similar Host from another park, is both touching, and thought-provoking. And William’s journey from the mild-mannered wimp in his younger years, to the ruthless sociopath ‘The Man in Black,’ is just terrific. I do so wish we got a bit more Jimmi Simpson though; he was a wonderful surprise last year, and would only add to the show with more screen time.

Overall, Westworld takes all the best parts of the first season and uses it to grow a new narrative, both similar and incredibly different from the chaos of the original film. Here, yes the Hosts have gone rampant. Yes, people are dying. But this isn’t mindless violence. This is an awakening. The journey toward true consciousness and freedom is a twisted maze, littered with bodies sacrifices. But the door at the end is the ultimate prize. It’s only a question of who gets there, and who deserves to step through it. And watching this all unfold is a real treat.

This Guy Scores It: 8.5/10