Review | Season 4 of “Westworld” puts the saga back on track

“Westworld” hit HBO with tremendous force and, within weeks, became one of the network’s great series for its many thoughtful messages about the concept of life and for its perfectly written characters. However, we’ve all heard the famous phrase “the greater the rise, the greater the fall” and its myriad variations – and it came to production in the third iteration, frustrating fans who expected known depth. and were “gifted” with excessive repetitions and incessant formulas that made no sense. Now, two years after last season’s finale, we’re back in the dystopian world re-architected and reshaped by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy – and, to the delight of viewers, the show is back in shape and is betting its chips on a considerable restructuring, without abandoning the familiar identity.

In a way, “Westworld” has gone through a cautious process of recovery (the reason for the aforementioned delay) – which isn’t a problem when you have a solid result. The opening episodes of the new cycle manage to foster a resurgence of the elements we fell in love with in the not-too-distant past and, though they cause palpable frustration due to narrative anxiety and the opening of several plotlines, they use and abuse character power and a stellar cast for some sort of reboot sequel whose answers should come out soon (at least we hope so, if Nolan and Joy have hinted at anything with promotional material).

The first storyline to be answered lies with Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood), who, for those who don’t remember, had her memories erased and, apparently, died. But that wasn’t the case: in fact, Wood returned as another host, now known as Christina. In the reality open to the public, she works at a high-tech company that creates stories for games, sharing an apartment with the beautiful Maya (played by Oscar-winning actress Ariana DeBose) and oblivious to the issues surrounding her. That is, except for a stalker who keeps calling him, saying in exasperation that he lost everything in his life because of Christina. Combined with a classic thriller-genre soundtrack and all the gloomy infamy of similar productions, one buys the sold idea and wants to know where it all goes – and how the plot will unfold in a believable and cohesive fashion.

The second foray involves Maeve (Thandiwe Newton) who, seven years after the events of the previous season, is still hiding from William (Ed Harris) and his minions in an isolated cabin in a rural community, keeping the memories and traumas alive. to learn how to survive – and that includes the continued development of your technopathic skills. When her refuge is threatened by the presence of William’s mercenaries, she returns to active duty and reunites with Caleb (Aaron Paul), who has started a family and is also threatened by powerful enemies. However, one way or another, things turn to the main threat of the season – which comes in the form of the other Dolores (played by Tessa Thompson) and who represents the maximum of the cycle (inflections metaphysical which, despite shyness, manifest themselves in a few brief moments).

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Talking about the aesthetics of the production is almost pointless at this point, but perhaps it is necessary to talk about it to understand the more “timeless”, so to speak, approach of the chapters. One has the controversial architecture of sobriety with a futuristic scope, mixed with a play of light and shadow that draws elements of neo-expressionism and neo-noir to feed the mysterious atmosphere drained from each character and from each plot; therefore, don’t expect a vibrant color palette, but a dialogue with the clean imagery of previous years. As if that weren’t enough, the stylistic contrast allows the conflict between robotic and human hosts to gain a new layer – which had hitherto been left out.

Of course, there are areas for improvement (not surprising, given the recyclable content we found); but it looks like ‘Westworld’ has finally stopped taking itself seriously with theoretical analyzes of the meaning and meaning of life and started having fun with retellings of similar stories. We’re always in favor of constructive originality, however, sometimes relying on formulas is a good way to end up – and that’s what the show strives for with episodes. Here, the mystery speaks louder and especially convinces enthusiasts to discover, for themselves, the unfolding of the story and to wait for twists that make you think. The problem, in fact, is creating expectations that cannot be met, and Nolan and Joy will have to work hard and passionately to not let that happen.

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