This post was originally published on Outer Places.
Everyone loves a good villain, so it's promising to hear that Westworld Season Two is going to focus heavily on the creator of the giant robotic cowboy theme park. Sure, due to certain events in the first season's finale, this time around we won't be getting a top-form Anthony Hopkins emoting his way through scenes in every episode with all the gusto he can muster. That doesn't matter, though—according to showrunners Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan, Dr. Robert Ford's legacy is going to be a big force in Westworld season two, and his actions will define what's coming next.
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"I think there will be an opportunity to explore a little bit more of the backstory of how this park came to be, a little more of that story. We'll see the character's presence will be felt in that sense in terms of filling in a few more of the gaps about the early history of this place.
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It sounds as if, true to form, the show will continue hopping around its own timeline for some more wonderful non-linear storytelling. This flashback-heavy model served the show well in its first season, and it's exciting hear that we'll be getting more of it over the course of the next season, along with some answers as to Westworld's origin, and its connection to the wider world. It also sounds like the stakes are going to be raised in Season Two. According to Nolan,
It's an ambitious season. We always knew that we wanted the stakes and the scope to increase dramatically and that means the scale of production increases as well. We have an amazingly talented group of writers, directors, and crew coming back and gearing up for what I think and what I hope will prove to be a season twice as ambitious as the first one.
What would be nice, in addition to seeing the history of the robotic theme park, would be the chance to see the wider world, and some of the other themed areas that exist outside Westworld itself. For all we know, there could be a pirate area, or something akin to Jurassic Park, or indeed a fake Game of Thrones world (something that George R.R. Martin has been pushing for since Westworld first entered development).
If we are to see more of Dr. Ford's backstory, and his connection to the wider Westworld universe, let's hope that we also get a glimpse at just how deep the rabbit hole goes, to see the size and breadth of his creations. Cowboys are fun, but this world is so much bigger than a single setting.
Westworld is set to return to HBO in 2018.
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Featured photo from "Westworld" via HBO
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