‘Westworld’ Concludes So-So Season 3

As this season of life rages on in a series of plot twists few saw coming, ‘Westworld’ (2020) returns for its third season. And, just like life, the series gets a little weird.

With Evan Rachel Wood’s Dolores having left Westworld to wreak havoc on the people who have repeatedly controlled, raped and killed her in the ravaged amusement park, the series takes place in a futuristic present where the host deploys her plan.

Yet having watched all eight episodes which concluded last month, it’s hard to tell what that actually was. Expanding geographically, but contracting with regard to themes, plausible motivations and character development, this season falls a little flat – even with the introduction of new villains and its big personal data mining conspiracy.

If you’ve been tuning into ‘Westworld’ because of its deep and snaking ruminations on humanity, hosts and the nature of people as profoundly expressed by characters portrayed by Anthony Hopkins, Jeffrey Wright and Ed Harris, this season will be somewhat disappointing.

Though there is a lot of explaining, very little feels coherent as a stony-faced Dolores sends copies of herself out into the world on various interlinked missions. While we met violent Dolores in season two, in season three the host goes full Sarah Connor.

Clearly programmed to kick ass, the character jettisons her petticoats for leather and cocktail dresses as the series pulls back to reveal the central Matryoshka doll, which shows that while Delos and the guests were controlling the hosts in Westworld, something else was controlling them on the outside.

Giving us hints of ‘Terminator’, ‘Minority Report’ and a little ‘Blade Runner’, the third season of this series’ darker palette and action focus is a departure from the more philosophical and mysterious leanings we loved in previous seasons.

Instead we are introduced to a new big, bad company called Incite and an AI system named Rehoboam.

Vincent Cassel and Aaron Paul (oddly) join the cast as the new villain and hero, respectively, and Newton’s Maeve battles Dolores in a bid to be reunited with her daughter.

Elevating revenge to liberation and ironically positioning the controllers as the controlled, season three of ‘Westworld’ is a so-so instalment hindered by a messy plot, an excess of characters and unconvincing incitements.

Stream this for the excellent actors and for the love of the series, but beware the plot holes and the tendency to drag.

‘Westworld’ season three is now streaming on Showmax.

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