Trailer.

If there is already a thread for this show, I couldn't find it.

It had some trouble while in a production, but the first episode promises it will be as good as most HBO shows. The script and the acting is solid, and the production values are excellent, though they should be with over $100m budged.

I'm a little wary of where they will go with AI starting to behave oddly story because I would prefer for them to keep it completely grounded in what is theoretically possible even today. No magically self-aware robots, just expertly programmed ones that can surprise as with their behaviour, but never go beyond their limitations. AlphaGo playing 'inhuman' moves is fine. It starting writing poetry is not. Right now, the show can go either way.

One small surprise for me was that I assumed Ed Harris would be the Gunslinger of this series, but he appears to be one of the guests, and I assumed James Marsden will play a guest while he's a robot.

 

I watched the first episode and rather liked it. It's gorgeous.

I do have some reservations about it. It's written by Johnathan Nolan, so I don't expect the low sci fi setting to stick. I expect something akin to the Power of Love fueled time traveling bookcase from Interstellar by the end of the first season.

Second is the damn "Deeper game", Ed Harris mentioned. It just felt flat on it's face as a plot hook for me. I rather expect it to be some hopelessly convoluted mystery that will never be resolved to my satisfaction. Thus will annoy me every single time it's brought up.

 

First episode was excellent, albeit the central trope being a bit too well tread. Great actors, incredible production value... I thoroughly enjoyed it.

 

Just watched the first episode and have to say it's the first thing in a while that's hooked me. I'll be looking forward to the rest of the season.

Two points:

Spoiler

Keeping all the defective robots in one place - keeping them at all - seems to be asking for trouble.

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Who wants to bet a steak dinner and a generous post-steak handy that one of the main human characters has actually been replaced by a host? My money's on Anthony Hopkins.

 

No bet, but I wouldn't say replaced. Rather I expect that Hopkins presented one of his robots as a staff member from the beginning and said machine isn't even aware it's not human. My money is on the woman in charger after a scene where the programmer is fascinated by her facial tic. Either that or she will be replaced before the series is over as a cover up because she will not survive.

I really need to learn more names than just Dolores when writing about this show.

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By the way, the second episode is up on HBO GO because of upcoming debate.

 

Spoiler

I loved that moment when they let the guy choose between a white hat and a black hat aka hero or villain. Just a great nod to old westerns.

 

I've got Shakespeare ringing in my head as a result of this show. These violent delights indeed.

Two episodes in and this series seems to be worth all of its hype. I have great hope for well-delivered escalation due to Nolan's previous work with Person of Interest. The addition of Evan Rachel Wood and Anthony Hopkins seems to be a winning combination to me.

I love the ever-changing daily storylines of the hosts and how they are all programmed to have secret lives--conversations with each other that the guests are not always necessarily privy to. I enjoy the way most characters have some kind of philosophy or intention of getting into another's head. I don't feel overwhelmed by the number of characters present, even if most of their names pass me by meaninglessly. Much like the show's ingrained theme, I know that as a viewer, I'll get the opportunity to relearn and/or follow up on whatever it is I think I've let slip.

Maybe I'm just endlessly optimistic.

This flew over my head until you pointed it out. What poetry.

I'm thoroughly seduced.

 

After two episodes I can say that I enjoy how they're exploring human behaviour based on modern open-world games.

In the first episode we had a Sunday gamers couple playing on easy mode who just wanted to enjoy their time here. How they managed to kill the big bad before he delivered his speech was amusing too.

The Man in Black on the other hand is a veteran who played it all and wants to discovered all secrets of the game that normal gamers will never find. He doesn't even pretend he's not in a godmode because playing normal game is not his focus any more.

In the second episode we got two more. Logan, experienced player who enjoys playing a bad guy and has no patience for distracting quests, and William, first timer who appears to be a person preferring slow exploration. I wouldn't be surprised if in the end he proved himself to be one of these people who always play hero because they have no fun playing evil characters.

If they continue this approach then even if they will play magic AI card, the rest of the show will make up for this choice.

 

God, I love this series so far.

It doesn't even feel rushed, even though we're already getting a coherent plot and story and a direction moving forward in episode two. Maybe I'm just that disappointed by regular television that something so basic seems extraordinary, but I whatever, I love it.

 

After just three episodes there are already few nice theories. My favourite, but most likely disproved by the last episode, is that the Man in Black and William (the newcomer) are the same person and the series is happening in two different time periods, 30 years apart.

 

Another good episode and the next one may be even better with the meeting between Ford and the Man in Black.

My only doubts about this series is if its mysteries will have a decent conclusion this season since apparently they plan it to have about 6 seasons.

 

After the most recent episode I get the feeling that Ford killed Arnold after they had an argument about the direction the park should take. In the beginning I thought of him as a mostly harmless old man but he showed a very focused and ruthless side recently.

 

Loving the series.

Ford's focused ruthlessness here comes from decades of dealing with Corporate. While your proposal is certainly possible, it is (at this point) something of a cop-out.

Also still possible, if unlikely, that we're seeing two timelines with trick-editing.

There's a cleanly methodical progression that's quite pleasant vs. the typical pace-settling, then rushing.

 

I'm really really hoping they've solidly planned everything out and this isn't just another Lost fiasco waiting to happen...

Otherwise, I'm so hooked.

 

So how is the general feeling of this show? Is it all dark and depressing (technology/AI is bad etc.) or does it also have lighter "tones" and comedy?

 

First episode to me seemed to hint at possibly Blade Runner "hosts are people too" themes. Not much humor. More of a thriller/mystery/horror(?). That last one is because of Peter Abernathy, who gave me real creeps in his interrogation.

Honestly, I'm not drawn to see the second episode. I'll wait until the season is complete and see what people say.

 

It has a little of everything, but I wouldn't call it overall dark at the moment. Depends on where they go with their theme of AI may be alive too.

Anyway, episode 5 should be titled 'It's not porn, it's HBO'.

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A small theory based on others I read.

There is this big one that the show has two timelines, one present with most of the characters and one 30 years ago with William and Logan. It's pretty convincing and I wouldn't be surprised if the Man in Black is indeed older Will.

Other theory is that some people will turn out to be hosts.

Join these two and I'm convinced that if someone is not a human then it's Bernard. Why? Because there was something off about his scenes with Dolores and at the beginning I suspected someone may be pretending to be Bernard in case others discovered these talks.

Now I have a different theory. I strongly suspect that if Bernard is a host then his likeness and character is based on none other, but Arnold. The talks we witnessed? They happened more than 30 years ago with real Arnold, months before the accident and were what lead to it.

 

This show is honestly one of my favorites this year. It's practically going to be the next Game of Thrones.

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Also, for theories... well... I think that Ford was jealous of Dolores siding with his business partner. I think, that the three were in the cliched love triangle.