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Fans of the critically acclaimed HBO Series know that the two seasons of ‘Westworld’ have done a lot of world-building so far, but ironically, it is the third season that will actually open the show up to the “real” world, which will make for a dramatic change to the series. Instead of the isolated and manufactured “worlds” of the park, the remaining Hosts are now out among the rest of the world’s humans, able to see the world as it really is.

While speaking to Variety at the red carpet premiere for Season 3 at the TCL Chinese theater, star Tessa Thompson (Charlotte Hale) stated:

“…it feels like the show is starting all over again…In a weird way, it feels like this is the premiere of the show again because we have entered the real world and the show continues to ask the question what it means to be human, but it’s asking a host – pun intended – of new questions. We have lots of people that have come to join our cast, fresh blood, so it feels like the show is starting all over again. It’s a show that surprises not just the audience, but surprised the people that are lucky enough to work on it.”

While some fans may be sad that they will not get to see more of the park and the other worlds that were hinted at in previous seasons, the future of the series has never looked brighter. The Hosts can now continue their quest to find a place in the world while interacting with actual everyday human beings, not the crazy park workers, security staff, and executives capitalizing on their pain, or the deranged rich park guests who came to live out their hideous fantasies in ‘Westworld.’

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On the topic of humanity in the greater outside world of ‘Westworld’, according to co-creator Jonathan Nolan:

“The show took a fairly dim view of humanity through the first two seasons. Now we get to ask the question is humanity embodied by what we’ve seen of it in the park. If Dolores, Maeve and the rest of the hosts have only been exposed to the kinds of people who would go to Westworld, is that really all that humanity is made of?”

Of course, Nolan is hinting at Delores’s upcoming interaction with Aaron Paul’s new character, ‘Caleb,’ who appears to be a regular working man, looking to be also somewhat isolated and unhappy with his lot in life. A person who might have more in common with Delores and the other Hosts than the humans they have encountered so far.

While speaking recently about the new season and Caleb in particular, fellow series co-creator Lisa Joy explained:

“We’re talking about the idea that despite all these technologies that are meant to draw us closer together, make us feel more connected to other people, you can still even feel more alone as a result. I think there’s something really relatable about the loneliness that his character feels.”

Nolan has also recently talked about the connection to our current world/ political climate, and how the series will comment on the world as it is by presenting a possible future based on our current actions. In his words:

“We were interested in looking at a version of the future that was a linear extrapolation of what we’re in right now. … The idea that we’ve trapped ourselves in our own initial preferences, the idea that at a certain point we lose control. The idea of an algorithmically determined culture and world, which I think we’re starting to see the effects of not only in the last election cycle, but this election cycle. No one is grappling fully at this point with the devil’s bargain that we’ve made, the amount of control that we’ve ceded, not necessarily to other people, but to a black box that no one understands how it works.”

There is certainly a lot to process while fans await the Season 3 premiere (less than a week away!), and as is common for ‘Westworld,’ I am sure there are already plenty who are spinning their theories about where the show will go this season, and how it is all going to end.

Feel free to share any rumors you may have heard or theories you might have, in the comments below!

Source: Variety

Who watches the Watchmen? Well if one was talking about the HBO Series from this past year, it seemed like a good amount of people, including a lot of critics and industry folk who really enjoyed creator Damon Lindelof’s take on the world of the classic graphic novel. The series earned a number of awards and nominations such as a stunt ensemble nomination from the Screen Actors Guild, a PGA nomination, two Critics Choice awards, and a DGA win. So clearly HBO and Lindelof are moving ahead with Season 2, right?

Sadly, it’s more complicated than that. Lindelof said all along that he and his staff were only concerned with a single season and were putting everything into that season, not leaving any dangling threads for future seasons. This point was stated many times by Lindelof even on the ‘Watchmen’ Series Podcast, and while many fans hoped he was simply playing for time, now it seems he was not kidding, claiming he has few ideas for a Season 2.

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While speaking to Collider recently, Damon Lindelof stated the following regarding the hope of a Season 2:

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“I wish that I had an idea for Watchmen Season 2, and I really wish that there is going to be a Watchmen Season 2; I just – we put it all on the field for Season 1. And every great idea we had, I was like, what if we just put that in Season 1 versus, ‘Oh, let’s stick it away for later.’ And so, could there be a second season of Watchmen? I personally hope that there is but I don’t think it should exist just because people liked the first season.”

So it seems there is still hope that a second season could happen, though that hope seems very small, especially if Damon Lindelof has publicly admitted to having no ideas and not wanting to move forward until he does. It is admirable to see a creator not wanting to just milk his series for all its worth and wanting to maintain the quality of the first season. But as a fan, it is still a little disappointing to know we may never see more in that world.

In regards to HBO recently reclassifying the series from a “Drama Series” to a “Limited Series” and whether that decision came from his announcement about not having ideas for Season 2, Lindelof told Collider:

“That decision actually happened well above my pay grade. I think that when we went and pitched the show to HBO we said, ‘We’re just gonna do one season and then see where we are. And just so you know, it’s more of a Fargo model or a True Detective model where, if there were other seasons of the show, it would reset. It’s not the continuative adventures of these characters.’ And they were like, ‘Cool, cool, cool.’ And then when the series ended, they were like, ‘Are you gonna do a second season?’ And I was like, ‘I don’t have any ideas,’ and they were like, ‘Oh, so you meant what you said before.’ And so I think that because there’s only gonna be one of them, it feels more appropriate to call it a limited series than a drama series. But again, I get consulted on these decisions but I don’t make them.”

For now, if you would like to see more of Lindelof’s work, he has a new movie in theaters this week titled ‘The Hunt’ (opens on March 13th). As for the future of ‘Watchmen,’ clearly, anything can happen, but I would not hold my breath while waiting for this one – especially since Damon Lindelof has no reason to rush out another season and can take his time coming up with some new ideas.

With the outbreak of the coronavirus around the world, there is a growing concern about the safety of large public gatherings, including fan conventions where hundreds and hundreds of people are packed into exhibition centers to trade their wares, meet their heroes, and attend panels about all aspects of the industry. The question is, how safe will these conventions be now that the coronavirus has hit the United States?

For a lot of companies, it does not seem worth the risk. The first convention to feel the pressure is Seattle’s Emerald City Comic Con which is scheduled for March 12-15, where a number of companies and talent are no longer going to attend, which makes sense considering the impact Coronavirus has already had on Washington State. In New York, Warner Bros has cancelled the premiere for its new DC Animated Film ‘Superman: Red Son’ which was set for March 16.

RELATED: San Diego Comic-Con Braces For The Impact Of The Coronavirus

In the midst of all this, on Tuesday, a DC spokesperson gave a statement to The Hollywood Reporter on the issue saying:

“As the health and safety of our employees are always our primary concerns, DC staffers will not be attending conventions during the month of March. Future convention attendance will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, factoring in the latest information from a variety of organizations, including the CDC, WHO, U.S. State Department and local health agencies.”

Of course, Marvel had been pulling back from a number of conventions even before the coronavirus hit, including Emerald City Comic Con, so they have yet to release any statement on the matter. However, it is only a matter of time until we get more statements from other companies, especially with WonderCon coming up on April 10-12 in Anaheim, California, an event that may also be impacted by the Covid-19 virus.

For anyone who still plans on attending these conventions regardless of the virus, make sure to follow any safety instructions provided by the even staff, wash your hands often, and wherever possible, avoid contact with other attendees.