Jeffrey Wright

Three episodes in, Westworld is quickly becoming a show of theories. Tonight’s “The Stray” didn’t advance much of the show’s overarching narrative, but it did throw a major monkey wrench into one of the more notable theories which has been written about a lot after it popped up on Reddit. It proposes that William, the character played by Jimmi Simpson, is actually the young version of the guy played by Ed Harris, the so-called “Man in Black.” According to the theory, Harris’ scenes take place years after the ones with Simpson, something that would hypothetically be possible because the robotic Hosts never age. The series already alluded to trouble at the park some 30 years ago; perhaps those are the events in young William’s “timeline”?

About a dozen minutes into “Chestnut,” the second episode of Westworld, Ed Harris’ Man in Black rides up on a posse that’s bout to hang a man named Lawrence (Clifton Collins Jr.). Lawrence doesn’t recognize the Man in Black, but the Man in Black knows Lawrence; later he’ll joke that he even knows the tune he likes to whistle when he takes a piss. Only two episodes into this series, we’ve already seen Harris’ character do this a couple times; he approaches everyone with familiarity, something that probably shouldn’t be surprising if, as the Man in Black claims, he’s been coming to Westworld for 30 years and the park recycles the same day with the same stories and characters on an endless loop.

Michael Crichton’s 1973 sci-fi film is something of a cult classic, offering an early blueprint for Jurassic Park with its tale of scientists playing God and an ill-advised theme park run amok (seriously, what on earth happened during Crichton’s family vacations?). Similarly, Crichton’s campy romp through a futuristic resort serves as a blueprint for HBO’s Westworld, which takes a more thoughtful and unsettling approach in its inversion of the ’73 film, presenting the A.I. (or “hosts”) as the protagonists of the series.

If anything can pluck HBO out of its current drama slump, Westworld might finally do the trick. A series of stops and starts finally gave way to an October premiere, and a new round of cast photos should make that wait just a bit less painful.

HBO may not have delivered a new trailer to go along with its formal confirmation that Westworld would debut on October 2, but the latest photos at least help preview its expansive cast. In addition to the latest story details, get a new look at Westworld in these fresh character portraits.

It’s been delayed and written off enough for a few reservations, but HBO’s Westworld is finally at hand. Following a vague fall schedule, HBO now confirms the J.J. Abrams-produced sci-fi western will officially bow this October.

It’s been plenty rough-going for HBO’s Westworld adaptation, but the newest trailer gives us much greater hope than that ambiguous fall premiere. Take in a revamp of the 1973 classic with the newest teaser for HBO and Jonathan Nolan’s dark odyssey.

HBO’s Westworld adaptation has often found itself the center of a larger narrative around the network’s expensive missteps, following production halts and rumors a premiere might be pushed to 2017. Not so, apparently, as HBO now confirms Westworld will bow in late 2016, along with Sarah Jessica Parker’s new show and others.

If the ho-hum release of HBO’s Vinyl put a cap on the premium cable network’s difficulty launching a major hit in recent years, the well may run far deeper than we realized. HBO’s Westworld adaptation in particular may now end up pushed to 2017, reportedly owing to creative clashes with showrunner Jonathan Nolan.

It’s been some time since HBO made any official announcements of its upcoming Westworld remake, and notably odd that the series garnered little mention at the recent TCA press tour. There may be some, or rather more trouble behind the scenes now, as production has temporarily shut down. Will it affect the as-yet-unannounced premiere?