Yeah, I totally understand. Maybe if you gave it a little more time? I'm certainly glad I did, cause now I think it's just fantastic!

I think this is one of those shows you need to give it time for everything to unfold and things becomes clearer with what's going on, but I like the mystery of it so far and trying to figure out the story and characters.

Well it looks like Dolores and Maeve have both suddenly worked out what they are and I'm guessing no longer like their roles!!

I'm sticking with this but I don't know why - I'm as confused as hell by it.

I think they've dragged out what could have easily been a much tighter three episodes into five confusing drawn out episodes. They should have followed the film's main story plan. Guests arrive at the park. Guests and robots work through a couple of days repeat adventuring. New bit: some robots start wondering if all is at it seems. Next, the fun really starts and chaos abounds.

Each episode is getting better and better, really enjoying this so far.

I read somewhere that they have the story for 5 series worked out. If that's the case expect it to keep being drawn out!

Agreed.

My main concern is that the story payoffs don't match fan expectations. But considering how well things are moving along right now, I'm fairly optimistic that this show will deliver... and then some!

I agree, I don't get why people aren't enjoying it, yes it can be confusing in places, that doesn't mean it 's not very good though, quite the opposite in fact, I think it's brilliant.

The concern I've got is that this is meant to be a show for the masses (with the money spent) not a niche mystery show for a few sci-if nerds. If the masses think it's going too slowly then they'll switch off and the show won't then be able to justify its budget and it will get cancelled.

OK I've just watched ep 5 and I've obviously missed something so need help.

Ed Man in Black Harris is dragging Lawrence (that's a good old Mexican name) along with a noose round his neck. He then decides to kill Lawrence by cutting his throat.

Story then swaps to Delores and other bloke in the `Sodom and Gomorrah type town, where they meet up with Lawrence.

Does this mean that the two stories are running at separate points in time? Or are there 2 Mexican blokes called Larry?

And if the bots can't hurt or kill humans, how come the other bloke that was with Delores was getting beaten/possibly killed by the Confederados?

I feel like I need to watch again and pay more attention.

I have a million and one different theories now. Currently I have William as the man in black. I also think he never hurt delores in the barn but is in love with her and protects her in the barn by taking on the part an AI usually does.

I'm also now thinking Arnold is actually A.R.N.O.L.D, some sort of AI.

I'm still thinking 2 timelines but I'm at a loss most of the time when they are.

I noticed that Lawrence told William to call him Lawrence, which Ed Harris constantly did.

It's all mad this program but I love it.

That is not how it works on cable in the US. Network channels that rely on revenue from adverts it's a different story. But even these days the networks have their own non premium niche driven channels. They often feature critically lauded but low performing series like The Americans which keep getting renewed.

On premium channels like HBO critical praise and buzz are generally seen as more important than ratings as it improves the overall brand. Having a little something for everyone and diversifying the content whilst maintaining it's quality are larger priorities. As long as cable providers and their customers are shelling out for these premium package subs the ratings are much less of a concern. That might explain why overall cable arguably produces better quality content than network channels in the US.

I think there are two possibilities, Lawrence was repaired and sent back to the town or what we are seeing with Dolores and William is an earlier timeline.

Finally managed to watch the first 2 episodes last night. Thoroughly enjoying it so far.

I don't doubt that but it didn't seem to stop Rome and my personal favourite Deadwood from getting prematurely canned.

Why is Westworld not available in 4K UHD in the UK when other series like The Blacklist and The Young Pope are?

I'm afraid I've bailed out. It was sort of intriguing and clearly well made, but it's just so slow and opaque. There are too many throat slittings and not enough gratuitous sex in it to make it worthwhile. In the end I just couldn't be bothered with it anymore. I hope the fans enjoy it, but it's not for me.

Similar to the above post - I've stuck with this so far and I'm not quite ready to quit yet, but I'm very close.
I'm a fan of many slow burning shows but usually there's some sort of payoff or indication of upcoming events.
This show so far has purely been nothing leading on to more nothing, and the nothing we've been getting isn't quite stylistic enough to retain my attention much longer.

I'm finding this pretty hard work now, to be honest.

In the space of just 5 episodes it's become very Lost-esque to me.

In that there appear to be absolutely no parameters to what can and will happen.

It just keeps lurching from one pseudo-mystery to the next, and the boundaries (particularly the physical ones) of what was previously understood keep being arbitrarily and tenuously redefined.

This has the result of making everything appear inconsistent and made up as they go along.

There appears to be no consistency to the characters' behaviour, particularly that of the hosts. Their behaviour and capabilities keep altering or expanding from one episode to the next in order to serve the plot or to make them feel like fully-formed characters. But it results in inconsistency, especially when it occurs over such a short space of time.

As with Lost, the writers appear intent on continually pulling the rug from underneath the viewer. It's a tactic which, when overused, eventually comes to simply frustrate and annoy.

I feel like half of the twists and turns it's taken so far would have been better off drawn out over many series, with this opening series being a more straightforward affair which essentially sets the scene.

Just as a suggestion, they could've made this first series a relatively straightforward Western, with a plot; but with the hosts' consciousness and the artificial environment being gradually questioned and "the man in black" lurking in the background, pulling strings and undermining our protagonists' endeavours. We could have seen only fleeting glimpses of how the world actually works, and the corporate and technological side of things could have been a further development for future series, as part of an overarching plot.

But the eagerness with which they keep revealing everything, pulling another twist or mystery from out of the hat and redefining their characters' behaviour/relationships/capabilities makes me wonder whether they have already decided that the premise doesn't have legs, and they're just laying it all out there in anticipation of cancellation.

Personally, I just think they're over-complicating things and have decided on an approach that makes every episode heavy weather and makes it hard to fully engage with either the human or the host characters.

I'll still watch it through to the end of the series to see where they go with it. There's still time to win me over. But I'm not hopeful right now.

Me too. I'm just basically getting bored. I would have turned off half way through this weeks episode if not for Anthony Hopkins, who is mesmerising.

Just watched the Westworld film for the first time as I heard the TV show takes place after it, thought it was pretty good and don't know how I haven't watched it sooner.

I was wondering if MIB is the survivor from first film?

It does have the feeling of one series and out for me.

How are the US ratings holding up? I'm a bit surprised how negative people have turned on it on this thread.