What is “SW,” exactly?
It’s a good question, as Westworld‘s opening season merely alluded to a Japan-themed simulation lurking within the bowels of Delos. But with the show’s sophomore installment fast approaching, Entertainment Weekly has hacked into Westworld‘s mainframe to discover that, yes, park number two is officially known as the ‘Shogun World’, and not ‘Samurai World’ as many had assumed.
And that’s it, really. HBO currently has all hands at the pump in anticipation of Westworld season 2, so it shouldn’t be all that surprising to hear that the network is keeping any and all story details under lock and key. All we know for sure is that it’ll offer an “all-new Rubik’s Cube” to decipher, while the sense of scope will seemingly dwarf that of season 1 – so much so, that it’ll make Westworld‘s debut season “look like a genteel kitchen drama.”
Beyond that, we know the Shogun World is one of five brand new parks from Delos, so there’s a good chance they’ll be incorporated in a future installment, when Dolores Abernathy (Evan Rachel Wood) and Maeve (Thandie Newton) will have forged their own path now that their human caretakers have been overthrown. Indeed, it was Maeve who first came into contact with the Shogun World. Does that mean she’ll be the bridge between two worlds? We’ll find out very soon.
Freeze all motor functions, for Westworld season 2 is now barrelling down on its April 22nd launch date. It’s seemingly “much more expansive” than the first, so perhaps Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy really intend to take viewers beyond their Western-themed simulation, after all? More on HBO’s flagship (and Delos’ murky secrets) when we have it.