Almost right from the start, HBO’s Westworld had viewers hooked. Whether it was the intriguing premise, the brilliant writing or the fantastic performances – not to mention all the sex and violence – there was a lot to love about the new sci-fi show. But perhaps what kept people coming back most was the shocking twists and turns, and all the fun everyone had in trying to keep up with them.
One of the best twists, despite some people figuring it out ahead of time, was the multiple timelines. Of course, we’re referring to how the show gave us two different versions of William, one played by Jimmi Simpson in the past and the other portrayed by Ed Harris in the present day. While Westworld was running through its first season, fan theories pointed to both characters being the same person, and by the finale, it was revealed that yes, William and The Man in Black were one and the same.
It was an interesting way of approaching things, and definitely caught a lot of us off guard, but it doesn’t seem like multiple timelines will be used again when Westworld returns. Speaking at a panel for the show during PaleyFest last week, co-creator Lisa Joy mentioned that they don’t want to repeat the same thing and as such, the new season will probably head down a different route.
“I think as with Season 1, any basic different timelines were rooted in what the characters were going through,” Joy noted. “At that point, it made sense to do multiple timelines, because it showed how Delores felt, and that confusion: I’m in love, but this guy is coming for me. [Only] then realize, I haven’t changed, but so much time has changed and now he’s this. The timeline thing is in service of landing that point of view for Delores. In Season 2, I think we’ll experiment in different point of views and different angles. You don’t necessarily want to repeat the same thing.”
Given Joy’s comments here, we’re inclined to believe that Westworld will stay mostly in the present for its next season, which is fine by us. Getting a look into the past was fun, to be sure, but the multiple timelines definitely complicated things and as well written as each episode was, there were still a few minor plot holes along the way, with the show trying to be too smart for its own good at times.
Whatever it is that HBO has planned for us when Westworld returns, we have every bit of confidence in the fact that it’ll be just as compelling as what came before. There’s tremendous talent on board here, both behind and in front of the camera, and with season 1 being just the tip of the iceberg in regards to what this world has to offer, we simply cannot wait to see where things go from here.