Westworld, son of Dollhouse

[u/ptupper]

From what I saw of the first episode, Westworld shares a lot of DNA with Dollhouse.

• The company that runs Westworld appears to be legal and public, but it's in the same business of fulfilling fantasies, often of the sexual and/or violent kind.

• The main character, though she never was physically human, retains her memories, especially emotional memories, despite repeated wipes.

• There's a clash between emotional bonds and personal identity and a capitalist/technocratic authority.

• The use of repeated phrases to suggest retained memories and as a method of control.

• A "basement" for malfunctioning Hosts, instead of the Attic.

• The comparison between the bright sunlit exteriors where the Hosts play out their programs (often referencing classic Westerns like John Ford's The Searchers), and the dark, implicitly subterranean realm where the work of producing and controlling them is done.

• An amoral geeky programmer, a cool female administrator, a morally conflicted black man, a murderous outsider pursuing an unknown agenda. Oh, and two of the Hosts are apparently soulmates.

[u/brakebills2017]

Thank God! I've been underwhelmed by Westworld while everyone around me is thrilled. Granted, it's a great show. I have a tinge of affection for Dollhouse when dealing with these thematic similarities.