HBO‘s Westworld pushed a lot of boundaries in its first season, playing with genre conventions and tropes while displaying the worst, and sometimes best, aspects that humanity had to offer.
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While the Man in Black and many other guests terrorized the pre-programed hosts as a way of cutting loose, the series dealt with issues such as violence, free will, and god complexes in a way that discussed absolving individuals of heinous acts.
By the end, hosts and humans alike were making difficult decisions for personal and pragmatic reasons, with no clear cut answer indicated as being the correct course of action.
But some people have criticized the repeated and egregious violence toward women, a topic that was addressed by Westworld actor Thandie Newton head on during their panel at PaleyFest.
Deadline captured the actors quotes, where she discussed why she feels that Westworld isn’t simply portraying this violence for the sake of good television, but instead is “part of the solution, not the problem.”
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Newton said:
“When we were going into the publicity for the show, and people saw little bits, there was a lot of comment on, ‘Is this going to be gratuitous?’ Violence against women…It’s valid. And even though we were all terrified, because we just desperately wanted to stick with it—stick with this—we also knew that that was the point. The point we’re trying to make is, look at where we are, and is there a road out from here?
“I was just filled with excitement of where this show could go—of where this show could not really take us not as actors, but the audience, and people; and I know this is hyperbolic, but the world. Here we are right now at a crossroads, and I think Westworld, for me anyway, is part of the solution, not the problem. With so many of the roles I’ve played—[speaking about] roles for women—it’s tough out there, and very often I feel like I have to put my activism behind. I have to just be the actor, do what I have to do, but [on Westworld], I was an activist every single day I went to work. I felt part of the solution every single day.”
After her character was twisted and manipulated and tricked into believing her choices were her own, Newton’s role experienced a breakthrough moment among all the rest on the show. Maeve finally made her first true decision, exhibiting free will where all others were subject to their programming.
Newton’s acting as Maeve was one of the highlights of the show, which is saying something about a program as impressive as Westworld.
Westworld‘s second season is supposed to premiere sometime in 2018.
More Westworld: Westworld Actor Promoted In Season 2 / What We Know About Season 2 / Westworld Proves TV is Better Than Movies / The Maze Revealed / Ford’s New Narrative Revealed
