The Big Problems Fans Have With Westworld Season 3

Progression is all about putting your audience out of their comfort zone and that is exactly what HBO's series "Westworld" does in Season 3. Taking place in a future where patrons can go to a Western theme park and interact with robots called "hosts," the series explores themes such as what is it that makes a person truly human. Once the doe-eyed protagonist, Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood) discovers her true nature as a host and obtains sentience. After learning of all the crimes committed against her and her robot-kind, Dolores pretty quickly decides to lead a robot rebellion against her human overlords. Not all hosts are on her side of course, and some try to stop her. Season 3 picks up with Dolores in the real world, enacting her dastardly plan to destroy humanity along with human ally Caleb (Aaron Paul), who has had his own share of difficulty.

Season 3 is a large departure from the world of the park and builds tension right up until the climactic finale that leads to Dolores's official demise. Though there are many twists and turns to get behind, Season 3 was not a winner for everyone. For some fans, the season had significant issues that they could not support.

The higher the climb, the harder the fall. That's how some fans view the continuation of "Westworld" after Season 1. The season concluded with the massive bombshell that it was not a linear story, but being told in two different times. Many fans on Reddit considered this a masterful stroke of storytelling, which was what made all subsequent seasons feel lackluster.

"It's the curse of having a first season that is next to perfect," noted Redditor u/thecastingforecast. "Most shows are trying to find their footing so they have room to grow and get better with time. Westworld blew everyone's minds from the start and it's hard to keep up that level of surprise and nuance." After the conclusion of the season, the multiple timelines were abandoned. As the show continued, many were in agreement that it just wasn't the same.

"S2 and S3 are good and fun in some parts, but very disappointing in most of it and not one of them comes anywhere the quality of Season 1," posted u/TheSovereign2181. "Season 1 was actually clever, fun, entertaining, great storyline and dialogue, with amazing acting and a fantastic soundtrack to back it up." Fans such as u/Legi0ndary felt as though the writing took a steady dive in the seasons to follow. Without the complexity of the mystery of what the maze is, Dolores seemed to turn into a one-note villain whose yearning for robot freedom was not as captivating as in the first season.

Though fans are uncomfortable with the departure in material, Dolores heading into the real world was not an impulsive decision. Creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy always had the intention of broadening the scope of "Westworld." Both Nolan and Joy discussed this while speaking to Variety about the departure of Dolores.

"From the beginning Lisa and I wanted to make a show that constantly reinvented itself, that could be a different show every season," Nolan stated. This was a natural progression for the series. Dolores, Maeve (Thandiwe Newton), and Bernard (Jeffrey Wright) could not be expected to stay in the park forever. Especially after achieving sentience and humanity. This was intrinsic to the storyline, so much so that Nolan and Joy were aware of where the story had to go from the beginning.

"The truth of this season is this was the whole payoff for us. This is the last thing we pitched when we pitched the pilot seven years ago," Nolan told Emily St. James for Vox. He went on to quote Joy's expectations of the story: "...Lisa said, 'After that, Dolores escapes the park and rains holy hell down on the people who abused her all those years.' It was the thing that sealed the deal." Whether it has translated with audiences or not, there is no doubt that the co-creators have a distinct vision in mind. Dolores executed her plan, even if it was to her detriment.