The Original (Westworld)
| "The Original" | |
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| Westworld episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 1 |
| Directed by | Jonathan Nolan |
| Story by |
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| Teleplay by |
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| Featured music | Ramin Djawadi |
| Cinematography by | Paul Cameron |
| Editing by |
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| Production code | 276083 |
| Original air date | October 2, 2016 |
| Running time | 68 minutes |
| Guest appearance(s) | |
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"The Original" is the first episode of the HBO science fiction thriller television series Westworld. The teleplay was written by series co-creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, who wrote the story with Michael Crichton, writer and director of the 1973 film the series is based on; the episode was directed by Nolan.
As the first episode of the series, it introduces the eponymous Western-themed amusement park from the perspectives of both the androids and the humans.
The episode received highly positive reviews from critics.
Westworld is a technologically advanced, Western-themed amusement park populated by android "hosts" who cater to high paying visitors dubbed "guests" (also called newcomers, especially by the hosts). Placed amid intricately choreographed interactions among the hosts, the newcomers can do whatever they wish within the park while remaining safe from any aggression by the hosts, who are programmed to not harm living things.
A young man named Teddy arrives in town on the train and is reunited with the beautiful Dolores. He follows her home, where they find Dolores' parents being murdered by the bandits Walter and Rebus. Teddy shoots them to death, but their leader, the Man in Black, remains unharmed by Teddy's bullets. The Man in Black kills Teddy, revealed to be a host, and bemoans that Dolores does not remember him after all his years visiting Westworld, before dragging her off screaming to the barn. Teddy and Dolores subsequently begin a new day the same as before with no memory of previous events, but this time they miss each other in town.
After a recent software update implemented by the park's creator Dr. Robert Ford, Westworld's sheriff malfunctions. Head of operations Theresa wants to quarantine all of the hosts that have received the update, but is convinced by lead programmer Bernard to hold off until he can determine the problem. Narrative director Lee privately voices his concerns to Theresa that the updates are making the hosts too lifelike, which risks making the newcomers too empathetic to them. Soon Walter malfunctions and slaughters a number of his fellows in an off-script tirade, convincing Theresa to pull all of the updated hosts out of Westworld. Elsewhere, the Man in Black tortures card dealer host Kissy with an unrevealed agenda. After scalping Kissy, the Man in Black examines a drawing under the scalp.
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