What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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T2 WHATS UP! April 22 - 28, 2018 BY K.A. TAYLOR TV Media T he concept of an- droids has permeat- ed social conscious- ness since the 1800s, but it wasn't until 1984's sci-fi hit "The Terminator" graced the screen that people genu- inely feared the prospect of "the singularity," and a world where humans would become ruled by machines. While most films and novels have suggested that the robot rebellion will be brought in with a bang, "Westworld" proved that a whimper was equally, if not more, effective. This soft realization leads to some formidable action, how- ever, with the hosts ready to venture out and discover the many layers of the park when season 2 begins Sunday, April 22, on HBO. The premise of "Westworld" is somewhat familiar, due to the popularity of the android sentience trope in science fic- tion. The series origins stem from the 1973 Michael Crich- ton film of the same name, upon which it is loosely based. Season 1 introduced viewers to Westworld, a theme park in the not-too-distant future that allows society's wealthiest to indulge in the ultimate immer- sive experience. Though other locations are alluded to, the bulk of the show's first season takes place in Sweetwater, a frontier town complete with saloons, gunslingers and an eerily recognizable piano score. Given the choice of black or white hat, humans can either experience a kinder, gentler version of the Wild West, or delve deeper into a gritty world of vengeance and violence, allowing themselves to express all manner of taboo, morally questionable acts. This experience is only a success due to the plethora of android hosts that populate the parks. The freshman season in- troduced us to the saloon's madam, Maeve Millay (Thand- ie Newton, "ER"), whose recur- ring dreams about a daughter from a past storyline (pre-mad- am) gradually led to her be- coming self-aware. Teddy Flood (James Marsden, "X- Evan Rachel Wood and James Marsden in "Westworld" A wilder West continued on page T10 TV FEATURE