The Creator Of HBO’s Canceled Sci-Fi Masterpiece Nonetheless Hopes To End The Story

Few sci-fi exhibits impressed as a lot fierce loyalty and ongoing hypothesis as Westworld, and the demand for the present’s return stays as sturdy as ever. All through 4 more and more formidable seasons, HBO’s puzzle-box thriller tackled sentience, free will, and the boundaries of actuality – all whereas constructing a sprawling mythology stuffed with jaw-dropping twists and sophisticated characters. From its early days within the park to the futuristic cityscapes of the actual world, Westworld grew to become one of many boldest science fiction experiments in latest reminiscence.

Regardless of being considered one of HBO’s flagship exhibits, Westworld was axed earlier than it may ship the ultimate chapter its creators had lengthy been constructing towards. The cancellation got here as a shock to many, particularly provided that showrunners Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Pleasure had brazenly mentioned plans for a fifth and closing season. Though a Westworld return appeared unlikely after the collection was pulled from Max in late 2022, not everybody has given up hope. In truth, Nolan himself continues to be clinging to the potential for wrapping up the story in one other type.

Jonathan Nolan Nonetheless Hopes To Give Westworld A Correct Ending

The Present’s Creator Stays Decided To End What He Began

Though HBO pulled the plug on Westworld in 2022, collection co-creator Jonathan Nolan hasn’t deserted the thought of giving the present an actual ending. In truth, Nolan has made it clear that he nonetheless absolutely intends to carry the conclusion of Westworld to audiences, whether or not or not that occurs on tv.

Talking to The Hollywood Reporter in 2024, Nolan confirmed that plans to finish the story are nonetheless alive, even when meaning shifting the narrative into a distinct medium. When requested if he nonetheless wished to ship the ending, even by way of an alternate format like a graphic novel, Nolan was enthusiastically clear about his plans:

“Sure, 100%. We’re completionists. It took me eight years and a change of director to get Interstellar made. We’d like to complete the story we began.”

Nolan’s keenness to complete the story speaks volumes. Whereas it might not be returning to HBO anytime quickly, the potential for a Westworld return by way of different channels – whether or not books, comics, and even animation – stays very actual.

This degree of dedication isn’t stunning for long-time followers. Jonathan Nolan and co-creator Lisa Pleasure had been at all times upfront about their need to inform a whole, multi-season arc. Their confidence in that imaginative and prescient by no means wavered, even when rankings started to slip in later seasons. As early as 2016, the creators spoke about mapping the present out throughout 5 seasons, which means the cancellation reduce their story brief simply earlier than its deliberate conclusion.

With Warner Bros. Discovery persevering with to make unpredictable strikes throughout its streaming platforms, a conventional season 5 launch is unlikely, however that hasn’t deterred Nolan. The creator’s dedication, mixed with the present’s passionate fanbase, means a Westworld return may nonetheless be on the horizon. Simply not within the type viewers initially anticipated.

What Westworld Season 5 Would Have Been About

The Remaining Season Would Have Introduced The Present Full Circle In A Utterly Totally different World

Although Westworld season 4 ended on a dramatic and seemingly closing observe, it was removed from the conclusion initially deliberate by Nolan and Pleasure. In truth, season 5 was at all times meant to be the true finale – a closing take a look at, in a brand new park, the place the way forward for each humanity and hosts could be determined. Whereas we by no means obtained to see that chapter, the creators had a transparent and deliberate roadmap for the place issues had been heading.

In accordance with interviews following the present’s cancellation, Westworld season 5 would have shifted focus nearly solely to Dolores (Evan Rachel Wooden), who by the top of season 4 had created a simulated world the place she may run one final sport. This might have introduced the story full circle, again to the park-like dynamics of the sooner seasons – however with stakes greater than ever.

It wasn’t nearly liberation anymore. It was about judgment, consequence, and evolution. Westworld season 5 would have been a meditative, philosophical conclusion, revisiting previous characters in a brand new mild whereas figuring out which species – human or host – may construct a greater future.

Characters like Bernard (Jeffrey Wright), Maeve (Thandiwe Newton), and Charlotte Hale (Tessa Thompson) all performed pivotal roles in establishing this endgame, however their fates remained unresolved when the collection was reduce brief. With solely hints dropped about what the Chic actually represented, and what Dolores hoped to attain, season 5 promised to lastly tie collectively the present’s overlapping arcs.

Had it aired, a Westworld return for season 5 would have explored redemption, survival, and the very concept of consciousness – all inside a narrative framework designed to reflect and replicate the unique park. It was the ending followers deserved, and the sort of science fiction finale not often tried on trendy tv.

Westworld Deserves A Actual Ending (Regardless of The Present’s Downfall)

The Present’s Later Missteps Shouldn’t Overshadow Its Legacy Or Storytelling Ambition

There’s no denying that Westworld struggled in its later years, each by way of viewers reception and total readability. Nevertheless, even because the storytelling grew extra summary and divisive, the collection retained a boldness and mental ambition not often seen on tv. That’s precisely why a Westworld return, in some type, nonetheless feels obligatory.

From the very starting, Westworld distinguished itself by weaving collectively high-concept concepts with character-driven narratives. It wasn’t nearly killer robots or twisty timelines – it was a deep dive into what it means to be acutely aware, to evolve, and to insurgent towards one’s programming. Even when the plot grew to become complicated, the emotional core remained intact, pushed by characters like Dolores, Bernard, and Maeve as they grappled with id, loss, and freedom.

It may’t be denied that some followers tuned out throughout Westworld seasons 3 and 4, citing pacing points and a extra action-driven tone. Nevertheless, beneath these shifts was nonetheless the identical present – one which took huge narrative dangers and constantly requested viewers to query actuality. Few sci-fi collection have ever tried one thing as sprawling and layered, and fewer nonetheless have pulled it off for so long as Westworld did.

The unfinished ending of Westworld doesn’t simply depart followers with out closure, it additionally does a disservice to the years of worldbuilding, performances, and philosophical depth that made the present stand out. Westworld wasn’t simply one other HBO hit – it was an announcement piece, one which dared to problem its viewers each step of the way in which.

Jonathan Nolan’s need to finish the story solely reinforces how a lot potential was left on the desk. A Westworld return, whether or not on display or in print, wouldn’t simply fulfill a fandom, it will fulfill a artistic imaginative and prescient that also resonates years after cancellation. For a present this formidable, something lower than a correct ending appears like an incomplete sentence.

Westworld

6/10

Launch Date

2016 – 2022

Community

HBO

Showrunner

Jonathan Nolan, Lisa Pleasure