Where do we even begin?
It's been almost six years since Westworld, based on the 1973 film of the same title, premiered on HBO, and a lot has happened since viewers were introduced to the creepy, yet wonderful amusement park. Over the course of three seasons, creators Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan have made viewers question just about everything: Is capitalism good for society? Should humans be weary of technological advances? Are we living in a simulation?
There are no concrete answers to those questions, but there are some facts we know for sure. For example, the highly anticipated season four premieres June 26 on HBO. And the cast has teased other significant details, like the return of actors Evan Rachel Wood and James Marsden, whose characters Dolores and Teddy both died in past episodes.
But what else do viewers need to remember ahead of the upcoming season? Well, there's a lot to catch-up on and we've got you covered below.
Who is Evan Rachel Wood playing in season four?
While Evan's Dolores sacrificed herself in the season three finale, Lisa Joy said she couldn't resist bringing the actress back as the new character Christina. "I really like Evan," Lisa joked at the ATX Festival June 4, "and she's also kind of clinging."
At the festival, Evan revealed Christina is an aspiring writer who lives in a city that looks very familiar to New York. She also has a roommate, played by Ariana DeBose.
Is James Marsden's Teddy coming back?
At the ATX Festival, Lisa also confirmed James is going to appear in season four as a mysterious man who takes Christina out on a date.
In season two, viewers said goodbye to James' original character Teddy Flood, who killed himself after going on a murder spree—at Dolores' request. Now, James is relieved to be back on Westworld. "This has been seven years of our show and it's an amazing thing to be a part of and see where the story goes," he told the ATX Festival audience. "From the beginning, I didn't know where it was all gonna go but I'm glad to see it now."
Who is in the Westworld season four cast?
In addition to Evan and James, the rest of the cast is set to return: Jeffery Wright as Bernard, Luke Hemsworth as Stubbs, Tessa Mae Thompson as Charlotte Hale, Ed Harris as the Man in Black, Aaron Paul as Caleb and Thandiwe Newton as Maeve. Fans also got a glimpse of Angela Sarafyan in the trailer, but as always, it's unclear what role the ever-changing host will play.
What is Westworld about?
As Casey Bloys, HBO's head of programming, said in 2019, Westworld is not "for the casual viewer."
"It requires your attention," he said. "Jonah [a.k.a. Jonathan] and Lisa like to challenge their viewers and many feel rewarded by that. It's a unique show and that's what we're looking for."
Viewers are often confused by complex storylines, and as hosts become sentient, it's even harder to tell who's human and who isn't. But that's the thing about artificial intelligence like Amazon's Alexa and Apple's Siri, they're getting smarter and more adept at understanding human beings. While some question if that's a good thing, others suggest that's the beauty of technology.
It's a debate that plays out through the stories in the show, albeit a debate that's sometimes hard to follow.
See if you can keep up when season four of Westworld premieres June 26 on HBO.
What happened in Westworld seasons one through three?
In season one, viewers learn that the amusement park isn't just made for them to enjoy themselves. It's also the setting for an experiment started by Delos co-founder Robert Ford, played by Anthony Hopkins. Ford wanted to see if Dolores (Evan) could become sentient on her own, and she does, but with horrific consequences: She kills Ford in front of everyone at a Delos party.
By season two, Dolores wants revenge on the humans who trapped her and the other hosts in a simulation. She begins teaching the other hosts how to become sentient and leads a rebellion against the guests and Delos, while the other sentient hosts, namely Maeve (Thandiwe) search for greater purpose to life. While Dolores realizes she was made to free the hosts from Delos' control and rid the earth of humans, Maeve still sees the good in humans and seeks to save them.
Their mission continues in season three, in which Dolores is now in the real world and realizes that even humans are subjugated to poor treatment by corporations. With this new understanding of civilization, she and Maeve unite in their efforts, taking down Rehoboam, a form of AI that was essentially collecting information on everyone in the world. The only way to take Rehoboam down though, is for Dolores to sacrifice herself.
It's all complicated, but that's the point of the series—there's no right or wrong in a world that is constantly evolving. There's just shades of grey—at least, that's what we think.