I watched Westworld up until about the third episode this second season. I like shows which make me think without being total downers (see: Black Mirror), but when they go over my head I start to tune out. Westworld is so complicated that several of the actors have mentioned not being able to grasp the plot. That’s their full time job and they have access to all the scripts! Westworld is a punchline at this point. Thandie Newton’s character, Maeve, is a standout though. She was my favorite in the first season (her scenes with Rodrigo Santoro!) and I was so happy that she won for Supporting Actress last night.
Thandie was a dream in a pink Brandon Maxwell gown with a long side train. The small details make this dress, like the way it’s folded over expertly at the neck and how the one gathered shoulder perfectly matches the gathering at the top. Imagine the engineering and craftsmanship that must have gone into tailoring this. Also, I just googled “Thandie Newton exercise” because she’s my age and my God, and apparently she’s into yoga and light weights. Here’s an interview with her trainer.
Heidi Klum must have a new stylist as she’s been killing it on the red carpet lately. She was gorgeous in an off white Zac Posen gown which looked like it was a Vivienne Westwood knockoff, honestly. It’s very elegant though and I love the way it’s gathered and draped. Heidi brought her new boyfriend, Tokio Hotel’s Tom Kaulitz, 29. She’s been gushing about him in interviews. Apparently this is the first time in a while she’s dated another German person so they have that in common. Don’t worry, they’re not engaged.
Kristen Bell was in a white form fitting full length Tom Ford accented with slicked back hair and gorgeous diamond drop earrings by Lorraine Schwartz. This dress is amazing on her and she really switched up her look with her styling. I’m so impressed with this look on her. Plus I’ve been watching The Good Place, I’m about halfway through the second season, and she’s incredible in that. The Good Place was only nominated in one category last night, Lead Actor for Ted Danson.
Kirsten Dunst was in a low cut navy Schiaparelli Haute Couture gown. She just had a baby and it shows. Her dress is classic and lovely and I have bewb envy. Kirsten’s fiance, Jesse Plemons, was nominated for Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for his work in Black Mirror’s “USS Callister.” (Kirsten was also in that for a second!) That category went to Darren Criss for The Assassination of Gianni Versace. Kirsten and Jesse were so good in Fargo together and I love that they’re a couple now.
photos credit: WENN
WW has been a disaster this season. I like a nice complex plot, but WW is heavily veering into huffing its own farts, it’s turning from thoughtful entertainment into ‘I need a f-cking chart and a ten page essay for this’. Another issue is the fact that it is very hard to find a character you could root for. Most characters in the show are either so flat or just so freakin’ irredeemably evil that you don’t particularly want any of them to succeed. I like Maeve as a character because I like the dryness yet life Thandie brings into her, but her plot and abilities make my eyes roll out of my skull.
WW s2 was a heavy-handed, faux-philosophical, unsympathetic mess that moved along at a snail’s pace because of how bloated it was, and yet for all its bloat it somehow still managed to be hollow.
The cinematography and the soundtrack were so. freakin’. good, though. Especially the latter, it’s really just incredibly in its demented industrial grinding.
“WW is heavily veering into huffing its own farts” – I snorted!
I like a complicated plot (makes me feel smart- lol) but this was beyond. I had to watch every show three times to pick up the finer points they were trying to make.
Your review of WW season two is perfect. It made me laugh hard. I love WW but yeah your are totally right that show became a total mess
Lol! Yes! well said. I found myself getting distracted or daydreaming about halfway through this season, I couldn’t wrap my head around it anymore! My husband pretended to get it but he couldn’t explain it to me so I don’t think he really understood it either, maybe I’m just stupid😂
I enjoyed season 2, but I did find it hard to really pinpoint the point they were making — it seems like they want to make a point about human nature, but they’ve kind of made it already, so I’m not really sure what they are going for anymore. I’m hanging on for season 3 though.
The soundtrack was amazing. The piano version of “Heart Shaped Box” in the Ghost Nation episode gave me chills.
I like to think of WW as a companion to Altered Carbon, like they exist in the same universe, or WW is a prequel to Altered Carbon. I convinced my brother to watch Altered Carbon for that reason and, not only is it an incredible series on Netflix, but he found it made WW easier to digest as well.
More than anything I’m so flipping annoyed by the quiet tremble of Evan Rachel Wood’s voice and her eyebrow furrow of concern, and it KILLS me to say that. Same for Jeffrey Wright. And James Marsden’s overall acting….oy veh. Thandie Newton is amazing, and I find Angela Sarafyan absolutely enchanting and haunting…Jimmi Simpson is just awesome in anything for me.
Most of season 2 felt like filler to me. The characters felt overly complicated for the purpose of creating drama. Really good writing however fleshes out the characters so the drama happens naturally. There can still be flaws in the writing but you can forgive them because it still comes across natural. This type of decline in quality usually doesn’t start until one of the later seasons (GoT season 7, what the hell) so the fact that it started in season 2 does not bode well.
I’ll just stick to rewatching the 2000’s Battlestar Galactica for my robot-fix.
Thandie’s face is a work of art. Can’t stand that pepto pink color though, even on her.
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who thinks Westworld has done gone and lost it’s sh*t. Very disappointing as I loved the first season.
Kirsten looks incredible. Whoa. But Jesse Plemons looks unwell to me, his face just blew up! What’s going on?
Plemons’ face has always been meaty even he was on the thin side.
Thandie’s dress looked a little more mauve (lavender/grey) on tv than pepto. She is just a stunningly beautiful lanky woman.
I think JP gained sympathy weight and they’re new parents so they’re fat, happy, and unslept.
Love Thandie in WW. I liked some storylines but some were too complicated and weird. I feel like some I missed some things that would help me understand what’s going on. It reminds of “Lost” in that both started strong but got too layered and complicated to fully enjoy.
I love all of these dresses! Kirsten’s looks uncomfortable though, even though it’s a lovely gown.
Happy for Thandie- I give up on the show after an episode or two this season, but she is really great in it.
I love, love, love Thandie Newton’s dress. The colour just sings to me and the fit looks perfect.
ITA. Thandie is my girl crush!
Season 1 was great but season 2 was definitely bloated. I mean everyone can’t be a host right? Or is that what we’re getting to? That we’re all hosts like the matrix?
But Thandie is awesome
Heidi looks phenomenal, even though I am still not quite used to her new sophisticated look, no one brought the red carpet tackyness like Heidi.
She is lucky that her association with Zac Posen allowed her this gorgeous dress… it is stunning, like Old Hollywood stunning. Posen is pretty fold-happy, but here it really, really works. It enhances her beauty and fits her frame to a T… sometimes his dresses overwhelm women with their excess. This one was just perfect.
Thandie so deserved that win! Maeve has been my favorite character since the beginning.
Also, S2 WAS complicated! I had to make sure I paid full attention with no distractions in order to “get” it. lol But the season did have some gems. Specifically the Ghost Nation episode with Akecheta, played by Zahn McClarnon, who probably deserved an Emmy for that episode alone. Almost the whole darn episode was in another language (Lakota)and he was able to convey such deep feeling and emotion. Sigh. Probably one of the most beautiful episodes on TV I’ve ever seen!
Ghost Nation really was an episode that made sitting through s2 worth it. It was riveting in every way, and I’m super glad it’s still getting such unanimous praise by.. well, everybody.
I cried during that episode. The other episode that stood out was the Shogun world episode which was also coincidentally almost entirely in Japanese. I feel these actors did such a splendid job and Thandie especially when she really comes into her “powers” of being able to control the others.
Yes! The ghost Nation episode is something I could not stop thinking about. I can’t describe it other than to say it was so beautifully done and touching and otherworldly all at the same time. I’m likely in the minority, but I don’t have any issues with Westworld whatsoever. If I’m confused about something in an episode, or a whole episode, I just go read Recaps and that helps me figure out whatever parts made me squint my eyes. I love everything about it.
Ditto. Once I realized in season one that there were multiple timelines being shown to tell the story, it all clicked and made season two that much more complex (in a good way).
Plus I love her characters abilities, which make sense in a Matrix kinda way (how Neo was able to control things connected to the Matrix even when he was in the real world- because he was essentially a computer program that could “hack” any system connected to it) and I’m glad that she won for portraying everything so well.
It was never great. They stuffed it with too much. The original movie already said it all. I was really disappointed with the series.
I loved the original movie, but I couldn’t make it through more than a couple episodes of the show. I wasn’t in the right place to watch a show with two rapes in the first 30 minutes. Thandie Newton stood out, even in the little I watched, so I’m glad she is getting recognized. The comments here don’t make me want to jump back on the WW train, for sure…
I was thrilled for Thandie Newton… she took acting to a level of excellence that is rarely matched. Her leadership in the episode with the decapitation of the Shogun… that whole episode is one of the most intense moments of television I’ve ever seen. The mirroring of her character and the geisha madam (Rinko Kikuchi, also an extraordinary actress) is terrific. It’s not the violence, but the emotional quality of their interactions that makes it great TV. Anyway, Thandie, God was watching and I bet She was pleased.
Kirsten AND Kristen…WERE PERFECTION!!!!!!!!!!!! Kristen…please…go for the icy/cold killer sway…YOU CAN ROCK IT!!!!!!! Just put on “Basic Instincts” and wear whatever Sharon Stone wore…
And whenever I look at Thandie (who looks GLORIOUS here)…I go back to that Friday night…in 1992…sitting in the Fine Arts Theater in Chicago…and watching the movie “Flirting”…and seeing her babyface on the screen (along with Nicole and Naomi)…and falling in love with her charming performance….and whispering to myself…
I hope she’s HUGE!!!!!
I was thrilled that Thandie won, and she was beautiful in that dress. It was one of the best looks. I want that dress for myself.
Westworld squandered everything in Season 2. How could they write such a convoluted and dull story working with all this great talent, Samurais, India, etc.? This was a disappointment on par with S2 True Detective.
The show might have been off the rails but her acting was not. Well deserved win for Thandie.
I don’t get HBO so I haven’t watched WW, but I am here for the fashion, and I think Thandie was the best dressed!!! I love, love that dress and wish nit was in my wardrobe! All of the ladies here look gorgeous, and I love Kristen Dunst — she looks gorgeous too!
Thandie is a goddess – beautiful and regal. Kristen Bell’s dress is definitely a miss and makes her look bigger than she is
I just keep staring at Kirsten’s lopsided boob.
I feel for her. Imagine having to dress for the red carpet with breastfeeding boobs and postpartum body. I don’t know how actresses deal with it.
West World is the best TV out there. I like things complex, and evolving slowly. I love watching things that make me think. Episode 8 was such a powerful episode this season. I love it!