Westworld The Podcast

We’re rewatching all 10 episodes of Season 1 in preparation for the Season 2 premiere. Craig and Jake rewatched “The Stray” and after giving a synopsis (3:17), hey discuss the episode’s theme: identity (19:36), and break out the trusty old six shooter and discuss six things you might have missed upon your first viewing (23:51). Check out our merch!

We’re rewatching all 10 episodes of Season 1 in preparation for the Season 2 premiere. Craig and Jake rewatched “Chesnut” and after giving a synopsis (1:34), they discuss the episode’s theme: revelation (17:55), and break out the trusty old six shooter and discuss six things you might have missed upon your first viewing (21:33). Check out our merch!

Welcome to our new binge watchers series! We're recapping all ten episodes from Season One. Craig and Jake rewatched “The Original” and after giving a synopsis (3:42), they discuss the episode’s theme: Beneath the Surface (27:03), and break out the trusty old six shooter and discuss six things you might have missed upon your first viewing (30:22). Check out our merch!

The premiere of Season 2 was leaked! Craig and Jake break down this amazing episode full of incredible surprises. Check our sick podcast merch!

HBO dropped another stunning “Westworld” trailer for Season 2. Craig and Brian were excited to break it down. They talk about Bernard’s precarious position, Dolores’ revolution, Maeve looking for her daughter, different time periods, Shogun World, and more!   Check out our podcast merch: https://society6.com/westworldpod

Louis Herthum was one of the breakout stars of “Westworld.” He appeared on our podcast after season one and he’s back to get us excited for season two! We discuss his life since the pilot (2:08), his various projects (3:58), the Super Bowl commercial (12:08), being reunited with the cast (17:19), his “series regular” status (22:12), working with Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy (34:49), working with different directors from episode to episode (39:47), working without green screen (42:36), and more.

For HBO’s first Super Bowl commercial in 20 years, they chose an incredible “Westworld” trailer. Craig and Jake break it down and discuss charging bulls, the Ghost Nation, what their favorite characters are up to, and their favorite moments.

Louis Herthum is the breakout star from “Westworld.” His performance as Peter Abernathy set the tone for what would be one of the best new shows on television. Craig was able to interview him and they discussed what is was like growing up in Baton Rouge (1:52), how he decided he wanted to get into acting (7:10), the original “Westworld” (12:50), how he found out about the HBO show and his preparation for the role (14:33), his time on set and his cold storage experiences (32:23), the reception from his incredible performance (43:21), praise from Ed Harris and Emmy nominations (46:52), season 2 (51:15), his experiences as a fan of the show (56:42), and a little Shakespeare (1:00:57).

Scholar of religious studies Andrew Aghapour joins the podcast to talk about the religious symbolism present throughout the first season of “Westworld.” Craig and Andrew discuss the bicameral mind (3:48), Ford, Nietzsche, and the death of God (15:08), Dolores and Maeve as prophets (38:15), and what we may learn about the religion of the Hosts and the world outside of the park in season two.

The piano player covers were such a big part of the first season of Westworld. Craig and Heather couldn’t wait until 2018 to hear the next group of songs to be covered in season two. So they got the help of the musician behind our podcast theme music to help compose a hypothetical season two soundtrack. Alex Thompson joins Craig and Heather to play 10 amazing songs from all different genres in the piano player style. You'll hear piano player versions of: Into the West (6:39), Hurt (10:34), Rolling in the Deep (17:51), Jolene (21:07), Chandelier (25:11), Time in a Bottle (29:54), Mad World (34:23), Idioteque (38:14), Send in the Clowns (43:27), and I Say a Little Prayer (48:52). And Craig, Heather, and Alex discuss each one and how they might fit into the show.

After months in the works, our merch is finally ready! Craig speaks with the artist Carra Sykes about the inspiration, the process, and the final product. Check out our new Society6 page and click around to find all the amazing products!

The Netflix mini-series “Godless” was so jam-packed, we had to break our review into two parts. Craig and Jake discuss the mysterious German woman (2:46), a Mary Agnes spinoff (5:17), how to define this series (6:21), the town of Blackdom (8:43), subverted expectations (13:42), Frank Griffin and the mythology of the Wild West (15:50), and the lead-up to the final gunfight (24:04).

“Godless” is a new limited series from Netflix. If you liked “Westworld,” would you definitely like “Godless.” It’s a subversive western with a diverse cast and strong, female characters. And we loved it. After making an exciting podcast announcement, Craig and Jake discuss the show’s marketing and the spectrum of female characters (2:56), Alice Fletcher and Roy Goode (22:50), and the gunfights (26:16). Stay tuned for Part II of our review next week.

An intriguing new miniseries popped up on Netflix recently. From the trailer “Godless” seemed like a subversive new western with bold female characters. Is this a nice holdover until season two of “Westworld?” Does it live up to the billing? Craig gives a preview.

We watched all the special features of the “Westworld” Season One Blu-ray. Craig and Heather talk about the contents of the special edition steel book (2:46), the first week of filming “Westworld” (10:33), how the show’s intro was made (14:43), the music (19:02), the director’s commentary and what they thought was missing (21:00), the inspiration for how the hosts are created (26:52), and the blooper reel (29:01).

We got our hands on the special edition “Westworld” Season One Ultra HD Blu-ray. One of the great things about having a physical copy of the season is the special features. We’re going to watch them and report back to you. Craig gives you a preview for next week’s full-length review.

When it comes to subverting western tropes (one of the best things about “Westworld”), it doesn't get much better than “Blazing Saddles” (1974). Craig and Jake discuss fun facts about the movie (3:42), their general thoughts on the film (16:15), their favorite moments and lines (18:41), the amazing ending (25:20), Madeline Kahn (30:22), and frontier gibberish (33:03). This episode comes by the request of Jenna, one of our listeners in Sweden. Thanks for the suggestions, Jenna!

“Blazing Saddles” (1974) is one of the greatest western satires of all time. Much like “Westworld” it subverts many western tropes—not to mention it’s freakin’ hilarious. This review was requested by one of our listeners from Sweden! Craig gives you a preview.

It's nearing the end of October and that means things are getting spooky. To celebrate the western/horror elements of “Westworld,” we decided to review “Tremors!” Craig, Heather, and Jake discuss the incredible pacing and consistency (3:42), the great characters (11:25), the clear motivations (18:11), the creatures and special FX (21:24), a fun fact (27:21), and their favorite moments (30:23).

It’s October and that means things are getting spooky! If you love the horror western elements of Westworld, you'll love Tremors (1990). Craig, Heather, and Jake give you a preview.