Westworld Season 2: The Door (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)

Yours truly originally covered the first season of Westworld, also known as The Maze, on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray over here.  Truth be told it’s a very boring, but also thrilling watch at times.  Admittedly so I fell hard asleep the first time I attempted to watch the first episode of the second season during its initial airing on HBO.  Try as I could I had a hard time remembering what happened in the first season and for the life of me I could not stay awake for the duration of the initial hour I tried to invest.  It was as yawn inducing as the Comic-Con panel for the show I suffered through here.  When this one got offered to us I initially asked my resident 4K reviewer peer on the site here, Brandon Peters, if he had any interest.  Smartly he declined.  Therefore, I’m back, made to suffer at times, and hoping for some gratuitous female physiques to at least capture my attention throughout this second season of Westworld.  Ha!  Sometimes you just need to be careful with what you wish for as you just might get…the OPPOSITE.

Film 

The second season of HBO’s Westworld here is titled The Door.  It originally premiered on April 22nd earlier this year.  Once again it consists of ten episodes, albeit it seems like longer ones.  The series’ ensemble cast stars regulars such as Evan Rachel Wood, Thandie Newton, Jeffrey Wright, James Marsden, Tessa Thompson, Ed Harris and features several new cast members.  I do want to mention just some of the other major players here before moving on: Indgrid Bolsø Berdal, Clifton Collins Jr., Fares Fares, Luke Hemsworth, Katja Herbers, Louis Herthum, Simon Quarterman, Talulah Riley, Rodrigo Santoro, Angela Sarafyan, Gustaf Skarsgärd and Shannon Woodward.

It should also be noted that the second season of Westworld has earned 21 Emmy Nominations including: Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Ed Harris and Jeffrey Wright), Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Evan Rachel Wood), Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Thandie Newton) and Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series (Jimmi Simpson).  Obviously that means there have been many positive reviews of Season 2.  Having never seen the second season during its original broadcast I was very eager to count myself among those positive reviews.

In Season Two here we’re welcomed back to Westworld, where Season One’s song and dance, puppet show is now officially over (new narrative written LOL) and the newly liberated hosts (the AI humans) are still hunting down humankind with no mercy.  They’re also evolving along the way.  Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood) is taking charge of things with Teddy (James Marsden) while Maeve (Thandie Newton) and the Man in Black (Ed Harris) are back on track in their own separate, but parallel missions (no I did not forget about poor Bernard).  However, what the viewer experiences throughout here is more like a Bernard (Jeffrey Wright) like conundrum trying to recreate and put everything back together as we traverse through many multiple timelines.  It’s quite eccentric and entertaining, but also very much confusing as you never really know where in time you’re at if you don’t pay close attention.  Hell at one point in time I swore there were three Bernard’s.  Ha ha.

Whereas the first season mostly took place within the western park we’re all use to this second season is literally all over the place (in both time AND space).  One minute we could be in a really cool shogun environment and the next we’re in flashbacks some thirty years ago in new “real” world settings.  I love it though!  It kept me on my toes and forced me to focus keenly to not only endure, but semi try to understand.  Yes I’ll admit that despite how closely I paid attention the wrap up here left me with many more questions.  However, I will say most of my questions, a few left over from the first season and new ones introduced here, were thankfully addressed and answered.  So they do reward the viewers for their dedication and perseverance.

It’s the slow pacing of the show that I can ultimately see most get turned off on here, but I’m serious.  You are rewarded with answers to many of your burning questions.  Try as you might though you will have to put them together like a puzzle without a box picture to look at because when all is said and done I believe we traverse 37 years of a timeline here and things purposely happen out of sequence here.  So be warned!  What you’re watching may not necessarily be reality right now.  Therefore, you’re going to need to tread with care and pay close attention.  The action sequences, however, are quite amazing especially the stunning sequences within the Shogun World we spend a couple episodes in here.  Furthermore, we get piano and orchestrated versions of recognizable songs like “Heart-Shaped Box” and “Seven Nations Army.”  How can you go wrong?  This season is like an investment in the stock market.  There are ups and downs, but in the end it should be worth the wait.  It was for me!

*

The 10 one hour episodes are broken down across the 4K UHD discs as follows:

1. Journey Into Night (UHD Disc 1)
2. Reunion (UHD Disc 1)
3. Virtu e Fortuna (UHD Disc 1)
4. The Riddle of the Sphinx (UHD Disc 1)
5. Akane No Mai (UHD Disc 2)
6. Phase Space (UHD Disc 2)
7. Les Écorchés (UHD Disc 2)
8. Kiksuya (UHD Disc 2)
9. Vanishing Point (UHD Disc 3)
10. The Passenger (UHD Disc 3)

Video 

The below video score and related critique of things here are based solely upon my viewing of the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation of HBO’s Westworld Season 2: The Door.

• Encoding: HEVC / H.265
• Resolution: 4K (2160p)
• Dolby Vision: Yes
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Clarity/Detail: I can definitely see people wishy washy here or not agreeing with my critique.  I think things look impeccable and beautiful here.  Sure there are some hazy western looking shots, but closeups reveal many fine details that rival modern day films on the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray format.  The presentation here gets its film like appearance thanks in part to be captured on 35mm, but only finished with a 2K DI.  Human specs such as pores, stubble, moles, wrinkles, hairs and whatnot look incredible.  However, equally stellar looking are the textures in costumes and clothing such as Delores’ trademark blue dress and surfaces in objects containing wood, stone, plastic and even grains of sand.  One of the most amazing sequences in my opinion is the intricate level of details within Shogun World, but second to that has to be the pasty white covered cracks over the bodies of the Native American hosts.  Suddenly the western genre has never looked so good!
• Depth: Depth of field is what it’s all about here.  Landscapes galore are vast, wide and so dreamy.  From mountains to bodies of water things look absolutely majestic here.  Even in tight corners with host bodies stacked in rows things just have an amazing amount of depth.  The cinematography did me in here.  It’s a character in its own right.  Just the simple environments like the small saloon land are what 4K depth of field dreams are made of.
• Black Levels: The black levels are where things get a bit wonky here.  One minute they’re spot on perfect being dark and natural with nothing getting lost within and the next such as nighttime sequences they are extremely deep…maybe even too deep.
• Color Reproduction: For the most part here the colors are both pleasant and natural.  Like most westerns things get a little washed in the hazy afternoon sun, but it’s a very in check looking presentation with bright whites and bold primaries such as the many sequences of crimson red blood.
• Flesh Tones: The good thing about all the skin found within here is the fact that the skin tones all look natural and authentic throughout.  There’s never a moment really where I wasn’t happy with them.
• Noise/Artifacts: Things look outstanding here with no nasty artifacts to ruin your viewing enjoyment of the presentation here.  Zero qualms from me here!  There’s a cinematic feel to it all with a light veneer of grain that’s just exquisite to behold and gaze upon.

Audio 

Like I mentioned up above in the video section, the below audio score and critical comments of such are based solely upon my viewing of HBO’s 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation of Westworld Season 2: The Door.

• Audio Format(s): English Dolby Atmos, English 5.1 Dolby Digital, French  5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish  5.1 Dolby Digital
• Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
• Dynamics: Westworld is not the most action packed presentations on 4K disc, but make no mistake about it despite the many lulls and dialogue scenes the action sequences will knock you out of your chair both unexpectedly and pleasingly.  The sound and spacial effects completely put you in the mood of the back and forth timeline sequences that unfold onscreen before you.  Not a single thing gets lost in the shuffle here.  The score never sounded better too as it’s always deep, full and completely hypnotic.  Just like the cinematography the score is a character in itself.  It’s literally a wall put up here.  It’s that amazing!  Wait until you get a taste of Shogun World and how great things sound there.  Wow!  There is some terrific sound work at play here not to mention an incredible production value to it all.
• Height: The Atmos height channels were pretty much engaged throughout and it surprised me just to hear how much of this killer Ramin Djawadi score bleeds through them too.  Atmos moments can easily be heard in scenarios like the following, but not limited to: voices in Bernard’s head, ears ringing, system alarms, vocals overhead, rain, gunshots, birds, explosions and so much more.  The Atmos channels are all about enhancing the sound effects and atmosphere throughout this 4K presentation and its presence is clearly heard.
• Low Frequency Extension: The amazing score and many gunshots throughout are what stand out most here.  However, this season we also have the clanging of swords and the killer drums in the Shogun World.  In addition you also have buffalos slamming against glass walls, explosions, shootout sequences galore and so much more to allow the LFE channel to flex its authoritative dominance over things here.
• Surround Sound Presentation: For a television show the rear channels are still what impress me the most about this Atmos mix.  It’s the little things that kill for me like inputs on a touchpad computer, ambiance filling the surround field or the swirling, menacing score that engulfs you throughout.  Other highlights include the many gun and action battle sequences, doors sliding open and closed, rain falling, water on the beach, voices, alarms and so much more.
• Dialogue Reproduction: While there are lots of quiet moments here and whispering going on plus gunfire and explosions, the dialogue is always crystal clear and intelligible throughout, which makes this fan very happy.

Extras 

Westworld Season 2: The Door has come to 4K Ultra HD , Blu-ray  and DVD  featuring all 10 riveting episodes plus exclusive immersive bonus features this past Tuesday, December 4th.  Also, both the Limited Edition 4K Ultra HD and standard Blu-ray release will feature a Digital Copy of the series.  Rosemary Markson, Senior Vice President, Television Marketing, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment said “With a riveting plot showcasing the evolution of artificial intelligence, the immersive capabilities of these viewing experiences is a perfect complement, and the plethora of all-new, behind-the-scene extras adds to the replay and collectability of this extraordinary show.”  With that being said I’m pleased to announce there’s near two hours of such extra content to consume and it’s all available on a 4K UHD disc to view too!  The Digital Copy redemption seems to only work in VUDU or UltraViolet format meaning no iTunes.  Oddly there’s also no audio commentaries either.  Oh well.  Check out everything we do have down below though.

• Bring Yourself Back Online (HD) – Actors Leonardo Nam and Ptolemy Slocum discuss the show with the following cast members.
  • Reflections on Season Two – Dolores, Teddy and Bernard (14:49) – Evan Rachel Wood, James Marsden and Jeffrey Wright look back on unforgettable experiences and favorite moments in the second season here.
  • Of Love and Shogun – Maeve, Hector and Lee (15:26) – Thandie Newton, Simon Quarterman and Rodrigo Santoro tackle themes of love here in their characters’ journeys.
  • Journeys and Technology – Stubbs, Logan and Clementine (15:26) – Luke Hemsworth, Ben Barnes and Angela Sarafyan compare fictional and contemporary technology.
• Creating Westworld’s Reality – There are a total of 10 segments here, which are listed in detail below.  Sadly there is no Play All optional functionality.  Sorry!
  • An Evocative Location (3:23) – Here you get to experience life outside the park and on location in Malibu with James Delos (Peter Mullan).
  • Fort Forlorn Hope (5:32) – Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan discuss character building on crafting the world here for the series.
  • The Delos Experiment (5:59) – Jonathan Nolan, Lisa Joy and Jeffrey Wright discuss how environmental spaces reflect the characters.
  • Shogun World (12:58) – This is my favorite world from the second season here.  Cast and crew discuss here the look, energy and creation of this new world.
  • Inside the Cradle (4:48) – Jonathan Nolan, Jeffrey Wright and others explore the technology of the Cradle (think a data center).
  • Chaos In The Mesa (5:29) – This one looks at how the creators of the show amped up the action and intensity of the shootout here.
  • Ghost Nation (3:19) – In this extra Zahn McClarnon, Martin Sensmeier and Lisa Joy discuss Kiksuya’s love story.
  • Deconstructing Maeve (3:31) – This one is all about deconstructing the character of Maeve and rightfully features her real life identity, Thandie Newton, discussing it all.
  • The Valley Beyond (11:42) – Jonathan Nolan, Lisa Joy, cast and crew talk about creating new realities.
  • The Drone Hosts (3:23) – Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy introduce the custom design and acting behind the faceless robots seen throughout.
• Violent Delights Have Violent Ends (11:18) – Here you will explore the show’s philosophy and how it’s executed onscreen.  This includes the storytelling experience, VFX, makeup, props and more.
• The Truth Behind Delos (UHD 12:47) – Here you get to dive deeper into the company’s mythology and risky mission.  We look closer at the technology in use and the impact these tools create.

Summary 

So there you have it folks.  I’m going to leave you here in much the same fashion as I did with my 4K review of the first season.  In summary there really is no better way to enjoy and/or take in for the very first time the now second season of HBO’s Westworld: The Door than this 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray package.  I can’t imagine this looking or sounding any better than it all does here in this 6-disc package.  So what are you waiting for?  Get out your cowboy boots, spurs, hat and hit that order button down below y’all to bring the exciting second season of Westworld home today on the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray format.  Thanks for reading!  Yeehaw! – RECOMMENDED 

*

DISCLAIMER: This 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray review was judged and graded using the following 4K certified Ultra HD Premium television set found here and player here.  Make sure to check out all our 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray reviews archived here.

*

Westworld Season 2: The Door

AI’s Dawn of Consciousness on

4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

Released December 4th

ORDER NOW!

*

*