Stunningly Beautiful & Mysteries Abound, But is 'Westworld' Any Good?

As the TV landscape continues grow and become more competitive, with more and more programs popping up across all networks in this era of Peak TV, audiences can find a show that is perfectly tailored to their tastes and aesthetics.

Love luxurious British dramas? Netflix has you covered with "The Crown." Want a slow-burning sweaty crime drama? Then you've probably watched Cinemax's "Quarry." Looking for a lighthearted sexy comedy? You'll be pleased with "Young," starring Sutton Foster and Hilary Duff, which airs on TV Land.

After USA had an unexpected hit with "Mr. Robot" last year - it wasn't only critically adored but also picked up two Emmys - it seemed like every cable network tried to get in on the TV boom, cranking out prestige-y and well crafted shows (see SyFy's excellent "Channel Zero").

That more viewers win in Peak TV with more options is true; but they also lose something that made the previous Golden Age of TV special: consensus shows. On Sunday nights, millions of people tuned in live to watch "Lost," "The Sopranos," "Mad Men" and "Breaking Bad." They'd be the water cooler show you would discuss with coworkers Monday morning and read about online.

Over the last few years, those tent pole programs have died down because audiences are fragmented; hitching themselves to several different shows that don't require appointment viewing. Though it pulled in solid ratings, had plenty of online chatter and was well reviewed, had "The Night Of" aired in 2008, it would like have been a much bigger hit.

Fall is a time where networks usually rollout their biggest, most prestigious shows: Last year "Fargo," "Transparent," "The Knick," "The Leftovers," and "Marvel's Jessica Jones" all debuted around the same time. It's slim pickings this year, with HBO's much-needed hit "Westworld" being the consensus show - but by default.

There isn't much competition for "Westworld," which airs Sunday nights at 9 p.m. It does go up against "The Walking Dead," which dominates Sunday nights - its seventh season recently started and its first two episodes brought in 17.03 and 12.46 million viewers respectively. Those are insane numbers for a cable show. But "TWD" has been on for several years now (and continues to be a bad show) and has a pre-existing fan base with the comics from which it's based.

Other than Sunday Night Football, there isn't much else on Sunday nights this fall.

A lot was riding on "Westworld," the sci-fi western drama from Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy. After the disaster that was "Vinyl," "True Detective" not returning any time soon and "Game of Thrones" coming to an end, HBO was desperately looking for it's next big show. For a network that is more dependent on subscribers than live viewers, it was crucial that "Westworld" became a buzzed about show. And it did.

A lot of people tuned into the "Westworld" premiere, which earned 3.3 million viewers across all platforms. That made it the best debut for a new HBO show since the 2014 premiere of "True Detective," which also drew 3.3 million viewers, according to Variety.

Stunningly beautiful, full of top-notch talent and just as mysterious as "Lost," "Westworld" is a bonafide hit. Reviews have been mostly positive and because the show is built on mystery upon mystery the Internet has lit up with speculations and theories. Head over to the show's massive Reddit page and you will be flooded with breakdowns of any mystery you can think of - from thoughts that the show is happening on another planet, to discussions that "Westworld" is showing two different time lines. There are threads, questioning almost every aspect of the show, too, from the robots (known as "hosts") to the unknown company running the Westworld amusement park.

There is clamor of the show even outside Reddit: Do a quick Google search and articles turn up with headlines like, "Unlocking 'Westworld''s 7 Most Baffling Mysteries," "11 'Westworld' theories every fan should know" and "The 'truth' about Westworld: seven fan theories to blow your mind."

The mysteries seem as endless as the far reaches of the futuristic western amusement park itself. With the show past the halfway mark, not much has been completely revealed. We're still only seeing parts of the puzzle but if "Westworld" doesn't start providing answers, the show could collapse under the weight of its own mysteries.

If nothing else "Westworld" gives many people a lot to talk about. (Although some would argue that's not the best way to watch TV and others say this is the future of TV.) The Internet loves a good mystery and "Westworld" has about ten of them.

There might be a lot unfold but when you start pulling at its strings, "Westworld" quickly unravels. There are a lot of logistical questions that are ignored and the question at the core of the show isn't that interesting (do we really care if robots can feel?). With extremely slow pacing (take note that most characters speak in a slow, drawn out drawl) and moments of brutal violence and hot robot sex, it's loud and clear that "Westworld" is trying to scratch that "Game of Thrones" itch.

Just like the sterile cool offices that control the park, "Westworld" is a cold show that offers very little emotional heft. Its first season has a strong viewership but it's hard to imagine many will stay checked into "Westworld" for long. There's a lot a lot of wild, wild TV to explore out there.