Player Piano | A weekly conversation decoding HBO's Westworld

Player Piano is a weekly conversation recapping HBO's Westworld. Hosts Dan and Trevor do their best to decode the plot, philosophy and filmcraft of the sci-fi epic.

This week we do a light re-entry into the orbit of the world of Westworld. Because of the social distancing mandate, this episode had to be recorded remotely and Trevor's beautiful baritone could not be captured in all its usual HD glory. Even with the physical remove we did our best to remember where the hell we left off last season while discussing the cleaner, more typically sci-fi aesthetic, the theme of layers of determinism and whether or not the pearl inside Hale's skull is that of Ronald McDonald. 

Email us your thoughts and theories at: [email protected]
 

Player Piano is a weekly conversation recapping HBO's Westworld. Hosts Dan and Trevor do their best to decode the plot, philosophy and filmcraft of the sci-fi epic.

This week Trevor and Dan go into full analysis mode debriefing the season finale of what turned out to be a rocky second season of an ambitious series. This week we discuss the show's increasingly frustrating inconsistencies and lack of general narrative clarity. They also discuss some of the interesting philosophical issues touched on in a season that has largely sidestepped these deeper themes: including Transcension Hypothesis as it relates to the digital paradise offered the hosts; whether or not you can tiny-URL a human; whether or not the non-reveal of the Man In Black's physiology matters if he had already given his mind over to the simulacrum; and why Trevor doesn't love Dan's love. 

Email us your thoughts and theories at: [email protected]
 

Player Piano is a weekly conversation recapping HBO's Westworld. Hosts Dan and Trevor do their best to decode the plot, philosophy and filmcraft of the sci-fi epic.

This week Trevor and Dan discuss whether or not Ford has a coherent ideology (and/or bad breath); the problem with how we talk about free will; what more, if anything, we now know about William and Emily; the stigmatization of suicide; and get excited for next week's finale to prove ALL of our theories right. 

Email us your thoughts and theories at: [email protected]
 

Player Piano is a weekly conversation recapping HBO's Westworld. Hosts Dan and Trevor do their best to decode the plot, philosophy and filmcraft of the sci-fi epic.

This week Trevor and Dan discuss the value of inferred beliefs vs. revealed religion, the beautiful new music in this episode (of which the Lakota language is the lead instrument), the many, many, many logical leaps this gorgeous episode asks us to make on its behalf, and feelings of male inadequacy after that cold storage scene.

Email us your thoughts and theories at: [email protected]
 

Player Piano is a weekly conversation recapping HBO's Westworld. Hosts Dan and Trevor do their best to decode the plot, philosophy and filmcraft of the sci-fi epic.

This week Trevor and Dan have their first argument on the podcast and somehow end up joining hands in prayer anyway. They also discuss Dolores's controversial stance on backups and what that'll do to her chances of reelection; ruminate on the whether or not we're at "base" reality in this story; and explore the idea that we're all just algorithm food now. 

Email us your thoughts and theories and prayers at: [email protected]
 

Player Piano is a weekly conversation recapping HBO's Westworld. Hosts Dan and Trevor do their best to decode the plot, philosophy and filmcraft of the sci-fi epic.

Though QA got Westworld's temperature control systems up and running, Dan and Trevor were not so lucky this week. The AC died in Dan's studio before taping, turning it into a sweat lodge of sorts. What follows is a mystical, perspiration-drenched and Mezcal-fueled vision quest through the increasingly complicated and surreal plot of this entertaining episode. 

Email us your thoughts and theories at: [email protected]
 

Player Piano is a weekly conversation recapping HBO's Westworld. Hosts Dan and Trevor do their best to decode the plot, philosophy and filmcraft of the sci-fi epic.

This week Dan and Trevor decipher the exotic tapestry that was the show's first foray into Shogun World. They weigh in on Dolores and Teddy's on-again/off-again relationship, ask if self-plagiarism is really a thing, and dissect the questionable in-world logic of Maeve's newfound Jedi powers. 

Email us at: [email protected]

This week's cocktail was not really a cocktail at all. It was just warm sake.

Player Piano is a weekly conversation recapping HBO's Westworld. Hosts Dan and Trevor do their best to decode the plot, philosophy and filmcraft of the sci-fi epic.

This week Dan and Trevor gush over the directorial debut of co-showrunner and -creator Lisa Joy. They try to decide who the Sphinx is and what riddle it's asking, ponder the possibility that consciousness won't "take" in a vacuum, explore the Ghost Nation's strange death ritual and theorize about the possible new character arc of the Man in Black. Half-baked theories abound! 

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This week's cocktail: The Stank Ass Elsie

Mezcal

Angostura Bitters

Chilled Lime Juice

Simple Syrup, Lime

Lemon Lacroix

Shake it till it's stinky. 

Player Piano is a weekly conversation recapping HBO's Westworld. Hosts Dan and Trevor do their best to decode the plot, philosophy and filmcraft of the sci-fi epic.

This week Dan and Trevor counsel each other to deal with their mystery fatigue and parse the few reveals in what was a generally disappointing episode. They ask all the grouchy questions like: Has this phenomenal cast been saddled with inert character arcs? Why are the Delos QA forces so laughably bad at their job? How long must we be teased with the same questions about the true nature of the park, the Ghost Nation Indians and what's causing Bernard's meltdown while being given new mystery boxes like this Grace character. 

Email us at: [email protected]

This week's cocktail: The Flaxen Plum

Half lime juiced

Half lemon juiced

Ginger beer

Angostura Bitters

Mezcal

Shake it up until it explodes like a barrel of nitroglycerin.

Player Piano is a weekly conversation recapping HBO's Westworld. Hosts Dan and Trevor do their best to decode the plot, philosophy and filmcraft of the sci-fi epic.

This week Dan and Trevor enter the pearly synthetic gates of this season's second episode. They discuss the impossibility of true freedom in a domesticated mind and theorize on the true nature of William's secret projects. All the while doing a number of high quality voice impressions, most of which end up sounding like Larry Flynt for some reason.

Email us at: [email protected]

This week's cocktail: The Laz Word

Green Chartreuse
Seagram’s Blended Whiskey
Lime Simple Syrup
Orange Juice
Lime Lacroix
Bitters
A dash of White "It Burns" Goo