Having left Delos, Dolores takes residence in neo-Los Angeles and discovers how artificial beings are treated in the real world.

Westworld is back for a third season, and while you might struggle with this as a jumping on point, there’s so much different that it feels like a new show. After an impressive first season, Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan’s reimagining of the 1973 Michael Crichton movie somewhat lost its way (and viewers) in season 2. Luckily, this has been course corrected with a ‘back to basics’ approach.

Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood) is no longer a victim in a western theme park, now prowling a futuristic LA like a fusion of La Femme Nikita, Major from Ghost in the Shell and a female Terminator. She’s out for revenge, revisiting those who abused her in the park, while using her connectivity to control technology. Ramin Djawadi’s score is no longer a western saloon rag but a thumping, industrial growl. And there’s great use of location shooting, including Valencia and Singapore, creating a credible future that for a change is not dystopian.

In addition to catching up with Dolores, we find that Bernard (Jeffrey Wright) is hiding at a processing plant, while Machiavellian Charlotte Hale (Tessa Thompson) is plotting to turn the fortunes of the park round. A significant new character is Caleb Nichols (Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul) a construction worker who turns to crime when things get too tough. And then Dolores literally falls into his arms. Oh, and don’t miss the post credits scene where a major character wakes up somewhere you really wouldn’t want to be.

Verdict: Big budget, high concept sci-fi with promise of a more accessible season after some second season stumbles. 8/10

Nick Joy