The Original (Westworld)

"The Original" is the first episode in the first season premiere of the HBO science fiction western thriller television series Westworld.

It received positive reviews from critics, who praised the visuals, performances of the cast, story, thematic elements and world-building.

They rekindle their old flame, and she invites him back to her farm, but when they arrive they hear shooting inside the house.

The Man in Black reveals he is a guest, kills Teddy, and then drags Dolores off, upset she does not recognize him after thirty years of visits.

Park QA director Theresa orders all hosts with Reveries to be brought in and checked, using a temporary narrative of a bandit massacre to hide this from the guests.

The next day, Dolores begins her usual routine, unaware of the surrogate in Peter's place for her father.

"The Original" was written by series co-creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, based on the premise of the 1973 film of the same name by Michael Crichton.

[11] In the United Kingdom, the episode was seen by 1.7 million viewers on Sky Atlantic (the channel's highest-rated broadcast that week).

The site's consensus reads "The Original lays the vivid playground of Westworld before us in all its detail-heavy, morality-questioning, and mystery-filled glory.

"[14] Eric Goldman of IGN wrote in his review of the episode, "HBO's Westworld makes a strong first impression with its excellent premiere, as a theme park provides the setting for a fascinating exploration of the human—and not so human—psyche.

[17] Liz Shannon Miller of IndieWire wrote in her review, "It's just the first episode, and already that control seems in flux as more questions arise.

[18] Erik Kain of Forbes also reviewed the episode, saying, "I found the season premiere of Westworld gripping from start to finish.

"[19] It was parodied by RiffTrax, consisting of Mystery Science Theater 3000 alumni Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett, on December 6, 2017.