Topics discussed: Metafiction (AKA fiction about fiction), what the hell with the Bernard reveal (really, what the hell), the challenge of telling a story that feels familiar yet surprising (and how Westworld did it), whether the robots are just like humans or radically different (yes and no), Ford's real motivations (it's complicated), how intellectual property might be the enemy of storytelling (or maybe not), whether stories can be dangerous (sometimes), what characters and ideas got Yu...

Topics discussed: The unregistered robots (Ford's robot family is seriously creepy), the true meaning of the maze (and why Teddy has gotten so boring), Maeve's attribute matrix (and the greatest scene in the entire show), what it means to be trapped in a narrative (male and female roles for robots are both terrible), when will a guy have sex with a male robot (it can't happen soon enough), why the park offers no romance stories or female-centric adventures (what? ladies don't want sex?), and...

Topics discussed: The state of Dolores' mind (Arnold and a bunch of other things are in her head), Ford's freaky conversation with the MIB (a treat to watch), the economics of Westworld (it's hemorrhaging cash), the economics of the real world (MIB says it's peachy, but the poor med tech Felix is terrified he'll lose his job), the two faces of Lawrence (El Lazo!), what's going on in Pariah (and are the Confederados linked to Wyatt?), how guns work in Westworld (here's what we've figured out...

In this episode, our guest is combat tech expert Peter W. Singer, author of Wired for War and strategist at the New America Foundation. Topics discussed: Whether it's inevitable that humans will use robots for violence as Ford says (a philosophy question that goes back centuries), how the robots in Westworld are like military robots in the real world (creepy parallels abound), how you program a robot to be ethical in war (it's much harder than you think), why it matters that Westworld's war...

This week, we explore episode 3 of Westworld with guest Kyle Orland, Ars Technica's games editor. Topics discussed include: Julian Jaynes' theory of the bicameral mind (you must do LSD to fully understand it), robot consciousness (it ain't your grandmother's three laws of robotics), Teddy's new backstory with Wyatt (holy crap Wyatt's gang is scary and confusing), Ford's anti-robot racism (he's got issues), the Westworld gameplay (why are there no consequences to getting shot?), the kinds of...

On this episode, I'm joined by Ars Technica's video editor Jennifer Hahn, who is a documentary filmmaker and editor. We talk about the recent episode, as well as how it fits into the world established in the original Westworld movie, its sequel Futureworld, and the short-lived 1980 TV series Westworld. Jen also talks to us about Westworld's cinematography and design. Topics discussed: Whether the Westworld theme park is underground (maybe?), William's white hat status (dubious), the robot UX...

In our debut episode of Decrypted: Westworld, we talk about the show's many layers of conspiracies, and its overarching themes. We're joined by award-winning science fiction author Charlie Jane Anders, who talks to us about how the series grapples with the idea that memory is key to identity, and wonders whether Westworld can achieve the same mainstream popularity as Game of Thrones. Other topics discussed include: Anthony Hopkins (annoying or not?), Ed Harris (holy crap scary), the big...

Ars Technica continues our Decrypted podcast with the first season HBO's Westworld created by Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan. Based on Michael Crichton's novel and the 1973 film with Yul Brynner of the same name, this drama about robots in a wild west theme park will fascinate, make you (extremely) uncomfortable, and generally creep you out. Join us each week as we explore the latest episode with colleagues, writers, and technology experts to discover and decrypt this complex, psychological...

"As I was preparing to utter the first part of the sentence I just stopped," says Stephanie Corneliussen, aka Joanna Wellick. "I looked across the table at Sam Esmail and gave him that kind of 'What did you do? I can’t say this' look. And he just gives me one of those famous Sam scowls that’s like 'Go ahead, do it.' I said it, and everyone is reading along but hearing it out loud... we just burst out laughing because it’s so over the limit, so over the top.” Mr. Robot S2 ended with its share...

Only one hour of Mr. Robot S2 remains, but many questions do. Before the second half of season two's finale, GQ's entertainment and culture critic Scott Meslow helps us take stock of what answers we can expect and what's likely to linger into S3.  "I have such a hard time getting mad at a show for being ambitious," Meslow says. "And they are really swinging for the fences. It's been a lot of fun, but ultimately it's a season that doesn't know which cards it should be playing at which times....

It's penultimate episode time for S2, and in the classic style of The Wire we may have a death or two on this week's Mr. Robot. "h1dden-pr0cess.axx" ends on a cliffhanger with possibly tremendous repercussions, so this week we start by examining the possibilities and evidence surrounding Darlene's drama. Then, professional psychologist and TV writer Cameron Brown (@couchpotpsych) joins the podcast to dive deep into the mind of Elliot... because even within an episode that ends on such an...

"Who was behind the door? We already knew that," Mr. Robot staff writer Lucy Teitler told us this week. "I think it happens a lot with the show, the big questions the fans are obsessed with are things we all decide. They’re foundational. So the individual pressure is on with the way scenes are written.” Teitler is a new staffer for Mr. Robot S2 and, no pressure, her first episode assignment happened to include the fallout from that big Elliot reveal. She co-wrote "init_5.fve" with colleague...

"succ3ss0r" (S2E8) did the unthinkable—an entire episode of Mr. Robot *without* Elliot. Even show staff writer/head technical producer Kor Adana didn't see that coming. "I had a lot of anxiety and I know the other writers in the room had a lot of anxiety, because we weren’t sure how it was going to be received," he told us on this week's pod. "The question was: did we do enough work early in S2 laying the groundwork for our supporting cast to carry an episode?" This week, we finally got the...

"h4ndshake" (S2E7) shook up Mr. Robot like few previous episodes have. While the critical opinion seems split on how the show handled its latest reveal, one thing rings a bit false—the notion this was some unexpected "twist." This week we *had* to break down the big news, which raises more question than it answers (that's a good thing, btw).  Looking forward, two of the show's tech advisors—Tanium's Andre McGregor and Ryan Kazanciyan—presented a webinar this week with plenty of behind the...

With m4ster-s1ave (S2E6), Mr. Robot S2 is officially at the halfway point. That means now is the perfect time to look at the series at-large with Ars Technica's reviewer, Jonathan Gitlin. We break down what's happened thus far in five categories: our favorite sequences, biggest surprises, largest disappointments, most lingering questions, and craziest fan theories. 

With "logic_b0mb" (S2E5), Mr. Robot's second season reached another level. From the FBI's tragedy to the reunion of our main characters, the episode seemed to address any lingering concerns fans may have from the slower pace of S2 thus far.  Given how significant the happenings were this week, we devoted the entire pod to breaking down what made logic_b0mb so effective. Touching on everything from Ray to Joanna Wellick, fsociety to Whiterose, there are clearly spoilers ahead.

This week on Decrypted, "init1.asec" (S2E4) hammers home just how different Mr. Robot S2 is compared to the series' original 10 episodes. To better understand what's happening both on- and off-screen, preeminent TV mind Andy Greenwald (formerly of Grantland, now of The Watch podcast and After The Thrones/Hacking Robot) joins the podcast for a long discussion. We start by talking about some of the season's biggest surprises thus far before transitioning into how the Netflix TV revolution has...

On this week's Decrypted, Mr. Robot's "k3rnel-pan1c.ksd' (S2E3) quickly flipped the script on S2. With the show's higher profile, there's more theorizing than ever despite the show's intent on subverting our expectations. The most popular fan theory seems kaputt after this week, so we offer three pie-in-the-sky conspiracies that will hopefully have more legs. We also talk about the show's sound this week. From Phil Collins to the Pixies, Dusty Springfield to FKA Twigs, soundtrack is as...

After Mr. Robot S2 returned with "unm4sk" (S2E1), we offer an appreciation of our new favorite character and chat with the show's FBI Consultant, Andre McGregor (@AndreOnCyber). A full review of this week's two-part episode can be found at arstechnica.com.

On the debut episode, we look back to season one exclusively through the eyes (err, words) of main character Elliot Alderson (played by Rami Malek). Despite the Internet's (justified) obsession with the show's realistic depiction of tech, Ars reviewer Jonathan Gitlin said the characters and especially how "they break down and experience their delusions" is what made Mr. Robot compelling. So if break downs and delusions are what you're after, no one is better to relive S1 with than Elliot. We...