Westworld’s Lisa Joy on comparisons of series to Lost
Westworld co-creator Lisa Joy responds to comparisons between the confusing timelines and deep mysteries in the series to those of Lost.
The similarities between Westworld and Lost are not lost on Lisa Joy, as the co-creator acknowledges that both series thrive on confusion and mystery and embrace the unknown. However, Joy notes one major difference between the shows’ narrative style, and that is the purposefulness of the storytelling and Westworld’s intention to flesh out and eventually solve those narrative mysteries – even if it might take the entire series.
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Joy delightfully uses the metaphor of a “mystery box” to explain the differences between the two shows’ intentions. “In Lost, they really believed in the mystery box and not looking too much inside the mystery box. It was some kind of idea generator that you didn’t need to dissect and open up,” Said Joy. “But for us, you know, I think we are interested in dismantling the mystery box, opening it up, looking at what it is, putting it together like it’s some kind of LEGO, seeing how it works and really questioning and exposing that.”
And it’s clear in the structure of the show, confusing though it often is, that the writers are extremely purposeful with how they present and order information. While we may not understand it at first, you always know that they’re setting up for some sort of reveal or connection. Where Lost wasn’t necessarily interested in solving mysteries and often had no set intention or plan for future seasons, Westworld is extremely plotted out. This is true to the extent that even some of the timeline vagaries are a product of a host’s memory malfunction. Not even all of the narrative structures are the simple whim of the writers and creators.
Next: How Secret Is Secret? Westworld’s Scripts Versus Game Of Thrones
At the same time, there’s something to be said for Lost’s low priority for closure and how it challenged American audience’s need for unambiguous endings and distaste for loose ends.
Source: CinemaBlend