r/westworld • u/lisa_joy Lisa Joy • May 14 '18
It's Westworld Co-Creator/Executive Producer/Director Lisa Joy, Ask Me Anything!
Freeze All Motor Functions, Reddit! Lisa Joy, director of S2 Episode 4 - The Riddle of The Sphinx - is here to answer all your burning questions about last night's episode! Go ahead, AMA!
Proof: /img/66v96syk3ax01.jpg
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u/Jackal239 May 14 '18
I don't have a good question that wouldn't have you spoil anything, so I'll just say this instead:
You are a fantastic director. Last night was probably the strongest episode of Westworld so far. It was a perfect distillation of everything I love about this show.
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u/lisa_joy May 14 '18
Thank you so much. It's always a bit terrifying when something I work on airs -- I can never bring myself to watch. (Made easier last night because I caught some insane cold from my baby.) The one thing I will say (and forgive me if this is too earnest for Reddit -- it's the frustrated sentimental would-be poet in me getting gushy). Anyway, what I will say is I so appreciate the kind words about my direction but that directing is kind of like being the coxswain in a boat race (I'm terribly unathletic and have never rowed crew so forgive me if this metaphor is all fucked up). You've got an idea and a direction you want to go in, but you'd simply sink if it weren't for all the incredible talents in your boat.
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u/lisa_joy May 14 '18
I had the most amazing script by Jonah and Gina to work off of. I had an incredible and collaborative crew who put up with my weird meticulous thinking about where blood splatter would look the most aesthetically pleasing; who helped me tear a set to shreds and then rebuild it over night; I had a stunt team who suspended themselves in wires; danced and fought in drone costumes that were definitely very uncomfortable...
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u/lisa_joy May 14 '18
I had the most talented actors in the world rolling around in bat guano and doing action sequences in freezing rain in the middle of the night. A camera crew that obsessively worked with me to look for the best shots at all time... I mean the list goes on and on
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u/lisa_joy May 14 '18
And on a broader level, I had a community of family, friends, and caretakers who helped me take care of my babies during the long days and nights...
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u/glassFractals May 14 '18
I had an incredible and collaborative crew who put up with my weird meticulous thinking about where blood splatter would look the most aesthetically pleasing
This is only reinforcing my thinking that last night's episode felt very Stanley Kubrick.
This attention to detail was not missed. Amazing episode.
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u/wack1 May 15 '18
I've been a coxswain for a long time, your metaphor holds very true...if things go well it's cause you did your job and the rest of the boat did theirs. If things go poorly, it's your fault, full stop.
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u/DonnaHuee May 17 '18
Lisa - my prediction at the end of season 2 was that Ford was not actually killed. My theory is that he created a “host” of himself to be shot by Delores during the shareholder party. I was expecting this to be revealed by now in season 3. Is there any truth to this? I think it would make a great plot twist.
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u/neokoros May 15 '18
Into have an insane cold from my toddler. I’m seriously waiting for them to announce there is some super bug going around.
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u/Bweryang May 14 '18
I got so excited when I saw Lisa Joy was directing, you just KNOW you’re in for an exciting episode when a show runner is like “guys, I got this”. Jonah’s eps from last season seemed more obviously significant as well, being the first and last. I hope both do feature work.
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u/NetflixTacosChill May 14 '18
Last night's episode was so incredible! Kudos!
How was it to direct the Delos host loop scenes? Looks like Jimmi & Ed really got into each other's versions of William seamlessly there.
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u/lisa_joy May 14 '18
Thank you! Those scenes were a blast to direct. I knew we had to have a continuity in the evolution of William -- over time -- the challenge is two different actors would be playing him in three different time lines. Jimmi Simpson sat in on the rehearsals with Ed and Peter -- to understand and study Ed's performance. Then he started close to the character he played in Season 1 of Westworld, and brought in more darkness and edge for his second loop. On the day, we talked about everything from the posture he would adopt in seating, how that would change, how he'd manifest his growing confidence, power, and darkness in subtle differences in his reaction to Peter Mullen's performance.
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u/lisa_joy May 14 '18
This kind of scene is only possible to pull off when you're dealing with actors like Ed, Peter, and Jimmi. They were so committed, thoughtful, and generous -- with each other, and with me.
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u/NetflixTacosChill May 14 '18
Thank you so much for your answer & for your time! Agreed that it definitely takes amazing quality actors to pull this off. :)
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u/gaxkang May 14 '18
What waa the point of showing James pouring milk in his coffee at different occasions?
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u/hamilton_burger May 17 '18
Did they try acting each other’s scenes that episode, so they both could have the benefit of that when doing their own performance? Was wondering if maybe they each did a quick run through and then attempted to literally act out the way the other one did the scene...at least for this episode.
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u/pravis May 14 '18
There have definitely been a couple instances where you can see Ed and Jimmi's take on William coincide. I want to say when Ed shot El Lazo saying "Fuck you Robert" seemed so much more like William than MiB.
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u/FrenchFriedMushroom May 15 '18
I don't comment in this sub much, if at all, but I have to give you MAJOR props with this week's episode. By far my favorite episode of the series and one of my favorite TV episodes ever.
I loved the feeling you were able to bring to us with these scenes, and even though it wasn't a huge bombshell, it was still absolutely riveting.
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u/GringoPriviledge May 15 '18
You mean four, right? Young William makes two different entrances based on the position of the liquor bottle in his left hand. MIB has two separate timelines as well. In one he says Delos has lasted 35 days and the hourglass is shown still pouring from the top. In the other, Delos is on his 149th form, the hourglass has emptied, and the MIB has decided that Delos should "stay dead" while simultaneously forcing him to continue to live knowing he is trapped forever like his pet goldfish.
Edit: pronouns are hard
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u/lsspam May 17 '18
Ed has one timeline I think. There’s a “gap” which explains the hourglass, right before he starts yelling Logan. Watch Ed Harris expression, it’s radically different.
I think Delos seized up and MiB sat there watching him. The question is what happened between when Delos first stood up and seized up and when he started yelling Logan.
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May 14 '18
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u/lisa_joy May 14 '18
So one of the weird things as someone who works in TV and film is I wasn't really allowed to watch much TV or film at all at home. If I could take a year and just immerse myself in films and TV shows to catch up -- I would. But my kids and husband would probably object to me going full time couch potato. That being said, I did watch a lot of Tarkovsky to prepare for this, Unforgiven, Road to Perdition, 2001. And I love David Lean, Wong Kar-wai, Ang Lee, and Park Chan-wook.
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u/vswr May 14 '18
> Road to Perdition
The rain scene with the tommy gun is one of the greatest moments in motion picture. No dialog, no foley, just raw emotion with an amazing piece by Thomas Newman over top of slow motion downpour as if the sky weeps for what Mike Sullivan knows what he has to do.
I thought of that scene when watching S1 finale fight and the S2E4 MiB rain scenes.
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u/lisa_joy May 14 '18
I also am very inspired by poetry -- which I've loved since I was a kid. Its focus on imagery and emotion -- the primacy it places on symbolism and mood -- all really influence how I approach filmmaking.
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u/irtizzza16 May 14 '18
There was a lot of symbolism, mood, imagery and emotion in this episode alright.
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u/Bobilon Jul 07 '18
Edna St, Vincent Millay's "Renascense" strikes me as touch point for a number of possible hosts, though it's name is tethered to Maeve Millay. If I am correct, am I better informed to think of it as broad touch point or as one particular to Maeve's search for her thingness?
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u/phaeton02 May 14 '18
You prepared extremely well. The Tarkovsky influence was evident last night. That was, quite simply, one of the best directed shows of episodic television I’ve ever seen. And the David Lean was there, too, in those wide epic shots. This transcended the small screen. Congrats.
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May 14 '18
It's awesome that you mentioned 2001, because I got a major 2001 vibe from the Jim Delos scenes in last night's episode.
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u/karatemanchan37 May 14 '18
Wong Kar-Wai! Growing up in HK Chunking Express is one of the few films I would call masterpiece
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u/koticgood May 15 '18
In the Mood for Love is certainly a masterpiece as well.
And I also love Ashes of Time even if it's a bit rougher around the edges.
Just an incredible director. Feels weird even listing a few titles since his whole body of work is just so breathtaking.
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u/Jamisbike May 14 '18
The last episode was the best modern made western I've seen. I can't really watch the old ones because the directors and actors upped the ante so much in the last decades and they look dry, but I'm sure you had to watch a few before directing these series, right? If so, what was the most influential western you watched?
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u/Sojourner_Truth May 15 '18
You should really watch Unforgiven. It's essentially the culmination of all Westerns from a meta-narrative perspective. Probably the best ever made.
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u/Sojourner_Truth May 15 '18
Haha so glad you mentioned Unforgiven. Will Munny's rampage at the end is exactly what came to mind when I saw this episode. Even the speeches were somewhat similar. Excellent job paying homage to one of the greatest Westerns of all time.
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u/FillionMyMind May 14 '18
Road to Perdition and Park Chan-Wook? That’s some quality taste right there. 👌🏻
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u/SailingPatrickSwayze May 14 '18
Love Road to Perdition. Not perfect, but Paul Newman is so amazing.
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u/notdagreatbrain May 14 '18
i def got some dr. zhivago vibes in the shots of delos looking in the mirror from last night's ep!
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u/Mr_Mayhem7 May 14 '18
Please don’t, I feel like now your beautiful mind comes from not being over stimulated with all, this, what’s going on...kinda stuff
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u/iTSGRiMM May 14 '18
Seeing a Park Chan-Wook influence makes me uneasy about what's next for MiB and his daughter :/
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u/Jardun May 15 '18
I should be no surprise that a successful TV producer/writer/director has such impeccable tastes. I love all all the films you listed and all the director's work that you named. Those are all totally in sych with my vision of the show too. Especially see how Park Chan-Wook and Tarkovsky in particular are influential on this show.
Thanks for doing such a cool AMA.
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u/FlukyS May 15 '18
Park Chan-wook
Yas, I think he is one of the best working today. It seems like he has cracked the code for drama and he picks some amazing stories. I think he doesn't get a lot of kudos from the wider audience so it's great to see him getting shoutouts.
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u/rok43 May 16 '18
Park Chan Wook is a great director. Happy to know that you ar inspired by the likes of him. The episode was great!
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u/Oriolesmagic95 May 14 '18
Another redditor here (u/respek_the_opsec) made the fascinating connection last night between Ford's comments in Season 1 about "calling forth Lazarus from his cave" and how Delos, had the project been completely successful and having been "risen from the dead", would have exited out of the cave in a similar manner.
Was this symbolism intentional or just an interesting coincidence? Loved your work in the episode last night and can't wait to see what the rest of the season has in store!
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u/lisa_joy May 15 '18
We had a couple location possibilities for that scene. The symbolic resonance of the cave and the odd white color of the cave gave that location the edge. But I must confess, it was definitely one of the hardest shooting days. The cave only had one entrance and very limited access and range of motion. Plus, as Jeffrey mentioned -- bat guano. And some phantom rat sightings.
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u/lisa_joy May 15 '18
But it was an incredibly touching day for me as a director because despite the extremely difficult working conditions, everyone rallied. Jeffrey plummeted down that damn slope. He and Shannon acted their hearts out. And the inimitable Chris Haarhoff on steadicam shot the shit out of it (and got memorialized in some power bar wrappers)
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u/lisa_joy May 15 '18
All of those transitions and swirling motions were done practically -- in a choreographed dance between Haarhoff and the actors. Shannon literally had to duck under camera and out of sight then sneak around the camera and pop back in.
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u/lisa_joy May 15 '18
I prepped for the shot with my DP John Grillo by "shooting" it on an iphone using the Pop! figurines of the show characters as models for the actors. It was the poor man's previz but it was actually pretty damn helpful as you can't really shotlist things like that -- the camera moves are too involved.
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u/FrankU_MajorityHwip May 15 '18
Shannon literally had to duck under camera and out of sight then sneak around the camera and pop back in.
Welp, going back to re-watch just to appreciate that camera work!
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u/FrostBitn May 20 '18 edited May 20 '18
"Shannon literally had to duck under camera and out of sight then sneak around the camera and pop back in." Does anyone know specifically what shot she is talking about here? I've rewatched the episode twice and I haven't noticed it.
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u/Ariadnepyanfar May 15 '18
I’ve just realised how that situation with James Delos is also like Plato’s Allegory Of The Cave. Delos surrounded by false images. If ‘he’d’ been successfully stabilised, he’d have gotten to walk up and out into the real world. How bittersweet that he died stillborn. (149 times).
(PS, as ever with Westworld, so many philosophical questions about identity raised)
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u/hoops_on_poops May 14 '18
Wasn’t this just in the “previously on” before the episode?
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May 15 '18 edited May 15 '18
I believe the question was whether Fords words in season 1 were deliberately setting the audience up for yesterday's episode.
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u/SurfaceReflection May 15 '18
I guess you can call someone beating you over the head with a huge plank which has "bible reference" written in huger letters over it - a fascinating connection.
You can even see stars after a while.
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u/jfreewright May 14 '18
Hi, Lisa. Now that we’ve had our first encounter with your directorial powers, please explain how calculus camp informs your approach. Also, please describe how bat guano and other vermin droppings can be useful in establishing atmosphere within a cave sequence. Thank you! ❤️
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u/lisa_joy May 14 '18
Calculus camp paid off because a somewhat mathematical brain in thinking about camera angles and such is helpful. The unsexy part of direction also involves a lot of basic but important math when planning days, complexity of shots, etc. to make your budget. Also, I got my first kiss in calculus camp which was instrumental in inspiring hundreds of bad poems which paved my way to being a writer.
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u/lisa_joy May 14 '18
The bat guano and vermin droppings are good for keeping genius actors humble.
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u/jfreewright May 14 '18
That does take a lot. But ‘genius actors’ should be in quotes. (Like, well, that.)
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u/hamfast42 May 15 '18
if only i could get to the derivative of you to navigate your slopes like I used to your sine curve so smooth so well elevated just waiting for me to come and make integrated remember how during our differention i'd derivate and agitate until you reached acceleration? oh my pet parabola who i do so much adore why can't we have functional relationship once more?
~some random poem i found on the internet a decade ago
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u/duaneedmunds May 14 '18 edited May 14 '18
Lol, on the bat guano. Also, that tear in your butt after a 2 mile Clementine drag, no one seems want to talk about that needed repair. ;) I bet Bernard needed more than an injection.
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u/jonathannolan May 14 '18
Asking for a friend -- who's your favorite director on Westworld, Jeffrey?
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u/katysdaddy May 14 '18
I've said it elsewhere, the "I am Death" gunfight will be hard to beat, for an old gamer like me. The character, old western throwback, and plotline combined with the nuanced, expert-level gamer's situational awareness was flawlessly executed.
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May 14 '18
Hmmm, so it seems acting nerds are still the same after they become famous. Go figure.
Good job kids, you're all knocking it out of the park.
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u/anobvioussolution May 14 '18
It's true - my college friends who made it to Hollywood were "the theatre people" in college, and they're exactly as goofy now as they were then.
Can confirm: have played drunk charades with semi-famous people until 3am before going out for wee-hours chicken and waffles. We may also have all been wearing non-hat items as hats. Because fuck it.
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May 15 '18
During last night episode when Bernard was remembering in the secret lab, I was like, “nooo!! Bernard!” And just wanted to hug him so badly. Will someone hug Bernard this season? Please! He needs it!
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u/anobvioussolution May 14 '18
It's so nice to know that you guys are not just actors and writers I admire in a show I love to watch, but also the kind of weird-in-an-awesome-way people I would enjoy hanging out with.
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u/dr_haze May 14 '18
Hi Lisa - how and why did you transition into screenwriting/directing after practicing law? What was that like? Thanks :)
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u/lisa_joy May 14 '18
Terrifying. I quit my job at a consulting firm when I was stationed in Silicon Valley and had to fly myself back to LA and start on my first show. I'd never been in a writers room and had no idea what to expect. The show was "Pushing Daisies" and I was staffed based on a spec I wrote while studying for the bar exam. I remember calling my mom and reassuring her: "everything's going to be fine. It's a REAL writing job. I'll have health insurance and everything. What could possibly go wrong?" Couple months later -- writer's strike. Ooops.
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u/Bweryang May 14 '18
Can anybody (not necessarily Lisa) explain writing on spec to me? I don’t know how you get ANYONE to read your work, let alone key decision makers.
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u/laughinman7 May 14 '18
Pushing Daisies was canceled to soon and it should absolutely make a comeback! This show was so good!
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u/SirFadakar May 14 '18
Couple months later -- writer's strike. Ooops.
Shit. Impeccable timing. How'd you manage in the ensuing months?
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u/smacksaw May 14 '18
Lee Pace needs to be in Westworld
And I swear to God he made Twilight awesome
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u/thanks_I_HATE_IT May 14 '18
I absolutely loved Pushing Daisies. Canceled too soon. I had no idea that you were involved in it!
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u/jcoffi May 14 '18
You worked on Pushing Daisies? That show deserves waaaaay more credit than it gets.
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u/COLU_BUS May 14 '18
I'd love a crossover scene where Ford walks into the pie shop and has a super dramatic monologue to Ned about controlling life and death, before sitting and eating a slice in silence.
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u/Onepopcornman May 14 '18 edited May 14 '18
Hi Lisa!
I believe that Ben Barnes and Jeffery Wright are on record in saying that the actors don’t get advanced scripts. In a show with non-linear story telling how do you help prepare the actors for understanding their motivation while also keeping things secretive?
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u/lisa_joy May 14 '18
Yeah, it's tough because we'll have all the scripts mapped out and written but we'll still be finessing them (so much happens between finishing a script and actually getting it to production -- financial considerations, availability of talent, location limitations) that we can't send scripts out too far in advance. Our actors are incredible in understanding all the factors we are juggling and working with us in the most generous way.
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u/lisa_joy May 14 '18
But context for our brilliant actors to do their jobs is incredibly vital. They bring nuance and an incredible amount of thought to all of their choices. In the case of the fabulous Mr. Wright, they're playing more than one persona as we cut between timelines. I try my damndest to talk the actors through the emotional context and underpinnings of the scenes so they have the material they need for their incredible performances.
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u/lisa_joy May 14 '18
Ultimately, as a writer, you try to make the story as compelling as possible. But a whole new and lovely alchemy occurs once the actor brings that character to life. Some of my favorite moments in the show are dialogue-less. It's just about capturing the state of mind of the actors as they inhabit the character. As a director, I just tried to capture the beauty and spontaneity of those moments. When you find yourself working with actors as incredible as the ones I was fortunate enough to work with -- you find yourself saying "go tighter" a lot. Because so much is happening with their every micro-gesture. You don't want to miss it.
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u/Crowbarmagic May 15 '18
In the case of the fabulous Mr. Wright, they're playing more than one persona as we cut between timelines.
I vaguely remember reading that Jeffrey Wright didn't know he was a host yet in one or several of the early episodes. Is this true?
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u/ViolentEverything May 15 '18
playing more than one persona as we cut between timelines
Present tense...
...hmmm.
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u/Onepopcornman May 14 '18 edited May 14 '18
Hi Lisa, Thanks so much!
Mystery is such an important part of the show. In telling the story how do you balance the use of ambiguity in how you tell the story? Are there any rules that the show follows to help manage this in episodes?
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u/lisa_joy May 14 '18
I feel like if the ambiguity or sense of confusion and temporal displacement mimics the state of mind and cognitive condition of the hosts -- it's not so much about "confusing" as it is about using mimicry to build our empathy for the host's state of mind. The audience's awareness and contextualization of the scenes grows with the hosts'.
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u/lisa_joy May 14 '18
I sometimes think of it as a Seurat painting -- where we view certain clusters of points / moments at a time without necessarily understanding their place in the broader painting. That being said, as a writer and director I always try to stay aware of the bigger picture so the audience's investment and faith in the storyline is hopefully not betrayed when that full picture is revealed.
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u/lyrillvempos May 16 '18 edited May 16 '18
i think i can speak for people beside just myself that we sometimes take it for granted we get to enjoy a show that is rewarding beyond just watching it once, that it's naturally rewarding to get to connect the dots because the themes are what we care about
but please indulge me with some light general criticism though, there is some bit of lack of context in certain places where it'd benefit more and some other places where there's too much explaining
I think it also mostly has to do with the question "what is the cornerstone of the story", I mean you literally wrote MIB to ask that to Ford, even though in a meta way, now going back to that conversation, that was exactly the example I was talking about how I may read into it with a new light, that maybe it means MIB was pushing in urgency for Ford to cough out the real deal, what he know about how to get MIB what he also want as james delos want, simply because he can--to live forever through true conciousness recreation/transfer onto a fully compatible functional physical host
but then at this point you wouldn't be able to respond to confirming this as the end game/true theme of the show, albeit the whole charade of "some people don't deserve to live forever"(I personally think it would be a huge shame to just write it off like that after all the effort, it would literally be the trascendence sigularity and the breakthrough that human beings have always all wanted admittedly or not) as it would be spoilers so I guess we smarter viewers are doomed to wait since we read into it more and that makes the wait even harder
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u/washingtonpost May 14 '18
Hi Lisa! Congratulations on last night's episode. It's clear that the Westworld concept is inspired by video games. Which titles specifically (besides "Red Dead Redemption") were the biggest inspiration? Do you or the other showrunners play? Thank you for doing this!
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u/lisa_joy May 15 '18
Jonah's the real gamer. I'm quite terrible at it. I literally kept riding my horse off the damn road on Red Dead Redemption. And we played some Grand Theft Auto but I like to obey the traffic rules and just admire the city when I play. Bioshock. Portal. All fantastic games that I suck at but enjoy watching.
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u/mttomb2 May 15 '18
In Portal would you try to save the Companion Cube or immediately throw it into the incinerator?
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u/Mjs157 May 15 '18
Is bioshock's twist your favorite storytelling twist? If not, what is? I really hope you can answer this.
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May 15 '18
Red Dead, Gta, Bioshock, Portal. Gamer or not, you have great taste! As do the people around you.
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u/DigitalBuddhaNC May 14 '18
I don't know if it's "clear" that Westworld was inspired by video games since the movie came out just one year after Pong was released.
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May 14 '18
Who’s the genius behind the soundtrack selections? It really seems like it’s a tremendous team effort to get the right music in place for each scene however it definitely pays off.
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u/lisa_joy May 15 '18
The mysterious and devastatingly handsome Sean O'Meara does much of it. Though I chose the music for 204. With the exception of "Do the Strand" which the incredible Peter Mullan's choice.
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u/lisa_joy May 15 '18
I sprang dancing, masturbating, and taking a piss as options for the montage the morning we were shooting. I thought they'd make sense for the montage and help enrich it by showing a man's most private moments and behaviors. But I wanted to talk about it with Peter in person to see if he was game. Incredible performer and collaborator that he is, he embraced it all with gusto. And of course added to it too. He suggested the song and danced his heart out. Also, who takes a piss while gurgling? Mr. Delos by Peter Mullan that's who. (or maybe all men do and you've all been keeping this secret from me? definitely, as a woman, it would be somewhat harder to pull off.)
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May 15 '18
It definitely was a stand up performance on Peter’s end… and yes, multitasking like that is one of those mysterious things men do. Getting it on film, albeit staged, is one of those “gorillas in the mist” moments.
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u/Rex_Willows May 15 '18
Who takes a piss while gurgling? 2 birds with 1 stone.
Time efficency, for the win
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u/buttplungerr May 15 '18
the true skill would be pissing while gurgling then spitting the mouth wash into the toilet while continuing to piss all without burning your knob
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u/Magnum_Dongman May 15 '18
I pee and brush my teeth at the same time very frequently. Its only logical, it saves me a minute or so of my time!
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u/SurfaceReflection May 15 '18
No, no we dont. Thats just Mullan.
We rescinded his pissing without gurgling gurgling without pissing club card many years ago.
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u/swimgewd May 15 '18
Also, who takes a piss while gurgling?
anyone who wants to save time. TIL a billionaire and I share the same habits.
EDIT: Not a billionaire, just someone who plays one on TV
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u/yoshi570 May 15 '18
I might be late to the party, but I need to ask: how much of that scene was inspired from the famous Lost scene?
I saw the nod as others, and really appreciated it. I enjoyed how you turned it around.
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u/i_of_the_squawk May 14 '18
The season 2 trailer still gives me the chills. I watch it before every new episode.
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u/one_dead_saint May 14 '18
I heard on the decoding westworld podcast (the episode before season 2 started) that it is all handled and goes through Jonathan Nolan.
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u/Sutarmekeg May 14 '18
What sources have you drawn upon for creating Shogun World? Any particular movies? A trip to Japan? 知りたい！ Also, many thanks for making my favourite show.
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u/lisa_joy May 14 '18
We went on a huge Kurosawa kick before first season and continually return to this well for inspiration. And we did visit Japan in a quick trip before second season -- it was amazing. My only complaint was I was pregnant and couldn't eat all the sushi I wanted to.
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u/Sutarmekeg May 14 '18
Oh, what a bummer! But mercury. I lived in Japan for some years and my son was born there. My wife couldn't eat sushi either :( Thanks for answering!
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u/tinybeads May 14 '18
All this and pregnant. You are MIND-NUMBINGLY amazing, if you aren't told enough! :)
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May 14 '18
On the railroad, were the workers killing other hosts or humans?
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u/lisa_joy May 14 '18
They were killing anyone who was mistreating them while forcing them to build the railroad (so a mix of hosts programmed to do so for the narrative and guests who took advantage of that narrative)
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u/fatalrendezvous May 14 '18
Thank you for that, by the way! I thought the addition of coolies in the park was an unexpected, but really neat historical nod to the old West in the US!
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u/TokenMenses May 14 '18
Interesting. I thought this was maybe a reference to the apocalyptic AI paperclip maker. The AIs are programmed to build a railroad and the people/hosts were roughly the right size and shape of a rail tie.
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u/TheVenusRose May 16 '18
Loved seeing a Chinese face on the railroad! My great-great-grandfather came to California in 1851 when he was 12, worked the railroads, and became a Chinese Cowboy before settling down in San Fran :)
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u/Not_Nice_Niece May 14 '18
Human bodies can't make a very stable railroad foundation, No?
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u/think_without_limits May 16 '18
I love all the theories being spun about the oppression/liberation parallels in WW and IRL. Do you personally (or the other writers) consider yourselves to be engaged in a kind of cultural critique?
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u/Squiddinboots May 14 '18
It looked like a sort of combo to me, but I was pretty sure the guy we watched get spiked was in a tux. That and his last words had me guessing he was human.
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u/klinsmannabc May 15 '18
Good to hear CANTONESE when the hosts build the railroad. Very details!
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u/lisa_joy May 15 '18
Thanks I’ve enlisted a couple friends in other scenes from last season to do ADR in Mandarjn too. One is my mother. The other is my longtime friend Wang Leehom.
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u/CQME May 15 '18
My goodness you are one hell of a trooper. It's been nearly 24 hours since this AMA started, you rock!!!
Oh, and to your comment, it's very noticeable and thank you. Another one of my favorite shows is Mr. Robot, and it's got a lot of Chinese characters in it, and on a good day they sound like they are in the middle of the second year of a college course in Mandarin and that there's some hope they'll eventually get the tones right.
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u/GrimMind May 15 '18
I don't believe anyone has asked this, but who is your personal favorite character?
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May 14 '18 edited May 14 '18
Which scene from the episode was the most fun to shoot?
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u/lisa_joy May 14 '18
Honestly the whole thing was a thrill. It's like you're asking me to choose my favorite child. But if I had to...
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u/cynicalstevex May 14 '18
The actors in this show - are you ever in awe of just how talented they are?
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u/monsterbucket May 14 '18
Do you have any secret cameo appearances in the show?
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u/Kiggsworthy May 14 '18
OMG Lisa I cannot explain to you how blown away by Season 2 at this point, Ep 4 just blew the doors off. I am so freaking excited for what is to come over the next few years. You guys are killing it.
My question is, what is the nomenclature you guys use, or should we be using, to keep some of these things straight. Some that my friends and I have come up with just since last night:
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Red Bulb - real brain downloaded into a core and implanted into robot body
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White Bulb - artificially created consciousness in a robot body, aka what we traditionally think of as a host
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Meat brain - the inconsequential shell around the actual brain (bulb)
I feel that there is nuance that this nomenclature won't catch though. What are the names of the two operating systems in play? That might help. I love words SO MUCH so I would love to know some of the words you guys use in the writers room to discuss these things - so far as they aren't spoilers themselves to know them!
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u/Kiggsworthy May 14 '18
to answer #2 I thought the reason he was shocked was that he was surprised Lawrence had a memory of this. He told Lawrence about his daughter during a previous outing they shared, and Lawrence has certainly been wiped and re-looped since that outing. So that Lawrence remembers something MiB told him in the previous outing indicated he has memories that are exceeding the bounds of his loop, and that is why MiB was surprised.
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u/playtio May 14 '18
Oh, hi, Lisa. With the show renewed for a third season, how far ahead have you already planned the story? Do you work on it one season at a time or is there a general idea you are slowly developing? Thanks!