What do we know about Westworld season 5 after an intense, game-changing season 4 finale completely tore up the show’s rule book? Westworld has come a long way since the horse-riding and gratuitous nudity of season 1, with the latest run of HBO’s (very) loose Michael Crichton adaptation charting the downfall of humanity across a 23-year period. Tessa Thompson’s Charlotte Hale/Dolores host assumes control over humanity by infecting the population with a parasite, leaving only a select few rebels pushing back. The resistance is bolstered by protagonist hosts Bernard (Jeffrey Wright), Maeve (Thandiwe Newton) and Stubbs (Luke Hemsworth), while an amnesiac version of Evan Rachel Wood’s Dolores rediscovers her true self.
Westworld season 4’s finale (“Que Será, Será”) doubles-down on Bernard’s previous claim that humanity could no longer be spared from extinction, and by the time credits roll, both species have fallen. Every host is either offline or destroyed, and the few surviving humans are given a short life expectancy by Dolores, who is fully awakened once again. Not exactly the cheeriest conclusion, granted, but Westworld sets up for the future in a big way, hinting that the death of one world heralds the birth of another.
Running since 2016, Westworld‘s high-concept philosophy hasn’t always enamored viewers, but season 4 has broadly enjoyed more positive reviews compared to seasons 2 and 3, and “Que Será, Será” will inevitably leave audiences pondering what comes next. Here’s what we know about Westworld season 5 so far.
Is Westworld Season 5 Happening?
At the time of writing, HBO hasn’t officially confirmed Westworld season 5 will happen, and with lower viewership figures, there’s no guarantee that announcement will actually come. Still, signs look promising. Westworld season 4’s finale explicitly sets the stage for another season, and Man in Black actor Ed Harris told THR in a July 2022 interview that he expected to be filming season 5 in April/May 2023. While Westworld season 5’s chances look good, season 4’s apocalyptic finale, with Dolores teasing the possibility of a “new world,” could function as an overall ending. TV shows have certainly been canceled in weirder places.
When Will Westworld Season 5 Release?
Westworld season 4 began filming around June 2021 and premiered in June 2022. Following that pattern and assuming Ed Harris has his calendar right, Westworld season 5 should tentatively land somewhere near April 2024, which is similar to the long gaps separating previous seasons.
Is Westworld Season 5 The Final Season?
If Westworld season 5 does happen, all evidence suggests it’ll be the final season. Dolores describes her new plan for humanity as one final test, implying season 5’s adventure in the Sublime will close Westworld‘s book for good. In his aforementioned interview, Ed Harris also claimed Westworld had “one more season” and, in practical terms, the show’s current viewership figures probably wouldn’t allow for anything beyond that.
What Westworld Season 5’s Story Will Be
Westworld season 5 ends with the Man in Black’s host triggering the end of sentient life. An eruption of human violence wipes out both species, and although a few rebels (Caleb’s daughter among them) escape the carnage, Dolores reveals they too perish months or years later, and mankind is no more. Dolores’ choice – the outcome Bernard spent all of Westworld season 4 pursuing – is using her memories of humanity to “test” the species inside the Sublime, and she recreates a simulation of the original WestWorld park for this very purpose. Most of Westworld season 5 will likely take place within this park simulation, as Dolores ascertains whether humans have a future. Exactly how she intends to make that decision remains to be seen.
Which Characters Can Appear In Westworld Season 5?
Pretty much everyone is dead when Westworld season 4 ends. Some hosts are permanently destroyed (William, Hale), some are merely offline (Maeve, Stubbs), and the lucky ones are safe in the Sublime. Because Westworld season 5 will apparently take place inside a simulated version of the WestWorld park generated by Dolores from the Sublime, however, there are no limits on which cast members can appear. Anyone Dolores remembers can be artificially conjured, and that covers virtually every main Westworld character.
