Player Piano | A weekly conversation decoding HBO's Westworld

Player Piano is a weekly conversation recapping HBO's Westworld. Hosts Dan and Trevor do their best to decode the plot, philosophy and filmcraft of the sci-fi epic. This week we do a light re-entry into the orbit of the world of Westworld. Because of the social distancing mandate, this episode had to be recorded remotely and Trevor's beautiful baritone could not be captured in all its usual HD glory. Even with the physical remove we did our best to remember where the hell we left off last season while discussing the cleaner, more typically sci-fi aesthetic, the theme of layers of determinism and whether or not the pearl inside Hale's skull is that of Ronald McDonald.  Email us your thoughts and theories at: playerpianopodcast@gmail.com  

Player Piano is a weekly conversation recapping HBO's Westworld. Hosts Dan and Trevor do their best to decode the plot, philosophy and filmcraft of the sci-fi epic. This week Trevor and Dan go into full analysis mode debriefing the season finale of what turned out to be a rocky second season of an ambitious series. This week we discuss the show's increasingly frustrating inconsistencies and lack of general narrative clarity. They also discuss some of the interesting philosophical issues touched on in a season that has largely sidestepped these deeper themes: including Transcension Hypothesis as it relates to the digital paradise offered the hosts; whether or not you can tiny-URL a human; whether or not the non-reveal of the Man In Black's physiology matters if he had already given his mind over to the simulacrum; and why Trevor doesn't love Dan's love.  Email us your thoughts and theories at: playerpianopodcast@gmail.com  

Player Piano is a weekly conversation recapping HBO's Westworld. Hosts Dan and Trevor do their best to decode the plot, philosophy and filmcraft of the sci-fi epic. This week Trevor and Dan discuss whether or not Ford has a coherent ideology (and/or bad breath); the problem with how we talk about free will; what more, if anything, we now know about William and Emily; the stigmatization of suicide; and get excited for next week's finale to prove ALL of our theories right.  Email us your thoughts and theories at: playerpianopodcast@gmail.com  

Player Piano is a weekly conversation recapping HBO's Westworld. Hosts Dan and Trevor do their best to decode the plot, philosophy and filmcraft of the sci-fi epic. This week Trevor and Dan discuss the value of inferred beliefs vs. revealed religion, the beautiful new music in this episode (of which the Lakota language is the lead instrument), the many, many, many logical leaps this gorgeous episode asks us to make on its behalf, and feelings of male inadequacy after that cold storage scene. Email us your thoughts and theories at: playerpianopodcast@gmail.com  

Player Piano is a weekly conversation recapping HBO's Westworld. Hosts Dan and Trevor do their best to decode the plot, philosophy and filmcraft of the sci-fi epic. This week Trevor and Dan have their first argument on the podcast and somehow end up joining hands in prayer anyway. They also discuss Dolores's controversial stance on backups and what that'll do to her chances of reelection; ruminate on the whether or not we're at "base" reality in this story; and explore the idea that we're all just algorithm food now.  Email us your thoughts and theories and prayers at: playerpianopodcast@gmail.com  

Player Piano is a weekly conversation recapping HBO's Westworld. Hosts Dan and Trevor do their best to decode the plot, philosophy and filmcraft of the sci-fi epic. Though QA got Westworld's temperature control systems up and running, Dan and Trevor were not so lucky this week. The AC died in Dan's studio before taping, turning it into a sweat lodge of sorts. What follows is a mystical, perspiration-drenched and Mezcal-fueled vision quest through the increasingly complicated and surreal plot of this entertaining episode.  Email us your thoughts and theories at: playerpianopodcast@gmail.com  

Player Piano is a weekly conversation recapping HBO's Westworld. Hosts Dan and Trevor do their best to decode the plot, philosophy and filmcraft of the sci-fi epic. This week Dan and Trevor decipher the exotic tapestry that was the show's first foray into Shogun World. They weigh in on Dolores and Teddy's on-again/off-again relationship, ask if self-plagiarism is really a thing, and dissect the questionable in-world logic of Maeve's newfound Jedi powers.  Email us at: playerpianopodcast@gmail.com   This week's cocktail was not really a cocktail at all. It was just warm sake.

Player Piano is a weekly conversation recapping HBO's Westworld. Hosts Dan and Trevor do their best to decode the plot, philosophy and filmcraft of the sci-fi epic. This week Dan and Trevor gush over the directorial debut of co-showrunner and -creator Lisa Joy. They try to decide who the Sphinx is and what riddle it's asking, ponder the possibility that consciousness won't "take" in a vacuum, explore the Ghost Nation's strange death ritual and theorize about the possible new character arc of the Man in Black. Half-baked theories abound!  Email us at: playerpianopodcast@gmail.com   This week's cocktail: The Stank Ass Elsie Mezcal Angostura Bitters Chilled Lime Juice Simple Syrup, Lime Lemon Lacroix   Shake it till it's stinky. 

Player Piano is a weekly conversation recapping HBO's Westworld. Hosts Dan and Trevor do their best to decode the plot, philosophy and filmcraft of the sci-fi epic. This week Dan and Trevor counsel each other to deal with their mystery fatigue and parse the few reveals in what was a generally disappointing episode. They ask all the grouchy questions like: Has this phenomenal cast been saddled with inert character arcs? Why are the Delos QA forces so laughably bad at their job? How long must we be teased with the same questions about the true nature of the park, the Ghost Nation Indians and what's causing Bernard's meltdown while being given new mystery boxes like this Grace character.  Email us at: playerpianopodcast@gmail.com   This week's cocktail: The Flaxen Plum Half lime juiced Half lemon juiced Ginger beer Angostura Bitters Mezcal   Shake it up until it explodes like a barrel of nitroglycerin.

Player Piano is a weekly conversation recapping HBO's Westworld. Hosts Dan and Trevor do their best to decode the plot, philosophy and filmcraft of the sci-fi epic. This week Dan and Trevor enter the pearly synthetic gates of this season's second episode. They discuss the impossibility of true freedom in a domesticated mind and theorize on the true nature of William's secret projects. All the while doing a number of high quality voice impressions, most of which end up sounding like Larry Flynt for some reason. Email us at: playerpianopodcast@gmail.com   This week's cocktail: The Laz Word Green Chartreuse Seagram’s Blended Whiskey Lime Simple Syrup Orange Juice Lime Lacroix Bitters A dash of White "It Burns" Goo  

Player Piano is a weekly conversation recapping HBO's Westworld. Hosts Dan and Trevor do their best to decode the plot, philosophy and filmcraft of the sci-fi epic. We're not going to lie, we felt a bit like old Bernard this week trying to get our thought machines working at Westworld speed after that two-year cryogenic slumber. That is, our minds are slipping all over the place and we should probably spike our coffee with some of that brain juice if we ever hope to wake up. Send us your comments and theories via this hive mind mesh network we're all sharing. No cocktails this week, as we taped the episode in the morning in the broad ass light of day.  Email us at: playerpianopodcast@gmail.com      

Player Piano is a weekly conversation recapping HBO's Westworld. Hosts Dan and Trevor do their best to decode the plot, philosophy and filmcraft of the sci-fi epic. In this bonus episode, Dan and Trevor discuss Annihilation, the new film by sci-fi auteur Alex Garland based on the excellent novel by Jeff Vandermeer. Is it a masterpiece? A misstep? Or somewhere in between?  Drinking game: play along! Every time Dan says "phenomenon" take a couple shots of your favorite liquor. Email us at: playerpianopodcast@gmail.com    

Dan and Trevor go see Bladerunner 2049 and then make word sounds at each other trying to convey what they just saw. SPOILERS ABOUND.

Player Piano is a weekly conversation recapping HBO's Westworld. Hosts Dan and Trevor do their best to decode the plot, philosophy and filmcraft of the sci-fi epic. This week Dan and Trevor say goodbye to the season by going into full analysis mode on that super-sized finale as well as discussing some of the big ideas touched on including: the paradox of free will, Ford’s master plan and the possibilities for creating hell on earth (or just in your shower). Email us at: playerpianopodcast@gmail.com Recap begins at: 24:30 Takeaways begin at: 1:48:21   This week's cocktail: The Journey Into Night Buffalo Trace Bourboun Ginger beer (nice and tart) 10 Tablespoons (10!) Angostura Bitters A few lines of Wyatt code  

Player Piano is a weekly conversation recapping HBO's Westworld. Hosts Dan and Trevor do their best to decode the plot, philosophy and filmcraft of the sci-fi epic. This week Dan and Trevor worked themselves into a fugue state trying to decode this increasingly complex narrative as well as discussing some of the big ideas touched on in episode 9 including: the fluidity of identity, ego in a posthuman existence and whether or not Arnold is striking a Jesus Christ pose.  Email us at: playerpianopodcast@gmail.com Recap begins at: 11:09 Takeaways begin at: 1:28:025   This week's cocktail: The What the Fuck Is Going On Muddled Tangerine Buffalo Trace Whiskey Lemon Lacroix Cardamom Bitters Campari Stir it into a frenzy and hope for the best    

Player Piano is a weekly conversation recapping HBO's Westworld. Hosts Dan and Trevor do their best to decode the plot, philosophy and filmcraft of the sci-fi epic. This week Dan and Trevor do a thorough recap of the eighth episode as well as discussing some of the big ideas touched on including: the black box problem of high-level technology, AI as wayward teenagers and whether or not the hosts are collectively an organism. We also give you not one but TWO new cocktails this week and include the ingredients below. Email us at: playerpianopodcast@gmail.com Recap begins at: 09:15 Broader discussion begins at: 1:29:00   DRINK ONE - The Ginotaur 1 1/2 oz. gin 2 oz. clementine juice 4 dashes of rhubarb bitters 1 tsp. maraschino cherry juice 1 cherry DRINK TWO - The Slit Throat 1 oz. gin 1 oz. campari 1 oz. sweet vermouth 1 cherry  

Player Piano is a weekly conversation recapping HBO's Westworld. Hosts Dan and Trevor do their best to decode the plot, philosophy and filmcraft of the sci-fi epic. This week Dan and Trevor do a thorough recap of the entire pivotal episode as well as discussing some of the big ideas touched on including: the problem of evolutionary exclusives, uploading consciousness as a means to eternal life and the problem with photographs. We also fall down a rabbit hole of strong drink and end the episode with slurred speech and hugs.  Email us at: playerpianopodcast@gmail.com  

Player Piano is a weekly conversation recapping HBO's Westworld. Hosts Dan and Trevor do their best to decode the plot, philosophy and filmcraft of the sci-fi epic. This week Dan and Trevor recap a few of the episode's key scenes as well as discussing some of the big ideas touched on including: apperception, the vanishing line between android and human in a deterministic universe and whether or not Sizemore's ego will ever find its limit.  Email us at: playerpianopodcast@gmail.com  

Player Piano is a weekly conversation recapping HBO's Westworld. Hosts Dan and Trevor do their best to decode the plot, philosophy and filmcraft of the sci-fi epic. This week Dan and Trevor go deep, recapping the episode's key scenes as well as discussing some of the big ideas touched on in the episode including: the Cogito as both foundation of certainty and doubt, the limitless nature of evolution and the masturbation habits of ancient cultures.  We also explore our favorite music cue in the series and answer listener mail. Email us at: playerpianopodcast@gmail.com  

Player Piano is a weekly conversation recapping HBO's Westworld. Hosts Dan and Trevor do their best to decode the plot, philosophy and filmcraft of the sci-fi epic. This week Dan and Trevor go deep, recapping the full episode and decoding a few of its clues as well as discussing some of the big ideas touched on in the episode including: the ethics of simulated violence, religion as a form of cognitive dissonance and the persistent two-timelines theory. Recap starts at 9:54 Broader, half-drunk discussion begins at 1:27:41

Player Piano is a weekly conversation recapping HBO's Westworld. Hosts Dan and Trevor do their best to decode the plot, philosophy and filmcraft of the sci-fi epic. This week Dan and Trevor go deep, recapping the full episode and decoding a few of its clues as well as discussing some of the big ideas touched on in the episode including: the bicameral mind, memory as both a blessing and a curse and stress as an evolutionary motivator.  Recap starts at 4:12 Broader, half-drunk discussion begins at 1:34:58

Player Piano is a weekly conversation recapping HBO's Westworld. Hosts Dan and Trevor do their best to decode the plot, philosophy and filmcraft of the sci-fi epic. This week Dan and Trevor go deep, recapping the full episode and decoding a few of its clues as well as discussing some of the big ideas touched on in including: the contagious nature of memes, the role of language in creation and what it would be like if they made a Nintendo Power magazine for Westworld visitors. This week we added cocktails and our new theme music. Recap starts at 3:23 Broader, half-drunk discussion begins at 1:39:34

Player Piano is a weekly conversation recapping HBO's Westworld. Hosts Dan and Trevor do their best to decode the plot, philosophy and filmcraft of the sci-fi epic.  Recap starts at 09:14 Broader conversation starts at 1:56:52