On Tuesday, HBO released the first teaser for season four of Westworld, a show that apparently still exists and people still watch. Who knew? The runtime of the clip is two minutes and 17 seconds, which is far too long for a trailer with no dialogue. Set to Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day,” it is essentially a creepy, confusing music video starring Ed Harris.
Rather than having a traditional release, the preview was planned as an Easter egg for fans to discover. It began circulating online on Monday evening, and HBO shared it on YouTube shortly thereafter. It’s medically impossible to determine what is actually going on in this trailer, but it’s safe to assume the song choice is meant to be ironic.
Viewers are transported to a bleak, dystopian version of New York City. A tree spontaneously combusts before Jeffrey Wright’s sad eyes and perpetually furrowed brow. An unidentifiable figure is shot down by a flurry of machine gun fire. A swarm of insects flies out of the pried-open mouth of a host whose face is fractured cleanly into several pieces. Tessa Thompson looks gorgeous in a chic white sweater dress! Sure, one of these things is not like the other, but it had to be said.
There are plenty of familiar faces in addition to Harris, Wright, and Thompson. Evan Rachel Wood is back as Dolores. Thandiwe Newton, Luke Hemsworth, Angela Sarafyan, and Aaron Paul are all returning, as well. Eagle-eyed fans also pointed out a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it appearance from a new cast member—Oscar winner and West Side Story star Ariana DeBose.
The video is titled “It doesn’t look like anything to me,” after Wright’s oft-repeated line from the show, though the name works on multiple levels since that’s what most of the internet is left thinking after watching it.
Entertainment editor Morgan Baila tweeted, “I watched all three seasons of westworld. wrote about a few. I could not possibly explain ONE thing happening in this season 4 trailer.” Meanwhile, journalist Louis Peitzman wrote, “Apparently I’ve accidentally stumbled into the universe where Westworld was never canceled and there’s another season coming out. That’s the only explanation for what’s going on here.”
It’s been two years since the last installment of the trippy sci-fi series aired, ending with Dolores sacrificing herself and presumably dying. (I had to Wikipedia this because, as previously established, I didn’t even know there was a season three of Westworld until this morning.) However, Wood is clearly back and playing a prominent role in the new teaser, suggesting that her character has been resurrected somehow—the first major reveal of the upcoming season.
From series creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, season four of Westworld will premiere on HBO on June 26. Tune in then if you’re looking for a show that will make your brain hurt!
