‘Westworld’: Season 4 4K UHD Blu-Ray Review – An Unexpected Conclusion Leaves You Wanting More

The fourth season picks up over seven years after the protracted war between A.I. hosts and sentient humans – humanity is finally free. Or so it seems. Maeve and Caleb soon begin to suspect that Hale and a host version of The Man in Black are seeding a conspiracy to regain control of the human race. Meanwhile, Bernard returns from The Sublime with a new power. And a young writer, by the name of Christina, begins to question the nature of her reality. Westworld continues to thrill as it deftly weaves together stories about the complicated relationship between man and machine.

For in-depth thoughts on Westworld: The Complete Fourth Season, please see my colleague Emmy Wenstrup’s reviews for the season premiere and the season overview. 

Video Quality

Westworld once again takes an already dazzling Blu-Ray presentation and makes it even more wondrous with a stunning 4K UHD Blu-Ray upgrade in mostly 1.78:1. The clarity and detail present in nearly every shot is simply astounding, exposing nuances otherwise imperceptible due to the limitations of the format. We visit so many different environments this season, and each space feels like a new opportunity to dive deep into a new world. Subtle details in the production design that might blend in with the background are incredibly clear and well defined, which makes you appreciate the care put into the crafting of this show even more. Many elements have a greater sense of texture in this format. 

The High Dynamic Range is unbelievable from the more nuanced colors to vivid highlights in specific settings. The bright landscapes remain stable and do not suffer from banding or blooming no matter how hard they are pushed. This series is one that benefits a great deal from 4K UHD with improvements to image stability and deeper black levels that improve shadow detail drastically. Everything appears natural from the skin tones to the colors of the clothing and the landscapes. There are hues on display that appear more accurate than any other presentation could handle. A pleasing amount of depth is gained with this transfer, both in close-up and long shots. This 4K UHD transfer is the way to harness the full visual majesty of this series. 

Audio Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray set offers a sizable upgrade in the form of an immersive Dolby Atmos presentation that brings this world to life effectively. The Atmos presentation takes full advantage of the expanded channel allotment. During scenes of confrontation or in the presence of hovercraft, you get some palpable moments of height immersion from overhead channels. Overhead sounds during battle sequences may be expected, but it adds a necessary layer that kicks the series up a notch. It is not just the obvious aspects of this track that impresses, but the environmental effects create a complex sonic experience whether things are placid or more frenzied. 

This track is not just impressive because it is loud or busy, what truly impresses is the nuance that is employed in the sound design. Directionality of sound is never in question, and dialogue is reproduced with extreme clarity. The track handles the immersion into the various lands with precision so that even the most minute elements are represented. All of the sounds are balanced well during kinetic sequences that are plentiful throughout the season. This show never passes up an opportunity to dig deep in the low end. Speakers remain thoroughly engaged throughout the season no matter the environment. The audio presentation is a flawless experience from start to finish. 

Special Features

• Creating Westworld’s Reality: Behind-the-scenes explorations are provided for every episode that provide a compelling breakdown of the events in the episode and how it fits into the larger narrative at play. Additional insights are always welcome on a show such as this one. 

• • The Auguries (5:45)

• • Well Enough Alone (5:27)

• • Années Folles (6:16)

• • Generation Loss (4:56)

• • Zhuangzi (5:11)

• • Fidelity (4:44)

• • Metanoia (4:22)

• • Que Será, Será (5:03)

• Westworld On The Road: A 17-minute featurette which takes a look at the multitude of gorgeous locations explored throughout this season in two different worlds. 

• Westworld – An Exploration Of Humanity: A 15-minute piece which features cast and crew interviews that explore the challenges and opportunities of inserting two realities into the narrative. 

• Westworld’s Temperance – A Set Tour: A brief six-minute featurette which takes a look at a few of the locations, the production of a few key sequences and more with additional insights from the cast and crew members.  

Final Thoughts

The fourth and final season of Westworld finds the show once again on unsteady footing as it tries to find its way towards a satisfying home stretch. There are moments of brilliance which remind you why you love the show, but other moments completely miss the mark and make you concerned for the legacy of your favorite characters. The unexpected conclusion of this series has done it no favors, as the ending we have is very unsatisfying without any hope for a final puzzle piece to wrap up everything more concretely. This season is still worth watching, but it is slightly disheartening that the series could never completely find the magic it had in its early days. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and HBO have delivered a 4K UHD Blu-Ray with a flawless A/V presentation and some worthwhile special features. Fans of the series will be delighted that the company continued with this premium format all of the way until the end. Recommended 

Westworld: The Complete Fourth Season is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital. 

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and HBO have supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.