‘Westworld’ Season 2 Finale Ratings Were Down 30% Compared To Season 1
Audiences apparently weren’t in the mood to bring themselves back online to watch theWestworldseason 2 finale. A new report indicates that 30% fewer viewers watched the season 2 finale compared to season 1. Where did the audience go? Perhaps they escaped to the Valley Beyond.
Westworldseason 2 was clearly polarizing for many fans. The show changed up its approach considerably in its second season, going into weird, unexpected directions. Perhaps it went too far. According toVariety, the epic, feature-lengthWestworldseason 2 finaledrew considerably less viewers than the season 1 finale:
What could account for this sophomore slump? Many things. Perhaps fans just got tired of all the twists and turns. Perhaps the show becametooconfusing.Westworldseason 1 likely averaged more viewers because it was something fresh and new. It’s hard to recapture the excitement of a brand new series, and when so much of your show is based on puzzle-solving and endless mystery, audiences may start to get weary. I know there are plenty ofWestworldfans on Reddit who live and die for the show’s enigmas, but average viewers might have grown tired of all this nonsense.
However, it’s also possible that some viewers waited to watch the finale after it aired. In this brave new world of streaming content, ratings aren’t what they used to be. Viewers don’t simply stick to a specific air date – they tend to consume their entertainment after the fact. Anyone with an HBOGo account can simply watch theWestworldseason 2 finale whenever the heck they want. HBO seems to be taking this into consideration, and assumes that season 2 “will average 10 million viewers per episode when the final numbers are calculated.” In contrast, season 1 averaged 13.2 million viewers per episode.
The overall reaction toWestworldseason 2 was mixed. It garnered mostly positive reviews, but as the season soldiered on, more and more viewers seemed to be growing tired of the game the show was playing. The epic season 2 finale left many scratching their heads, wondering justwhat the hell was going on. Despite all this,Westworldremains a big hit for HBO. It’s also one of the few shows they have right now that generates massive buzz – the other primary example beingGame of Thrones. ButGame of Thronesis ending soon, and until HBO gets all theirGame of Thronesspin-offs off the ground, they’ll need something to fill that void. Which means you can count onWestworldsticking around for a while.
